tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72458807172849034312024-03-13T08:50:53.442-04:00Five Times the Fun!Life with a toddler and quadruplets!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-42105682394238263662013-11-12T15:40:00.000-05:002013-11-12T18:17:07.965-05:00Quad's First Birthday and Other Fun StuffThis post will probably be quite large since I haven't blogged in a while and I want to cover Halloween, the Quad's first birthday, and their 12 month check up. So here we go!<br />
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First off, lets talk about Halloween. We didn't actually take the babies trick or treating on Halloween, but we did take them to our church's annual trunk or treat activity, which was loads of fun. Fortunately, we didn't have to buy any costumes. Tyler wore his costume from last year willingly, and Daniel and William wore Tyler's costumes from his first and second Halloweens. Allison wore a costume a church friend gave us before the babies were born, and Alexis wore the cutest handmade elephant costume that our friend Amber made for her oldest daughter and loaned to us. On Halloween I did take Tyler around the block and the babies stayed in with daddy to pass out candy. Here are some of the pics of the festivities:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J6HpoIZ1bH8/UoKIUqUsTXI/AAAAAAAABJ8/9otxWxnPcHQ/s1600/20131030_180230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J6HpoIZ1bH8/UoKIUqUsTXI/AAAAAAAABJ8/9otxWxnPcHQ/s320/20131030_180230.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie the Elephant</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1MlCnMB-EqU/UoKIV42QomI/AAAAAAAABKE/5PYb0LzUc_c/s1600/20131030_180328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1MlCnMB-EqU/UoKIV42QomI/AAAAAAAABKE/5PYb0LzUc_c/s320/20131030_180328.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison the Kitty...very appropriate!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ayvmsw3NdqU/UoKIaa5QGSI/AAAAAAAABKY/iaxhSeSbeto/s1600/20131030_180456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ayvmsw3NdqU/UoKIaa5QGSI/AAAAAAAABKY/iaxhSeSbeto/s320/20131030_180456.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyler the Shark</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak9ZTzuL6w0/UoKIh2CMhyI/AAAAAAAABKw/xOZGw8dvYu4/s1600/20131030_180701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak9ZTzuL6w0/UoKIh2CMhyI/AAAAAAAABKw/xOZGw8dvYu4/s320/20131030_180701.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William the Dragon and Daniel the Monkey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-poOceOqjNto/UoKIhqp0fFI/AAAAAAAABKs/WpcVnTr4djI/s1600/20131030_183412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-poOceOqjNto/UoKIhqp0fFI/AAAAAAAABKs/WpcVnTr4djI/s320/20131030_183412.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyler found some chicks...it was hilarious!</td></tr>
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Next...The big birthday!<br />
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The quad's birthday fell on a Friday and their party was the next day so we decided that we would do their smash cakes at home on their birthday to contain the mess since their party was being held somewhere else. Let me just tell you...it was HILARIOUS! Lexie picked at her cake and William took a while warming up to it, but Allison and Daniel destroyed their cakes and all that was left was about a handful in the highchair.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L9fy3czy6KA/UoKLcBaDSmI/AAAAAAAABSQ/8NI5E3TFKx0/s1600/20131101_190002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L9fy3czy6KA/UoKLcBaDSmI/AAAAAAAABSQ/8NI5E3TFKx0/s320/20131101_190002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front to Back: Allison, Daniel, Alexis, William</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pnswWslZKmI/UoKLRQuUwoI/AAAAAAAABR0/LOJdUyR4DmY/s1600/20131101_190150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pnswWslZKmI/UoKLRQuUwoI/AAAAAAAABR0/LOJdUyR4DmY/s320/20131101_190150.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William's Final result</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUHvLGyOYbw/UoKLRj9dPXI/AAAAAAAABR4/rRZ4dhXACJY/s1600/20131101_190204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUHvLGyOYbw/UoKLRj9dPXI/AAAAAAAABR4/rRZ4dhXACJY/s320/20131101_190204.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel and his "Precious" LOL!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uDUfP7m6vy8/UoKLhQccWQI/AAAAAAAABSY/fz7CV6z5bxM/s1600/20131101_190210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uDUfP7m6vy8/UoKLhQccWQI/AAAAAAAABSY/fz7CV6z5bxM/s320/20131101_190210.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison and her massacre</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7F6TuzTv08/UoKLhZSEfeI/AAAAAAAABSc/EMRsvJgHDXo/s1600/20131101_190219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7F6TuzTv08/UoKLhZSEfeI/AAAAAAAABSc/EMRsvJgHDXo/s320/20131101_190219.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie...this is about all she ate before rubbing icing in her hair and throwing the cake on the floor.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Their party was the next day and we had a very interesting start to our day...no power. Fortunately we were able to shower but that was all. So we made our way to the venue to set up and enjoy the electricity.<br />
