multiples

One Year

Amber 11 Comments

Each morning as I wake to the chatter of four babies, I sometimes wonder if they are all ours.  Now I am even more amazed that we made it through the first year.  The past year has been perhaps the most challenging of our lives, yet also the most JOY filled to date.  Caring for four infants and now pre-toddlers is no easy feat, but we manage.  A friend once told George, “You were given the Grace for four.  Someone else who was given the grace for one or even two would be overwhelmed in your world.”  We go back to her comment often, remembering that God blessed us with these four precious babies for a reason.  Despite the hours of sleep stolen from the night and many tears shed (usually the babies’ but sometimes mine too), we would not change a thing.  When we’re out with the babies people often blurt out, “How DO you do it?” Almost always we reply, “By the Grace of God.”  It is true.  This amazing challenge would be impossible on our own and our faith carries us through.

Reflecting upon the past year is a fast flurry.  Every new stage and milestone comes and passes in a whirlwind.  All too soon we will miss having babies in the house.  In the future, I believe we’ll enjoy going back to this blog to recall glimpses of time we’d otherwise lose in a fog.  The day we discovered we were expecting quads, I recall George repeating “four” followed by something we’d have to buy (e.g. cribs, cars, college educations).  While we don’t have four of everything, we’ve gone through more than the average household of most every baby item.  Together, George and I calculated rough estimates of our consumption this year-

  • 9,600 Diapers
  • 36,000 fluid ounces of formula (just over a TON!)
  • 730 baths
  • 32 visits to the doctor (only two of which were “sick” visits and neither baby was actually sick!)
  • 8,760 bottles prepared & served
  • 43,800 bottle parts washed
  • 182 loads of laundry

We’re afraid to calculate the cost of all these things so don’t expect dollar signs to follow!  We’d like to thank each person who supported us along this journey from prayers said to diapers donated.  Each of you are part of this journey too.  Mascara alert: I compiled this video of our first year together. 

hugs!

Amber

Rylin, Harper, Sydney, & Mason in their new chairs from Great Grandma McCaskill.

Rylin, Harper, Sydney, & Mason in their new chairs from Great Grandma McCaskill.

Rylin Skye

Rylin Skye

Harper Stone

Harper Stone

Sydney Raine

Sydney Raine

Mason River

Mason River

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #22

Amber 7 Comments

It’s Thursday so you know what that means….time to link up with A Beautiful Ruckus for The Little Things Thursdays. If you are new to our blog, we pause each Thursday to reflect upon some of the little things that brought joy to our family.

1. We’ve hosted several play dates at our house, but this week we were invited to one! With the help of my friend, Jen, the babies and I went to the Glawson Triplet’s house for round #2 of the Quadtriplet Playdate. We headed over after the babies woke from their afternoon nap, which was a great diversion from witching hour. At first, Rylin was hesitant to enjoy herself.  She screamed like a banshee and clung tightly to me. Thankfully it was short-lived and all seven babies eventually seemed to have fun. As a bonus, the triplet’s big sister, Ryleigh was there and took up post as resident baby-entertainer. She is a devoted sister who knows her way around a baby.

All seven babies and Ryleigh are in this picture. It's a bit like playing "Where's Waldo", but if you squint, you can see all of them.

All seven babies and Ryleigh are in this picture. It’s a bit like playing “Where’s Waldo”, but if you squint, you can see all of them.

It’s always nice to have play dates with other multiples because they aren’t overwhelmed with all the babies and have the daycare scene at home.

2. After fellow quad mama, Krista, successfully bathed all four of her babies at once, I decided to try my hand. It was by no means perfect, but at least I know it’s possible and it gave me a boost of confidence. I also learned that we can manage without bath seats. However, I have a lot of work to do with Rylin and compliance. She insists on standing in the tub, which means I cannot bathe her sans seat with other babies until she follows the rules. I haven’t tried, but could probably bathe the other three at once without too many problems.

Here are the four little quadlings all lined up: Harper, Mason, Rylin, & Sydney.

