We Have a Plan

Oh, to be three again.  Look at that sweet face...and all of those Ninja Turtle stickers that are decorating his shirt.  What you can't see are the princess stickers he picked out for his sisters (before he ever chose what he wanted for his self and his brothers).  They are in his lap, but they'll soon be stuck all over the van window next to his seat. 

At three, it doesn't phase you when your doctor makes the recommendation of surgery.  You don't pay any attention to the pictures that give a glimpse of what the inside of your skull looks like.  You don't listen to the doctor explain a three to four hour procedure that involves cutting through the membranes that protect your brain or the time that it will take you to recover from such a surgery...you're too busy playing a matching game on your table and only show any interest in the doctor when she mentions the word "stickers".

It's been almost four months since Ben had the long seizure that eventually led us to an MRI, the discovery of Chiari Malformation, and a trip to Riley to see Dr. Smith (this past Tuesday). While I know that he hasn't had to worry about his diagnosis, I have noticed that on a daily basis, he tells me that he is sick. Our conversations are short, and usually sound like this:
Ben:  Mommy, I sick.
Me:  What hurts baby.
Ben: My back hurts. or My belly hurts.
Me:  I'm so sorry baby (followed by lots of cuddles).
We've only had a hand full of times that he has actually gotten sick, but knowing that, at three, he doesn't go a day feeling completely normal, breaks my heart.
But this isn't what I signed up for...you know, when we decided to have kids.  I'm not supposed to have to make decisions in which I basically say, "Sure, cut my child's skull open and work on his brain a little."  I'm not cut out to make choices like this.  But we did it.  And, until it is over and I hold my baby in my arms and see that all is okay, I'll continue to wonder if I'm cut out for this.

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!

Another School Visit

Poor Harrison is just not so sure about the whole
school thing.

 Today, we visited a school that we had never been to (well, that they quads had never been to).  We visited Mrs. Albitz's Avanced Child Development class.  Lilya was just 6 weeks old when she visited the class in 2008.  It is such a great way to introduce teenagers to what life is like when you have a little one.  Today, they saw the extreme...a set of quads, a set of triplets, and a singleton.  It made the small classroom a little chaotic as the girls in the class rushed immediately to help get the babies out of their jackets and settled into the room.  There were boys in the class too, some were quicker than others to get to know the kiddos.  It was interesting to sit back and watch the students interact with the babies. 
Part of the visit was an question/answer session.  I gave names, birth weights and length of NICU stays.  I loved talking with the students about the unconditional love that comes when you're a parent, and hearing the other moms talk about the smiles they get from their little ones when they walk in the room.  I also think it was very important for them to hear the struggles that come with being a parent.  You can't just get in the car and run to the store (even if you just have one).  You have to load up a little one and make sure that you have everything you might need for a trip out (bottle, diapers, wipes,etc.)  There are many expenses...formula, diapers, clothes, baby food.  There is not much time to sleep during the first few months when the baby wants to eat every 3 hours.

I am so glad that high schools offer this learning oportunity to young teens.  I see so many stories in the news of children that have been injured, and most of the time it is by a very young parent (or partner of a parent).  I hope that educating teens on the reality of parenthood will help them make better decisions in their lives.  We're so glad that Mrs. Albitz used us to help educate today!

Of course Oscar would be held and surrounded by beautiful girls.  ;)

Benjamin looks like he's checking out the assignment book and text book there.  I think he looks a little worried.  :)

Lilya was hanging out in the stroller enjoying some Dora snacks while the babies were being held.

I'm so sad that I didn't get a picture of Jaylyn with any of her new friends.  I'm sure that Mrs. Albitz will share some of hers with me, and I'll share them later.

P.S.  I couldn't have made it this morning without Nancy Doyle.  She was kind enough to come down at 7 a.m. to help me feed everyone early, get them dressed and loaded up to go.  I'm so proud that we made it to school right on time.  Thanks, Nancy!

The Baby Food Stage

Playing after dinner.

In the last month or so, we started feeding baby food.  When I look back at pictures of Lilya at this age, her face was stained orange.  The only thing the child would eat was carrots or sweet potatoes...a lot healthier than what she eats now anyway.  Having to find things that a 3 year old will eat, makes me grateful the 3 times a day that I put the quads in the table and them baby food.  Here are some of the favorites right now.

Breakfast:  oatmeal cereal w/fruit (usually applesauce, mangos or a mix (apples, mangos, kiwi)

Lunch/Supper:  rice cereal mixed with a vegetable (peas are their favorite, but we've been working with carrots and sweet potatoes) and a jar of fruit.

They are working on drinking some water out of a sippy cup, and still take bottles 4 times a day (8,12,4 & 8).