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The party was a lot of fun. The kid's Granny, Aunt Aprile and Uncle Bo, Uncle Lee and Aunt Anne, adopted sister Nikki and her mom Tami and sister Ashley, our friend Michelle, and our good friend Shannon came with her girls, Addi and Grace, and her mom and dad, Miss Mary and Mr. Jerry, came to have fun with us. Everybody was so generous and brought the nicest gifts for the kiddos. And Tyler and Addi got to have a blast running the halls and dancing to Rio playing in the hallway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waCySPgQT1k/UoKLhxNoSCI/AAAAAAAABSs/QfxDt64VN6A/s1600/20131102_140950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-waCySPgQT1k/UoKLhxNoSCI/AAAAAAAABSs/QfxDt64VN6A/s320/20131102_140950.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison giving Nikki kisses with Lexie and Ashley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hJj0YpghgA/UoKLyy0298I/AAAAAAAABTw/4C5UCbMdnlo/s1600/20131102_141020%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7hJj0YpghgA/UoKLyy0298I/AAAAAAAABTw/4C5UCbMdnlo/s320/20131102_141020%25280%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Addi and Tyler</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6SkA9pV1dQU/UoKLymTKOGI/AAAAAAAABTs/8-Laa8ZTxqY/s1600/20131102_141107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6SkA9pV1dQU/UoKLymTKOGI/AAAAAAAABTs/8-Laa8ZTxqY/s320/20131102_141107.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison and Granny</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RbHjjfWDj-M/UoKLzY73iSI/AAAAAAAABT0/5nWncDKJrg8/s1600/20131102_143047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RbHjjfWDj-M/UoKLzY73iSI/AAAAAAAABT0/5nWncDKJrg8/s320/20131102_143047.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Aprile and Lexie </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxY04kM6sjU/UoKL-MIhKKI/AAAAAAAABUA/VGmu0v9rfsY/s1600/20131102_143055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxY04kM6sjU/UoKL-MIhKKI/AAAAAAAABUA/VGmu0v9rfsY/s320/20131102_143055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs7-YxzGaLE/UoKMGhrOwZI/AAAAAAAABUk/mbD2LLdTADY/s1600/20131102_150330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs7-YxzGaLE/UoKMGhrOwZI/AAAAAAAABUk/mbD2LLdTADY/s320/20131102_150330.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie enjoying some cake and Allison begging for more!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--VLG_ABS2gg/UoKMGCZ9IuI/AAAAAAAABUc/gSYHMXDahnw/s1600/20131102_150329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--VLG_ABS2gg/UoKMGCZ9IuI/AAAAAAAABUc/gSYHMXDahnw/s320/20131102_150329.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison getting more cake..."faster daddy!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qbL6W9t086w/UoKMHDyg_nI/AAAAAAAABUo/xvdXtSE9M24/s1600/20131102_145344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qbL6W9t086w/UoKMHDyg_nI/AAAAAAAABUo/xvdXtSE9M24/s320/20131102_145344.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp2WzRV_vqg/UoKMAZIzJlI/AAAAAAAABUQ/dKsu53WStNw/s1600/20131102_144920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp2WzRV_vqg/UoKMAZIzJlI/AAAAAAAABUQ/dKsu53WStNw/s320/20131102_144920.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Lee and Lexie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6-tvpMAqv8/UoKMAv6hnkI/AAAAAAAABUM/Xv8ylCarlUE/s1600/20131102_143129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6-tvpMAqv8/UoKMAv6hnkI/AAAAAAAABUM/Xv8ylCarlUE/s320/20131102_143129.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Shannon and Gracie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e9-JQKFN7uU/UoKMaVRhWyI/AAAAAAAABV0/050N4_h8_3g/s1600/20131102_190809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e9-JQKFN7uU/UoKMaVRhWyI/AAAAAAAABV0/050N4_h8_3g/s320/20131102_190809.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The babies playing in the tissue paper from their gifts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gnoI9lRA4GI/UoKMYG3sgzI/AAAAAAAABVc/tvv1zpVldC4/s1600/20131102_150349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gnoI9lRA4GI/UoKMYG3sgzI/AAAAAAAABVc/tvv1zpVldC4/s320/20131102_150349.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Bo, Aunt Aprile, and William eating cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvooGESi7vM/UoKMQVKthUI/AAAAAAAABVE/ZbYiElxlMSA/s1600/20131102_150335%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvooGESi7vM/UoKMQVKthUI/AAAAAAAABVE/ZbYiElxlMSA/s320/20131102_150335%25280%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki and Daniel having cake</td></tr>
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Finally....their 1 year checkups! They have all grown so much. Here we go:<br />
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Alexis<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUfVhEQFcHs/UoKQk2WPVPI/AAAAAAAABi0/tzB4IUXMQV0/s1600/lEXIE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yUfVhEQFcHs/UoKQk2WPVPI/AAAAAAAABi0/tzB4IUXMQV0/s320/lEXIE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At birth she weighed in at 2lb 6oz and 14.75". At one year she weighs 17lb 14oz and is 28.75" long! That is 15lb 8oz of gain and 14" of growth! What a big girl.<br />
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At a year she has 6 teeth, crawls like a champ, climbs the stairs, is cruising around, and climbs on everything. She used to be my puker and didn't start eating solids a full month or more after the others. She is now one of my best eaters!<br />