Here are the four little quadlings all lined up: Harper, Mason, Rylin, & Sydney.

3. I was able to take advantage of having our weekday babysitters to catch up on some emails on blog posts. I was grumbling to George about wanting to write so many things. He replied, “Well, you have a laptop. Why don’t you take it to Starbucks?” Stellar idea! I ended up hitting Panera so I could enjoy some lunch while accomplishing some writing.

4. It is the first week in July and the Texas weather is fantastic! Apparently there is some weather pattern hovering over Arizona and pushing cool air our way. We LOVE it! It actually felt crisp in the mornings and evenings, which is refreshing.  Happy Fourth of July!

5. Sydney is my patient gal.  She was fussy one day so I took her into a new place, the master bathroom.  There she calmly allowed me to paint her toes azul.  I had to work quickly using a Q-tip and I used Sally Hansen’s Insta Dry polish (seriously that stuff dries almost instantly), but got all ten piggy toes done.  I tried on Rylin later, but it did not go well with her.

Aunt Cici's reaction to seeing these tiny painted toes was priceless. She gasped in delight!

Aunt Cici’s reaction to seeing these tiny painted toes was priceless. She gasped in delight!

Where was the sunshine in your week?

Hugs!

Amber

In 51 Years…

Amber 4 Comments

“Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without.” -James C. Dobson

Sunday was a momentous occasion for our family as my grandparents celebrated 60 years of marriage.  In a society where approximately half of all marriages fail, 60 years is truly remarkable.  I am grateful for the example of a strong, long-lasting marriage they provide for all of us.

Due to lock down, we were unable to celebrate holidays with our extended family this year and I know that broke my grandmother’s heart.  Several months back, she inquired about when the babies would be able to venture out because she wanted nothing more than the ENTIRE family together for their anniversary.  I was pleased to report by late spring we would be good to go, which meant we could make the trek to the party.  On Sunday it finally happened: the babies joined us for an extended family party in honor of my grandparents.

All seven grandchildren were present for the big event.

All seven grandchildren were present for the big event.

Ten of the eleven great grandchildren are in this photograph. Can you spot BOTH sets of multiples? Of course the quads are one set, but there are also twin boys in the mix!

Ten of the eleven great grandchildren are in this photograph. My cousin’s youngest son was ill so could not be around the babies (I really appreciated her making sure the quads weren’t exposed). Can you spot BOTH sets of multiples? Of course the quads are one set, but there are also twins in the mix.

This is nearly the entire family. We are missing just two family members. I know it made Grandma one happy lady to see everyone for the first time in years.

This is nearly the entire family. We are missing just two family members. I know it made Grandma one happy lady to see everyone all together for the first time in years.

The guests of honor, Grandpa and Grandpa aka GG Paw and GG.

The guests of honor, Grandpa and Grandpa aka GG Paw and GG.

 

Despite it being a summer afternoon in Texas, the weather was stunning.  We enjoyed a southern style picnic complete with roast, macaroni and cheese, green beans, black eyed peas, cornbread, honey buttered rolls and sliced melon.   I packed dinner for the babies, but quickly discovered they preferred the same fare as the rest of the family.  To top it off, black eyed peas were their favorite dish!  We divided the babies up among the adult tables so they each got a bit of individual time and I wasn’t overwhelmed with babies during the meal.

Nisey and Grandpa kept track of Rylin.

Nisey and Grandpa kept track of Rylin.

Haper enjoyed the company of his big cousins.

Harper enjoyed the company of his big cousins.

Mason was posted up at Aunt CiCi's table.

Mason was posted up at Aunt CiCi’s table.

Sydney sat between George and I where she packed away shredded chicken and roast beef!

Sydney sat between George and I where she packed away shredded chicken and roast beef!

After dinner and relaxing outdoors, we moved the shindig inside for a wedding cake and punch reception.  The babies had fun playing with the “big kids” on the floor.  In 51 years, I hope George and I have the quads and their families surrounding us like this!

