"Quadruplets? How do you do it?"

That is probably the number one question I get asked..."how do you do it?" The simple answer...I just do. I don't have a choice. But I guess it's more complicated than that. Its all about routine, I suppose....here is generally what our "routine" looks like:

*Sometime between 5 and 6 am - Bottle then back to bed
*By 9am up for the day....get dressed and have breakfast (usually oatmeal mixed with fruit and sometimes yogurt).
*10 am bottle
*Between 10 and 11 first nap...YAY!
*Between 1 and 2 bottle
*Between 230 and 3 second nap...YAY!
*Between 4 and 6 sometime dinner (usually a veggie combo and maybe some fruit)
*Around 6 a mini-bottle if needed
*7 sharp BATHS! (BTW, hubs baths all 5 kids almost every night! What a man!! Hubba hubba!)
*Bottles right after baths and straight to bed (usually by 745)

I'm not much of a routine girl, so during the day we go with the flow, but at 7pm we're all business....those babies need to go to bed, ASAP! LOL!  On rough days, I find that if I focus on when the next nap is I can cope much better with whatever the day throws at me.

 Naturally, as babies grown, routines change....we're kind of at that point, and I don't really know how to change it. Most days the babies are sleeping til 6 and the sun is coming up so its light and some mornings they don't want to go back to sleep. I could get them up at 6 and make them wait to eat til 7, but that is an early and very long day for momma!

Anyways, fortunately I'm not alone everyday. I have help at least two weekdays and sometimes more now that school is out (I <3 you Nikki!). I live for those days. It means a lot fewer trips up and down the stairs....yes, they nap in their cribs, which means if I'm alone I make at least 12-16 round trips up/down the stairs those days. Can anyone say "cardio"?

The good news about all of this is that all of the hard work...and it is hard work!...is nothing compared to the reward. We have 5 very healthy, happy children. We are so blessed! Our 7 1/2 week premature babies are huge and have caught up with other babies their age in size. They smile, laugh, babble, roll all over (and puke all over), and make me smile all the time. Our 4 year old is so smart and talented and keeps us laughing with the funny things he says. Every day is a new adventure and full of surprises, good and bad.

The babies lined up at bottle time with Tyler and Cousin Jessie who came to visit!

Happy Lexie

Allison practicing sitting up

Lexie and Allison playing on the floor

Wild Daniel

Daniel and William chilling on the floor

Sweet William...mommy's big guy!

First trip to the pool

So, how do I do it? With love and as much patience as I can muster up...and with the love and support of my amazing hubby and my faith that God knows what he was doing when he sent us these amazing little people.

Katie