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Allison<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3t8kQiG25Us/UoKQj0uYAdI/AAAAAAAABis/PKPwES9MhPQ/s1600/Allison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3t8kQiG25Us/UoKQj0uYAdI/AAAAAAAABis/PKPwES9MhPQ/s320/Allison.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At birth, Allison weighed 3lb 2oz and was 16" long. At a year she weighs 20lb 7oz and is also 28.75" long. She has gained 17lb 5oz and 12.75"!<br />
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At a year she is just barely cutting her first tooth...finally! She crawls, loves her kitty, cruises, screams when she doesn't get her way, and has the cutest, cheesy grin! She is kind of a picky eater compared to the others, but she gets by. LOL.<br />
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Daniel<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JUq7BZyWTPg/UoKQj5VfhFI/AAAAAAAABi4/PTHJM6LM7Js/s1600/Daniel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JUq7BZyWTPg/UoKQj5VfhFI/AAAAAAAABi4/PTHJM6LM7Js/s320/Daniel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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At birth, Daniel weighed 3lb 7oz and was 16" long. Now at one, he weighs 21lb and is 28.5" long. He is my shorty! He has gained 17lb 9oz (?-fuzzy math) and 12.5"!<br />
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At a year Daniel has 6 teeth as well, can climb the stairs, loves his bib, sucks his thumb, cruises around, tries to say words, and is the sweetest of the sweet! He is my BEST eater...what a chow hound.<br />
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William<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PG8fiL6fNcc/UoKQkG1q1RI/AAAAAAAABiw/YJzZOnLbims/s1600/William.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PG8fiL6fNcc/UoKQkG1q1RI/AAAAAAAABiw/YJzZOnLbims/s320/William.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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William has always been my big boy, born at 4lb 10oz and 16" long. He is now 25lb 3oz and 30". He has gained 20lb 9oz and 14"!<br />
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At a year, William has 6 teeth as well, crawls, cruises, knocks everything over (HULK SMASH!), throws himself back, likes to headbutt, and has the sweetest smile! He loves to eat whatever we give to him!<br />
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Tyler<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7zS4wJ73bCU/UoKRckR2QXI/AAAAAAAABkM/H44ITBNu6w4/s1600/tyler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7zS4wJ73bCU/UoKRckR2QXI/AAAAAAAABkM/H44ITBNu6w4/s320/tyler.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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No, it wasn't Tyler's birthday, but he has survived the first year of being big brother to quads. At 4.75 years old, Tyler is still my first baby! He is such a big boy. He helps where he can, usually throwing away diapers, picking up empty bottles, and playing with the babies. He is so smart. He draws better than most adults I know and has very good penmanship for a 4 year old. He wants to be in the middle of everything we are doing especially if the babies are getting attention. We love our big boy!<br />
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There you have it! :P<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-66792255328843698632013-10-04T15:01:00.000-04:002013-10-04T15:01:39.788-04:00As of Late...I am such a bad blogger that my hubby blogged about Tyler's first day of Pre-K...oh, Pre-K...this momma's dream...dashed to a million pieces! Tyler lasted about 9 days in Pre-K before they too got annoyed with his repetitive accidents and he has been temporarily (hopefully) kicked out til he gets his potty habits under control. I literally cried for like 2 days. He is doing very well this week though. I don't know if it is because he is finally getting it, or if it's because hubby is home...on furlough... :(<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wild One</td></tr>
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Yep...we are among the reported 800,000 who have been deemed "non-essential" thus income free til this is all ironed out. Although there is some stress attached to this situation for us, we are enjoying the family time and I am especially enjoying having my partner in crime here to help wrangle the masses.<br />
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The masses....they are well. They are crawling, climbing, and generally getting into whatever they can get ahold of. They have a new home...the Thunderdome. ;) I'm pretty sure I am Mad Max.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M-sOlcJDpW0/Uk8N_d9kMuI/AAAAAAAAAgk/nf1AkUyl7c0/s1600/PhotoGrid_1380912531798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M-sOlcJDpW0/Uk8N_d9kMuI/AAAAAAAAAgk/nf1AkUyl7c0/s400/PhotoGrid_1380912531798.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Masses on the move!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Thunderdome</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Anyways, life goes on here. Crazy, wild, and wonderful. We are so blessed to have each other and these five little wild people in our life. Have a great day!<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-61826461948311012792013-08-29T13:12:00.000-04:002013-08-29T13:12:00.996-04:00Off to SchoolTyler is growing up fast. Yesterday was his first day of preschool -- and he wasn't nervous or scared. He jumped on that bus so fast the driver didn't even get his name; nor did he look back to Katie to wave or say bye. And when he got to school he made a bee-line for his classroom, devoid of any apprehension.