Lilya has some favorites too...cookies, cake, ice-cream, pancakes (she would eat for every meal), tacos, chicken nuggets (from McDonalds only), mini corndogs and just about any kind of candy.  I can't really get her to eat much as far as vegetables, but she does love fruit.

Even though she is able to feed herself, I would say that the quads are at an easier feeding stage.  They have been so good, and will eat just about anything I try.  I'm dreading the day I have to find something that all 5 kids will like to eat.

Where does the time go?!?

Yesterday, while we were getting ready to feed the four o'clock bottle, I mentioned to our help that the babies were going to be 8 months old today.  She said, "Well, I'm sure it hasn't seemed to go by quickly to you, but I can't believe they are already that old."  Funny thing is, I'm not sure where the time has gone.  I want to take a little time to tell you about each of the little ones and their adventures over the last 8 months.

 Oscar James was born first, and weighed just 2.15 pounds.  He was the smallest yet feistiest from the very beginning, and he didn't stay small for long.  He loved to eat, and even when the doctor thought that they were ready to take as much as they wanted, they had to put a cap on his feedings.  He just wouldn't stop...has his mama's appetite! As you can tell in the picture, he had a head full of dark hair and a darker complexion than the other three.  He had a temper from day one, and not much has changed.  He smiles the easiest, but when he isn't happy, look out!  One day, when I was visiting them in the NICU, we had quite the scare with Oscar.  His heart rate jumped to over 220 bpm (and he wasn't even throwing a fit).  Before I new it, there were doctors and nurses all around him.  They held a bag of ice on his head, and the heart rate began to drop.  The next day, he had another episode.  This time, it required medication to bring it down.  He was diagnosed with SVT's, and spent 2 weeks longer than the others in the NICU while the doctors made sure they had his medication and reflux under control.  We have come such a long way in the last 8 months.  At our last trip to the heart doctor, he let us know that he is going to let him outgrow his medicine dosage.  In March, we will begin weening him off all together.  While he is still our feistiest, he is definitely no longer the smallest.  Weighing over 15 pounds, he still LOVES to eat.  This last month, we started feeding baby food.  Oscar will eat anything I feed him.  I am yet to find a food that he doesn't like!  He can roll from his belly to his back and back to his belly, and he uses rolling as his way to travel around the living room.  He pushes himself up, and looks like he would love to start crawling all over.  He found his voice at about 5 months, and of course says mostly, "dadadada".  He still has a head full of dark hair, and is such a charmer.  He is quite the flirt for an 8 month old!  He has a very pitiful fake cry and a very adorable smile.  My heart just melts now that he has started to reach for me while he's sitting in the feeding table or the bouncy chair (which reminds me...we've now traded the swings that were so popular when they were younger for the bouncy/play seats.)

Next up, Benjamin Ryne.  He has been our biggest from Day 1.  Weighing in at just 3.8 pounds at birth, he now weighs over 18 pounds!  His hospital stay was so easy.  He was on a ventilator for the first couple days, and the rest of his 32 days in the NICU were spent feeding and growing.  Things were a little different when we came home.  I noticed that he sounded more wheezy than the others.  At one of our wellness checks, I asked the doctor, and she said that his tonsils were bigger than the other's.  It didn't seem to be a problem until the first time we all got colds.  After a night at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, and another trip to the emergency room, we now have a Nebulizer that we use when we notice that his breathing is labored.  We have been very blessed that this is all it has taken.  No more trips to the hospital for Benjamin.  Benjamin is also progressing very well.  He can roll both ways, and pushes himself up while he scoots backwards...can't quite crawl forward yet.  He followed suit with his brother, and started saying "dada" shortly after Oscar.  He loves to eat too! He really likes veggies, and makes the funniest faces when I feed him fruit.  He really likes to be with his brothers and sister in the feeding table.  He will sometimes look at the others and just laugh.  He has a laugh that comes straight from his belly.  It really sounds like something you would hear for a ring tone.  His favorite seat is the jumparoo.  He bounces until he falls asleep, wakes up, and bounces some more.  I can't imagine what all of that energy is going to get me when he is able to run around!

Then, we have our precious little peanut, Jaylyn.  She was only 3 pounds at birth, and now weighs just a little over 12 pounds. She is a dainty little thing, and everything about her lets you know that she's a girl.  Her NICU stay was very uneventful as well.  She came home at the same time as Benjamin and Harrison, just 32 days in.  Our biggest issue since she's been home has been her reflux.  She has always been a pretty big spitter, and of course, I worry since she is so little.  Just like all of the boys, she takes Prilosec to help with the burning, and since they are eating more solid food now, she has been doing much better.  A few months ago, we had First Steps evaluate the babies to see where they were developmentally.  No one qualified for services, but she did qualify for a recheck for her muscle tone.  I am really hoping that they come back soon to check her.  She isn't quite keeping up with the boys.  She doesn't roll over, and she doesn't use her arms to push herself up and hold her head up.  When I put her in the bouncy seat, she picks her legs up instead of pushing to stand.  She seems to be liking baby food better now that we've been trying it for the last week or so.  At first, she would just spit it out, or gag until she puked it up.  Now, she seems to tolerate pretty much anything I feed her.  She makes me smile everyday with the noises she makes.  She has definitely found her voice, and says things like "dada".  She will click her tongue, mocking me when I do the same.  She also has started entertaining herself with a gurgling sound.  I love to hear Lilya talking to her.  She always says, "Hi, JayRae...Hi, my pretty girl."  I know they will have so much fun together some day.