I always think it's neat how the babies gravitate to children. They seem to know that even though they are much bigger than themselves they are not yet adults. Here Michael (one of the twins) is playing with Harper.

I always think it’s neat how the babies gravitate to children. They seem to know that even though they are much bigger than themselves they are not yet adults. Here Michael (one of the twins) is playing with Harper.

Everyone participated in a champagne toast (or sparkling juice) with cake.

Everyone participated in a champagne toast (or sparkling juice) with cake.

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. Grandma, I know you will try to print the pictures from this blog.  However, I am planning to blow up the family portrait to send to you in the mail.  Hang in there =)

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #8

Amber 6 Comments

I love when the Little Things Thursdays come back around each week.  Thursdays help me pause to reflect upon the past week and all of the wonderful things that transpired.  Even though the purpose is to delight in little things,  this week we seem have more BIG things to celebrate.  I hoped to write full posts on a few of them, but never managed to carve out the time to write them.  Hmmm, I wonder why….

1. March 20th was a momentous day in our family.  George and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary.  We had a hearty chuckle when George thought it was our eight instead.  I’m relatively certain that the hoopla of 2012 caused a mental lapse for George and a few more gray hairs.    Several weeks ago, Rebecca at A Beautiful Ruckus took a poll asking fellow quad mamas how much they felt having quads aged them.  I responded, “not at all”, which likely comes as a surprise (considering the strain of carrying them  and how demanding caring for them is now).  The truth is I do feel older, but the fact is that I am older.  Every day that passes I am one day older than before and I am okay with that.  George and I look so young in our wedding pictures, but we were young then, nine years younger to be exact.  In our nine years of marriage, we’ve had moments of sickness and health, richer and poorer with each experience helping us to grow together.  Through it all, there is no one I’d rather have at my side than George.

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George and I met at a pancake breakfast at church. I surprised him with the ingredients for a hearty breakfast for dinner and we spent the evening cooking together. Cooking as a team is something we really miss.

George and I met at a pancake breakfast at church. In honor of our anniversary I surprised him with the ingredients for a nostalgic breakfast for dinner and we spent time cooking it together.  He planned to bring take out home and let me take a luxurious bath.  Since I beat him to the punch with dinner, I got a rain check for tomorrow. 

 

On March 20th the babies also celebrated their eight month birthday.  I took another obligatory crib picture of them.  They are really starting to fill it out!  Harper is officially in nine month clothing and Rylin is in 6/9 month clothes.  Sydney and Mason insist on keeping their six month wardrobe to make sure that clothing storage is a challenge for me.

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2. Okay, this one is a little thing, but worthy of mention in our Big Things post.  Grandaddy did not style Sydney’s hair.  It was a tad chilly when we took an evening walk so she donned a bear hat.  She looked like this when I removed her hat!  Serious case of hat hair, I think.

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3. Do you notice anything different about our recent quad feed?  This is MAJOR progress at our house!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that this does not happen the whole feed all the time. However, we are making huge gains in the fact that they are interested, willing, and able to hold their bottles independently. I have not used our bottle buddies in the past week at all!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that this does not happen the entire feed all the time.  The way Rylin decided to look at her bottle is fairly common during a feed.  However, we are making huge gains in the fact that they are interested, willing, and able to hold their bottles independently. I have not used our bottle buddies in the past week at all!

What little or big things filled your week?

hugs!

Amber

Who wore green today?

Amber 3 Comments
Here is our March artwork. I commissioned my friend, Jen, for this one.

Here is our March artwork. I commissioned my friend, Jen, for this one.  We agreed a four leaf clover was appropriate.

On this beautiful Saint Patrick’s Day we took the babies on a mini road trip to my parent’s house.  I say “road trip” because it’s an hour drive there and taking the babies anywhere besides a walk seems like a road trip.  We stuffed the van with a package of diapers, package of wipes. four pairs of pajamas, eight bibs, four booster seats, a swing, a travel crib (mom has two more), four bottles, two cans of formula, four jars of baby food….you get the idea.  It was everything but the kitchen sink and it practically looked like we were going out of town.  In everyone’s best interest, we waited to leave until after the babies’ morning nap.  I knew they probably wouldn’t get much shut-eye at Nisey and Grandpa’s so I thought at least one good nap was in order.  After their 11 am spoon feed (green beans) and bottle we corralled everyone into the van and hit the road in our green attire.  Thankfully, the babies made good use of their time in the van and took a decent nap.