Last week I asked him if he wanted Katie or I to drive him to school the first day or if he wanted to ride the school bus... without hesitation he declared he wanted to ride the bus.
I hope he continues to have the same enthusiasm for school and learning for the next 14 years as he does now -- he will do well.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; margin-top:40px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-RriZzk8tM/Uh98mIFs4rI/AAAAAAAAASU/A4lnURJgl0g/s1600/20130828_080225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-RriZzk8tM/Uh98mIFs4rI/AAAAAAAAASU/A4lnURJgl0g/s320/20130828_080225.jpg" /></a><br />Celebrating his first day of school!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; margin-top:40px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rS1U2tjMq0Y/Uh98mzy1RjI/AAAAAAAAASk/jFdQaNv5CbU/s1600/20130828_081358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rS1U2tjMq0Y/Uh98mzy1RjI/AAAAAAAAASk/jFdQaNv5CbU/s320/20130828_081358.jpg" /></a><br />Waiting for the bus with his preschool buddies.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; margin-top:40px; margin-bottom:40px"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKczXAqZSyE/Uh9984OP4mI/AAAAAAAAAS4/QlTK_LLjt44/s1600/20130828_081743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gKczXAqZSyE/Uh9984OP4mI/AAAAAAAAAS4/QlTK_LLjt44/s320/20130828_081743.jpg" /></a><br />No looking back!</div>Just Call Me Admiralhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254932381580891842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-62493926353040983182013-07-11T11:49:00.001-04:002013-07-11T11:49:16.569-04:00"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:<br />
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*Sometime between 5 and 6 am - Bottle then back to bed<br />
*By 9am up for the day....get dressed and have breakfast (usually oatmeal mixed with fruit and sometimes yogurt).<br />
*10 am bottle<br />
*Between 10 and 11 first nap...YAY!<br />
*Between 1 and 2 bottle<br />
*Between 230 and 3 second nap...YAY!<br />
*Between 4 and 6 sometime dinner (usually a veggie combo and maybe some fruit)<br />
*Around 6 a mini-bottle if needed<br />
*7 sharp BATHS! (BTW, hubs baths all 5 kids almost every night! What a man!! Hubba hubba!)<br />
*Bottles right after baths and straight to bed (usually by 745)<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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"?<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The babies lined up at bottle time with Tyler and Cousin Jessie who came to visit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Lexie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison practicing sitting up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie and Allison playing on the floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Daniel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel and William chilling on the floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet William...mommy's big guy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First trip to the pool</td></tr>
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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. <br />
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Katie<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-51325835253837784232013-07-04T14:30:00.000-04:002013-07-04T14:30:29.049-04:00Happy Fourth of July!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Fourth of July from the Voelckers!</div>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-81935941571584671372013-04-11T17:11:00.000-04:002013-04-11T17:11:15.986-04:00Busy, Busy, BusyI was really trying to blog more, once a week or so, but many days I don't have the time or energy (imagine that!). So, I have a minute and I thought I would give a little update.<br />
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The babies are continuing to grow like crazy. They are so curious and are getting more and more talkative. They are 5 months old now (I know, crazy right?) and have officially moved into the 3-6 month size clothes. Allison and William are rolling over front to back, and Allison is close to rolling back to front. William is also starting to scoot on his belly. We are working on splitting them into two rooms (literally today) so we had to get 2 more cribs and another changing table to make it work. I am excited to split them up, I think they will sleep longer/better. <br />