Last but not least, Harrison Kerry.  He's the baby of the group, and in the beginning, it seemed as if he would be the one to lag behind.  He was the second biggest of the group, weighing 3.5 pounds, and now weighs 16 pounds. But, in the NICU, he was on oxygen longer than the others, and had his food put on a pump because of reflux.  Just when we thought that he would need a longer stay, the doctors decided he was ready to come home with Benjamin and Jaylyn.  He hasn't slowed down since.  He and Jaylyn are so much a like.  They look the most alike (other than size), and they make all of the same sounds.  They are the only two that suck their fingers (no one takes a pacifier).  Harrison shows a lot more strength though.  He can roll to get to wherever he wants to go, but he is also pushing himself up like he will be crawling soon.  He is also standing on his own now!  If I put him next to something that he can hold onto (couch, bouncy seat, etc.), he will stand for long periods of time without me holding on to him.  I really think that he will be our first walker.  He enjoys the feeding table like the others.  He is a good eater, and flaps his arms to let me know that he's ready for another bite.  He has also started reaching for me, but seems to be patient when it's someone elses turn.

This is it...It's all I've ever wanted.  I am so blessed in so many ways, and I give thanks to God.  If you are not a mother to high order multiples, I can imagine how difficult you must think my life is.  It is not.  Sure, we may have more dirty diapers and a little more crying than the average household, but I have more love, smiles, babbles, hugs, kisses, laughs, than a mother could ever dream of! I wouldn't trade this life for anything in the world!

Load, Unload, Load, Unload...



First trip to school





 We loaded up the van last Wednesday with all 5 kids at about 11:45.  Our first stop, Suncrest.  It was a teacher work day, so I thought it would be a perfect chance to show off the little ones without too many little hands wanting to touch.  We unloaded with the help of Jayme, Missy, Amy and Lesley, and had a wonderful time visiting and bragging on what good babies they are.  Lilya entertained as always.  I'm almost embarrassed to tell the story, but I have to document it for the future.  She had been carrying around a brush I got from the hospital pretending it was a phone (it folded in half).  I put her in her Hello Kitty dress for our outing...she looks so cute in it.  Being the resourceful child that she is, since she didn't have pockets, she chose to carry her "phone" in her panties.  I was so embarrassed when she leaned back on my lap during our school visit, and I noticed it for the first time.  I'm so glad it's not a brush that I use!

3 months old already!

From there, we had to go to the doctor for a 3 month wellness check for the quads.  My plan was to ask the doctor about skipping the night time feeding, but all four babies screamed through the entire appointment, so I just wanted to get out of there.  I didn't end up asking many questions.  She decided to try some Prilosec for Jaylyn to see if it will help with her reflux. She is now20 3/4 inches and weighs 8 lbs. 6 oz.  I asked about Benjamin's breathing (he sounds very congested all of the time), and after she looked at him, she said that his tonsils are big, but he will grow into them. He is 22 1/4 and weighed 10 lbs. 15 oz.  Harrison is 21 3/4 and weighs 9 lbs. 9 oz., and Oscar was 20 1/4 and weighed 8 lbs 15 oz.  I cannot believe how much they've grown in the past three months!  Benjamin and Harrison are already on the growth chart for their actual birthdate.
After our doctor appointment, we loaded up and headed over to Blue Ridge to visit Anne and Sarah.  It was fun to share the little ones with more of my teacher friends.  I had no problems finding enough hands to feed all four little ones at once.  Lilya was thrilled to be able to explore Sarah's classroom where she will start pre-school two days a week after Labor day.  I cannot believe my little girl is old enough to go to preschool.  Where does the time go?  She is so excited.  She has played "school" at home since we started talking about it.  I am excited for her...I know that she will have a wonderful experience with Sarah.  Once the babies were fed, and I talked Lilya into leaving, Anne and I loaded everyone back up.
We unloaded and loaded one more time to visit my mom and George before we headed home and unloaded for the day.  It was 6 o'clock!  It was a long day filled with a lot of loading and unloading, but it was worth it to share my kiddos with so many special people.