Everyone wore green today in honor of Saint Patrick. And of course we didn't want anyone being pinched.

Everyone wore green today in honor of Saint Patrick. And of course we didn’t want anyone being pinched.

A faux road trip seemed to be an occasion worthy of shoe wearing for everyone.

A faux road trip seemed to be an occasion worthy of shoe wearing for everyone.

Upon our arrival, the babies made note of their new surroundings.  Eight little eyes darted around the living room fully aware that we weren’t in Kansas anymore.  They clearly knew it was new territory.  Rylin being her pensive self really seemed to take it all in and pouted a little bit initially.  When everyone was settled, the big people  enjoyed a home cooked meal complete with cabbage and potatoes in honor of our Irish heritage.  The babies of course were served some delicious formula.  After lunch, George, my sister, and I headed to visit my Grandfather while the babies stayed behind.  Nisey and Grandpa reported that the babies took a short nap then devoured their spoon feeds despite being in a new place and using booster seats for the first time.  The babies also apparently met many of my parent’s neighbors while we were away.

Before we headed home, some of our extended family was able to drop by to meet the crew for the first time.   While the babies were a bit apprehensive about meeting so many new people they all acclimated very well.  Rylin really sized each person up, but was eventually won over by my uncle Clarke.  Sydney who reserves laughter for special times erupted in giggles when my uncle Mark played with her.  Harper does not know a stranger yet and enjoyed cuddle time with whomever held him.  And Mason, well, he flashed his dimples way too many times to count.  Instead of rushing home, we fed the babies their final bottle before leaving.  George and I feared there would be dire consequences of moving sleeping babies from the van to crib.  To our surprise, the babies handled it all in stride.  Mason didn’t stir a bit and the other three were awake but went to  bed without protest.  Whew!  It was a lot of work taking the babies out for the day, but we had a lot of fun and it was much easier than previous trips with them.   We’re all looking forward to getting out and exploring more this spring and summer.  My sister and I have grandiose plans for a field trip to the zoo and a shopping excursion with two babies (we’ll take the two who took a good morning nap!).

When Rylin finally warmed up to Clarke, she smiled at him and enjoyed this little game.

When Rylin finally warmed up to Clarke, she smiled at him and enjoyed this little game. 

Props to Uncle Mark who got Sydney to chuckle.

Props to Uncle Mark who got Sydney to chuckle.

My mom's sister, Linda, with Sydney enjoying a little Baby Einstein.

My Aunt Linda and Sydney enjoyed a little Baby Einstein and cuddle.

It's so much easier feeding four babies when there are more than four adults. I don't think I fed a single baby after 11 am today.

It’s so much easier feeding four babies when there are more than four adults. I don’t think I fed a single baby after 11 am today.

Harper was enamored with his Aunt CiCi tonight. He kept touching her face and grinning even while eating.

Harper was enamored with his Aunt CiCi tonight. He kept touching her face and grinning even while eating. 

Oh yeah, we celebrated my belated birthday. My sister made this yummy s' mores cake found on Pinterest.

Oh yeah, we celebrated my belated birthday too. My sister made this yummy s’ mores cake found on Pinterest.  Oops, someone forgot birthday candles so they improvised with a tea light. 

This was cute. Grandpa sang to the babies as they waited to go back to the van.

This was cute. Grandpa sang to the babies as they waited to go back to the van.

How did you spend St. Patty’s Day?  I hope you at least wore green and if not that you were pinched.  I know I made sure to pinch everyone who forgot and that was most everyone in our family except the wee ones I dressed.

Hugs!

 

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #7

Amber 3 Comments

Oh yes, it is Thursday again and time to recall the little things!