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In the last 6 weeks or so, we have started adding baby food to their diets (except Lexie, she can't keep it down), and it is going okay. Some days they like/want it, and others they don't, but up until the last 2 weeks I didn't push it. Now they get fruit and oatmeal every morning, and I'm trying to add in an afternoon fruit/veggie feed as well. William and Allison seem to be able to tolerate everything I have given them, but Daniel has issues with orange foods...carrots, sweet potatoes, and peaches so far. I have even made some baby food of my own, avocado and pears, and it was pretty easy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel after breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William after breakfast "clean me off please!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison after breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie a while back when we first tried her on baby food</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Now that spring is FINALLY here we have been a little more adventurous. About once a week I and a helper (usually Allen, my MIL, or Nikki) will load up all the kiddos and run errands. Its a lot of fun. They especially like eating in the car. It is pretty hilarious. They smile around their bottles and look all around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki feeding Daniel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy feeding William</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMDm2nRhWFQ/UWcmoty7EjI/AAAAAAAAAbM/YMMa4nmZGx8/s1600/IMG_20130403_134141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMDm2nRhWFQ/UWcmoty7EjI/AAAAAAAAAbM/YMMa4nmZGx8/s320/IMG_20130403_134141.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie talking to Granny instead of eating</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie getting her pants changed</td></tr>
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We also had their first Easter. We loaded the crew up and went to church. We did a practice run the Sunday before so we knew how to make it work. Here are some pics of the kiddos in their Easter duds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8X9BqE26QPA/UWcip3EmfvI/AAAAAAAAAa0/yTL0J2nnzRM/s1600/SAM_0486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8X9BqE26QPA/UWcip3EmfvI/AAAAAAAAAa0/yTL0J2nnzRM/s320/SAM_0486.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William and Daniel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4kXYUDZS2xM/UWcipytRqOI/AAAAAAAAAa4/omuGCWuT4f0/s1600/SAM_0485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4kXYUDZS2xM/UWcipytRqOI/AAAAAAAAAa4/omuGCWuT4f0/s320/SAM_0485.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison and Lexie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1jSL2RsN9Jo/UWcipXGwBSI/AAAAAAAAAaw/fOd5cdHfN00/s1600/SAM_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1jSL2RsN9Jo/UWcipXGwBSI/AAAAAAAAAaw/fOd5cdHfN00/s320/SAM_0480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison, Alexis, Tyler, William, and Daniel</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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For my next post, I want to do a "day in the life", so stay tuned!<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-35499038297146830692013-03-17T13:31:00.000-04:002013-03-17T13:34:34.394-04:00Growing Kids!Well, I have been trying to get to this blog post for 2 weeks now, but life kept getting in the way...so here we go!<br />
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The babies had their 4 month check up and Tyler had his 4 year check up. My kiddos are certainly growing!<br />
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<u>Lexie</u>:<br />
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Lexie has gotten LONG! When she was born, she was 14.75" and 2lb 6oz. At her 4 month check up she measured in at 22.25" and 9lb 150z! Baby girl is getting big! She is dead average in the percentiles for her adjusted gestation. She is still having some major barfing issues and we are being more aggressive about finding out what the problem is. She had and ultrasound this week to check for pyloric stenosis, which is is a narrowing of the opening from the stomach to the small intestine. That checked out just fine. We have also changed her formula in case of a milk allergy. That seems to have helped a little bit. She seems to be keeping more of her food down.<br />
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Lexie's personality is coming out a little more now. She is very sweet and happy when she wakes up. She has to sit and grin and kick for a while before she is ready to eat. She started sucking her thumb in the last week or so, which is very cute! She is also VERY stubborn. I think she will be the hard headed one for sure. He hair is really growing in...about now she looks like a marine! LOL!<br />
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<u>Allison</u>:<br />
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Allison is still the chunklet of the group. At birth she was 16" and weighed 3lb 2oz. Now she is 22.5" and 11lb 15oz. She is perfectly healthy as far as we can tell. She pukes the least for sure! She required a little more attention most nights as she is a pacifier addict and can't quite get it back into her mouth. Many nights she ends up in the cradle next to my bed or in bed with Granny Voelcker when she is here.<br />
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Allison is by far the most advanced in the more physical milestones. She tries to roll over, is pulling up to sit up on her own, but can't stay up, and has pretty good hand control. Allison has started losing interest in drinking her bottle because she is too busy looking around. She is probably the best eater when it comes to baby food, though. She always gets a big grin on her face when she gets strapped into the high chair and gets her special bib on. She is a cutie pie!<br />
