When the going gets tough...

Well, I know it's been forever since I've blogged...I keep saying I'm going to get better, but let's face it, I'm just spontaneous like this. :)  I actually like to document the BIG events, and recently we had one that is blog worthy.  So, here's the story...m

We started out Spring Break this year with head colds and slight fevers, but Uncle R.K., Emma and Ryan were here visiting from Oregon, so we tried not to let it get us down.  Saturday, I loaded up all of the kids and we met the whole Gascho clan at Treece's for lunch.  They were all so good, laughing and playing with the other kids.  I left lunch with plans of taking the kids to get groceries at Walmart, home to put them to bed, and headed back out for a night where I could actually visit without chasing 5 kids...My night would actually not go that way at all.

I have grocery shopped many times with all 5 kids by myself...pushing one of the big carts with 3 seats while pulling another.  As they've gotten bigger, it doesn't leave much room for groceries. :)  This particular trip, Ben was riding in the front of the cart that I was pulling, and I didn't think think much about him laying his head down on the handle.  And then the nightmare began...I was approached by a man that said, "Excuse me, Miss.  He is getting sick."  As I lifted Ben's head, I could tell that something wasn't right.  His eyes were open, but he was not in the same place that we were.  It almost seemed as if her was choking.

I am lucky that so many wonderful people immediately stepped in and took over his care.  An ambulance was called, and as he lay on the floor, I saw him begin to go into convulsions.  My heart began to ache...I couldn't figure out what was happening or why.  I could not possibly be losing another child...

Leaving my other 4 kids at Walmart, listening to the EMTs yell his name in the back of the ambulance, watching the multiple attempts to start an iv, watching the doctors' and nurses' concerned faces as, what seemed to be a seizure, continued even after multiple attempts to control it with medicine, watching them poke and prod and test to try to figure out what was happening to his little body, waiting, and waiting, and waiting and WAITING for hours for him to wake up so that I could hear him laugh that infectious laugh again...These are the things that haunt me at night, lately.

I pray that the root cause of this scary day was the metapneumovirus that they discovered during their tests.  In a couple days, we will go for an MRI, and hopfully we will be able to get some closure with comfort of not having to go through this again.  I can't even begin to explain how grateful we've been for all of the thoughts, prayers, messages, etc.  We are a very blessed family.

Wow, a look back at this time last year

 It's hard to believe that this is what I looked like at this time last year.  Trying my hardest to keep those little ones in for as long as I could.  I was 30 weeks in this picture, and still would not completely let myself believe that all would be well, and we would go home with four healthy little babies.  The staff at St. Vincent Women's Hospital in Indy were wonderful.  I was very well taken care of in the short 3 weeks that I was there.

 I LOVED when Lilya could come and visit me.  I'm so glad that when we look at these pictures together, she doesn't really remember that I had to stay away from her.  She asks if we were sleeping in that bed together. :)  This was a little over a week before delivery, and I'm amazed at how NOT pregnant for quads I look here.  I guess that's why I'm sharing the one photo below this.

 WOW!  This is what I looked like 5 days before delivery.  It's the last picture taken that shows how big I was.  Amazing that there were 4 little babies in there.

I can't believe that just two weeks from tomorrow, the babies will turn 1!  As unreal as that sounds, these stats sound even crazier.  In the last 365 days we have:

 -changed aprroximately 8000 (yes, 8000) diapers

-clipped approximately 2500 fingernails

-clipped approximately 2500 toenails

-fed approximately 7000 bottles

-fed approximately 800 jars of baby food

-given approximately 520 baths

and the best of all

-received countelss smiles, coos, hugs and kisses!

Just notice that I said WE.  I don't just mean Tony and I either.  We are blessed with wonderful people in our lives.  We have wonderful family and amazing friends that we would be lost without.  Looking forward to celebrating this first year with so many!