1.  On  Friday, Nisey and Terri cared for the babies as usual.  However,  my mom’s friend, Lilian also joined the troops.  I was proud to find out that Rylin developed “stranger danger”. Apparently she sized up Lilian and pouted to the point of tears.   I know it sounds nuts to want your baby to cry in the presence of a visitor, but it means she’s met a developmental milestone where she differentiates familiar and unfamiliar caregivers.  I was also pleased to learn that when she realized Nisey approved of Lilian, Rylin was okay with her too.  To top it off, Lilian brought the babies a huge box of Luvs!  It’s amazing how just as our diaper reserves were almost depleted, she restored them a bit.

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2. Mom and I had a fabulous time shopping at our local Just Between Friends consignment sale.  They are held in our area twice a year and offer everything from clothes to playground equipment.  The girls are outfitted up to about size 2T thanks to hand-me-downs from generous friends.  The boy’s closet, on the other hand,  is a bit more sparse.  Mom and I headed to the sale on half price day and scored a bounty of spring and summer clothes for a fraction of the original price.  I also found a  few books and toys as well as two pairs of Lucky Brand flats for myself (a benefit of having miniature feet is I can wear kid’s shoes!)  The girls got a few swimsuits and sunhats.  I was really grateful that Mom as with me because it was relatively chaotic and the line to check out  involved an hour wait!  On the upside, the line wound through the goods so we stumbled across a few bargains while waiting.

Just Between Friends is a nationwide franchise so check http://www.jbfsale.com to see if you have one in your area.  I’m planning to consign some of our big-ticket items at the next one!

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3. I took Mason to the doctor by himself on Monday and decided it was a worthy occasion for shoes.  He’s never worn shoes before since he doesn’t walk, but they are pretty cute.  He was enamored with is kicks.  If you look carefully you’ll notice they are sharks.

I also want to point out the fabulous seat he is using; I only wish I discovered it sooner.  It is a   Summer Infant Super Seat.  It is similar to a Bumbo allowing a baby to sit upright on the floor before they can sit independently.  However, it also converts into a booster seat that can attach to a dining chair for small infants or toddlers up to 40 lbs!  The best part for us is that the activity tray is removable so they stack for storage and travel.  We now have four of these seats.

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The Super Seat doesn't come in the same selection of colors as the Bumbo, but they do come in boy and girl color combinations.

The Super Seat doesn’t come in the same selection of colors as the Bumbo, but they do come in boy and girl color combinations at least.

4.  My Dad brought GiGi and GG Paw up for a visit on Saturday.  Sydney demonstrated a bit of stranger danger with GiGi, but soon realized she was okay and settled down.  The babies enjoyed showing off some of their new tricks and snuggled with GiGi a bit.

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5. This week is spring break so I’ve enjoyed having George at home with me.  We took advantage of our usual babysitters Wednesday (and will again on Friday) to go out on a date and run errands sans babies.  We started or morning of by getting our haircut and styled by our Mane Man, Matt.  We were both in dire need of a fresh style.  Afterwards we enjoyed some sushi before darting around town with our to-do list.

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Zushi Sushi is one of my favorite spots because they have a huge variety of vegetarian sushi and offer soy paper rather than traditional nori. I enjoyed a Tropical Roll stuffed with asparagus, avocado, cream cheese, carrots, and sprouts then topped with mango. George and I really want to expose the babies to sushi so they grow up appreciating different cultures and foods. I thought it was neat that my sushi contains three foods they already enjoy!

Zushi Sushi is one of my favorite spots because they have a huge variety of vegetarian sushi and offer soy paper rather than traditional nori. I enjoyed a Tropical Roll stuffed with asparagus, avocado, cream cheese, carrots, and sprouts topped with mango. George and I really want to expose the babies to sushi so they grow up appreciating different cultures and foods. I thought it was neat that my sushi contains three foods they already enjoy!  I could almost puree the sushi I had for the babies.

What little things filled your week?

Hugs!

Amber

We Escaped!