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<u>Daniel</u>:<br />
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Daniel was 16" and 3lb 7oz at birth. Now he is 22.25" long and 11lb 2oz. Daniel still barfs a lot, but his meds have been adjusted so, we are hoping for improvement soon. Aside from that, Daniel seems to be quite healthy.<br />
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Daniel is the most conversational of the babies. He laughs and coos a lot of the time and is so cute! He still has an intense personality, but seems to be mellowing out some. He usually takes a nice, long nap during the day, and if we go for a ride, he always sleeps. In fact, he usually misses the excitement of a trip out because he sleeps the whole time.<br />
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<u>William</u>:<br />
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William is still the big guy. At birth he was 16" and 4lb 10 oz. Currently he is 24" and 12lb 12oz. He still pukes a lot too, but it seems to be getting under control, and I am confident he will grow out of it sooner or later.<br />
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William is such a sweetie. He is basically always good for a big smile. The cutest is when you go to get him out of bed...he grins and starts kicking and waving his arms. He is very mild mannered unless he is hungry and will lay on the play mat and bat and kick at the toys for a long time. William has moved into the next biggest size of clothes, 3-6 months!<br />
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<u>Tyler</u>:<br />
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Tyler is a growing boy for sure! He is now 3'4" tall and weighs 42lbs. His exam this year was different from those in the past. They checked his hearing and his eyes and he did such a good job following directions. He was pretty unhappy when the nurse came in and gave him 4 shots, and we felt bad! Good thing daddy came along for this one!<br />
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Tyler is on the go! He is usually drawing, playing fish, playing on his leap pad, or following me or daddy around. He is constantly asking questions and always surprises us with things he says. He is so smart! He can write his name and a few other words.<br />
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In other news...we have just been really busy the last few weeks. I had to make an emergency trip to Utah for my grandfather's funeral. I haven't been home to Utah in over 2 years, so it was a pleasure to see my family and spend time with them while we all mourned the loss of grandpa and celebrated his life.<br />
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As soon as I got back the running ensued with all the above doctors appointments and life in general. Then last week we all came down with a 36 hour stomach bug...that was messy, but we are all feeling better now.<br />
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Here are some more pictures to enjoy!<br />
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<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption">Unloading after the maiden voyage of the "Quad Rod". Allison had to be unloaded immediately because she was upset that Daniel was kicking the back of her seat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play time on the floor after eating (Lexie, Allison, Daniel, William)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super William!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-85742067598730416452013-02-25T15:42:00.000-05:002013-02-25T15:42:18.705-05:00Rad DadI feel like sometimes dads get the short end of the stick when it comes to being recognized for their involvement in child rearing. Granted, some dads don't participate much, but my kiddos have a pretty awesome daddy.<br />
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First off, Allen has a 3 hour plus roundtrip commute to/from work every day. This makes for long work days. In addition, he comes home and helps feed babies, bath babies, bath Tyler and put him to bed, and on days that I don't have night help, put the babies to bed. He also gets up with me every morning at 3 or 4 am to feed babies and when we are finished he often gets showered and heads into work. Not only is his commute long, about half of it is through unlit farmland making driving in the early morning dark when you are tired pretty dangerous!<br />
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He always tries to play with Tyler on the floor, helps with getting the laundry washed, and when he can tries to give me a little break before the bedtime craziness. He's always willing to cuddle a sleepy/cranky baby when needed. He's a great dad!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy, Alexis, and Allison</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyler on Daddy, Daniel, and Alexis</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy feeding Allison her peas</td></tr>
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Allen, we all love and appreciate you!! Thanks for being a great daddy, and husband, and my best friend!<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-25261097803442429322013-02-20T19:29:00.001-05:002013-02-25T15:46:03.044-05:00A "For Real" Update on the FamSo, I finally feel like I'm at a point on this roller coaster that I can write a decent blog post because the babies do more than eat, sleep, and poop. So, here is what we are all up to!<br />
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<u>The Family as a Whole:</u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1puyAB5AcE/USVcnvh_OmI/AAAAAAAAAT8/WyBlffHOrU8/s1600/the+whole+fam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u1puyAB5AcE/USVcnvh_OmI/AAAAAAAAAT8/WyBlffHOrU8/s320/the+whole+fam.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel, Mom, Allison, Tyler, Lexie, Dad, William</td></tr>
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We are finally feeling like a unit! For a long time Allen and I felt like our family was fragmented...Us and Tyler, and Us and the babies...it was very strange! Then one Sunday, when the babies were about two and a half months old, Allen and I took Tyler to church leaving the quads at home with their Grandma and Granny. As we sat there waiting for Sacrament Meeting to start I leaned over to Allen and said, "I feel naked without the babies!" It was a good feeling. </div>
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When the babies turned 3 months old we had a major transition...we no longer had 24/7 help! My mom went home, and Allen's mom had to get back to her daily life as well. We aren't alone, though! Allen's mom comes up Wednesday thru Friday, giving us 2 nights with extra help in addition to all she does during the day. On Tuesdays a really good friend from church comes over from 10-4 and lets me go grocery shopping, or run other errands, and takes care of the kids, cleans the house, and keeps me from losing my mind! Mondays are a revolving door of helpers from church and the neighborhood, so it brings in new faces each week. Additionally, some good friends have stepped up to help me on some evenings with bed time so that Allen can go to bed to get up for work in the morning. On top of all that...our regional church leaders installed a set of sister missionaries in our town who have special permission to help with the babies, and they come over a couple times a week for a few hours and help do whatever we need help with...today we cleaned out the refrigerator and cleaned baby barf out of the carpet! There is so much more that people do for us besides being here and physically helping us, but it would take me forever to list it all...just know that we are ETERNALLY grateful!!</div>
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Now, onto what you all really want to know about...the Kids!</div>
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<u>Tyler:</u></div>
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Tyler is such a big helper! He is willing, most of the time, to fetch whatever I need...burp rags, diapers, bibs, etc. He is such a big boy! We are STILL working on potty training, but we are getting there. He loves his babies and frequently goes over and kisses them, and they LOVE him! I get the most pleasure at seeing them smile at him just being near them because its like they know he is their big brother and they want to be around him. </div>
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Tyler is so smart! His passion is sea animals. He sits at the table and draws them for hours...and he is GOOD at it. Everyone thinks Allen or I are drawing them, but I don't even draw that well. He will be 4 in 2 weeks and we can't wait for his birthday! We love our big boy!</div>
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<u>Alexis:</u></div>
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Lexie is the oldest, and smallest, of the quads. She is such a sweetie...and a stinker! For the most part she is pretty mellow and she is my sleeper! I'm pretty sure she would sleep all night if given the opportunity. She is also a night owl. She is always the last one to sleep at night. She likes to have a bedtime talk and sometimes cuddle with mommy. We frequently talk about her sleeping good so her hair can grow and we can get her hair bows. She sits and grins and sometimes giggles during these talks...and I swear every morning her hair is a little thicker or longer! She is a momma's girl!</div>
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<u>Allison:</u> </div>
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Allison is my little Diva! She is very happy and smiley, but if she wants your attention she will cry til she pukes! This child doesn't know how to cry it out! She was next to smallest when born, but she is next to biggest at last check...I can't wait to see how they've grown at their 4 month check up. Allison is the least refluxy of the babies which has allowed her to gain more weight and get these cute chubby cheeks. She is daddy's princess for sure!</div>
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<u>Daniel:</u> </div>
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Daniel is such a sweetie...and a beast! He feels his emotions very strongly...when he's happy he's really happy, and when he's mad he's really mad! Daniel has the most nicknames of all the kids...Little Velociraptor, Reisty the Conqueror, 3 of 4 (his Borg designation), and Dr. Jekyll to name a few. He is very cuddly...if all else fails, wrap him up tight, hold him close, and hang onto the paci! In spite of this, Daniel will put himself to sleep...best thing ever when you have 4 babies. He is a momma's boy for sure!</div>