Amber 18 Comments

Since the day I was put on bed rest it has been a challenge tackling not only household chores, but also running errands.  On a typical day I juggle simple household chores relatively well. Think REALLY basic stuff such as laundry, paying bills, and running the Swiffer.  The babies’ morning nap is when priority chores are accomplished, but I can’t exactly run to Kroger while the babies are sleeping.  On the two days when I go to work, I try to run quick errands on my way home.  I already feel as if we request entirely too much of our volunteers to ask them to stay any longer.  However, sometimes I literally need to grab baby oatmeal for the next few days or go to the chiropractor for an adjustment.  If I run an errand after work I only have about 30 minutes so that leaves a lot of errands undone.  Amazon has been a great help as we order a lot of what we need these days, but some things can’t be ordered.  Furthermore George and I enjoy running errands as a family.  We like to share opinions with each other and of course spend time together rather than apart.  As the babies are getting bigger and germs are less of a concern, we’ve devised a way to at least run some errands as a family.  This of course involves a grand scheme to make it all work.  We begin by plotting out what needs to be done, prioritizing errands, considering if we have  errands where one of us can run in while the other circles the block, and then timing our adventure around feeds and naps. 

Today we survived not one, but THREE errands!  After the babies’ second feed, we furiously loaded them into the van and headed to Babies R Us. There I returned extra items and picked up a new package of bibs while George cruised the parking lot.  Upon my return to the van, George informed me that I made a fatal error.  I left my cell phone in the van so when he called to “Abort Mission” due to screaming babies I had no idea.  Oh well, errand done! 

Next, we headed to Costco to load up on produce for ourselves and baby purees.  That is when the real fun began.  In order to get everyone into Costco, we each wore a baby in a front facing carrier and pushed another baby in their car seat in a Coscto cart.  Fellow quad mama, Krista, suggested the whole wear a baby idea to help us fly under the radar.  According to Krista, if you don’t bring the Runabout people are so busy they hardly notice you are there.  Well, that may work in California, but apparently nothing gets by a Texan.  People would notice George and go nuts over his “twins” then see me trailing behind with “another one” and go batty over the triplets before they realized there were actually four babies.  It was actually pretty funny.  We just smiled and nodded a lot.  People were always exceptionally nice to us and mostly just gasped in amazement.  Despite the scene we must have caused, we darted through Costco, grabbed the essentials and escaped in about 40 minutes.  On our way home we dropped by the pediatrician’s office to pick up a few formula samples.  Albeit a brief nap, the babies slept well in the 30 minute ride back home.  Even after running three errands, we managed to get home 25 minutes before the next feed.  I’m really looking forward to a time when the babies can sit up in the Costco carts so we aren’t wearing anyone.  Of course that will inevitably bring new challenges our way.

If you were shopping our our neighborhodd Costco today, you would have observed this scene.

If you were shopping our our neighborhood Costco today, you would have observed this scene. 

Here's the shopping aftermath! As we left, the woman at customer service inquired about the boy/ girl ratio. When we told her it was 2 boys, 2 girls she replied, "That's perfect! I'm jealous". I thought that was a cute, candid remark.

Here’s the shopping aftermath! As we left, the woman at customer service inquired about the boy/ girl ratio. When we told her it was 2 boys, 2 girls she replied, “That’s perfect! I’m jealous”. I thought that was a cute, candid remark.

I put Harper in the Baby Bjorn today because I think he may be running out of opportunities. He currently weighs a whopping 18 pounds and I don't know how much longer my back can support him!

I put Harper in the Baby Bjorn today because I think he may be running out of opportunities. He currently weighs a whopping 18 pounds and I don’t know how much longer my back can support him!

After shopping, we loaded all babies then the groceries into the van. I always felt bad that the boys have to sit in the back, but I think they have a much better view than the girls.

After shopping, we loaded all babies then the groceries into the van. I always felt bad that the boys have to sit in the back, but I think they have a much better view than the girls.

The babies finished snoozing as we unloaded the van at home.

The babies finished snoozing as we unloaded the van at home.

Hugs!

Amber