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<u>William:</u> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5X_hbgqS18/USVl_JJeJQI/AAAAAAAAAVM/5qnm4qo_01Y/s1600/William.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t5X_hbgqS18/USVl_JJeJQI/AAAAAAAAAVM/5qnm4qo_01Y/s320/William.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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William is my angel! He is very sweet and mild mannered...unless he's hungry...then all bets are off. He is the tallest of the babies by a lot. He has big hands and feet and long arms! We have a basketball player in the making here. William is frequently very serious, but is starting to get more playful. He is as bald as a cue ball! He is my little buddy...we often have cuddle time in the morning when he wakes before feed time while the others sleep.</div>
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Here are some more photos to enjoy from our recent photo shoot by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JenniferWeberPhotography">Jennifer Weber Photography</a> (she is wonderful!).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S5IYFBeRlak/USVoWPKPBaI/AAAAAAAAAVc/AZATYwNDrDQ/s1600/Boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S5IYFBeRlak/USVoWPKPBaI/AAAAAAAAAVc/AZATYwNDrDQ/s320/Boys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel and William</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MXKNzmS4Egs/USVoWJGcW8I/AAAAAAAAAVg/72BMxuuR228/s1600/Quads+hor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MXKNzmS4Egs/USVoWJGcW8I/AAAAAAAAAVg/72BMxuuR228/s320/Quads+hor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lexie, Daniel, Allison, William (from top, clockwise)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BZysnqZ0PUI/USVoWZaDaQI/AAAAAAAAAVk/6tWNv4kNZKg/s1600/Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BZysnqZ0PUI/USVoWZaDaQI/AAAAAAAAAVk/6tWNv4kNZKg/s320/Girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allison and Lexie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33pCwGEY0ZE/USVoWtFbtyI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ClvhGQQAErg/s1600/The+kids+hor..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-33pCwGEY0ZE/USVoWtFbtyI/AAAAAAAAAVs/ClvhGQQAErg/s320/The+kids+hor..jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyler, Lexie, Daniel, William, Allison (from bottom, clockwise)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Katie</div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-89127343375427236592013-02-07T23:52:00.001-05:002013-02-08T12:42:28.225-05:00Pictures!I promised you all pictures so here are a few...p.s. I'm posting this from my phone so I apologize if it turns out goofy for some reason!<br />
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3qmJdUr7saI/URSDcZPwg_I/AAAAAAAAATQ/fKLagBGwO38/s1600/IMG_20130201_092837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3qmJdUr7saI/URSDcZPwg_I/AAAAAAAAATQ/fKLagBGwO38/s640/IMG_20130201_092837.jpg" /> </a></div>
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Allison </div>
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<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vZLJTrgnOQg/URSDeChFd3I/AAAAAAAAATY/OJWO9v0YXAE/s1600/IMG_20130201_080236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="300" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vZLJTrgnOQg/URSDeChFd3I/AAAAAAAAATY/OJWO9v0YXAE/s400/IMG_20130201_080236.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Daniel </div>
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Alexis </div>
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Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-64007102548437820072013-02-01T19:14:00.001-05:002013-02-01T19:15:43.425-05:00Bad, bad blogger!I am a bad, bad blogger! It isn't really lack of time since I had a lot of help here the last 2 months. I just could never decide what to write when I would sit down to blog so I wouldn't write anything.<br />
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So, as you may expect, the last 3 months of our lives have been a crazy, ever-changing adjustment with 4 new babies. We have been dealing with normal newborn issues like lack of sleep, and normal preemie issues like reflux...these babies can barf!! Our daily routines have been centered around feeds up until the last couple of weeks, and now we are trying to schedule other things in like naps and playtime.<br />
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Anyhow, the babies are 3 months old today! I can't believe it! They are getting into the fun stage, finally! They are smiling lots and staying awake more during the day. They love to be talked to and to look around. They are growing like crazy, but are still the size of newborns. At 11 weeks they weighed: Alexis 7lb 2oz, Allison 8lb 1oz, Daniel 7lb 12oz, and William 8lb 11oz. Lexie seems to have grown the most. I can't believe how big she is compared to her 2lb 6oz self!<br />
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We had their baby blessing at church this past Sunday. It was a special event. Everyone was so excited to see them finally, but they were warned in advance to stay away from the babies. Its so hard to not share them with everyone...only 6 more weeks or so til we can emerge from our confinement.<br />
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Now, most of my pics are on the other computer, but I will add some soon!<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-58068627264655065922012-11-14T20:20:00.002-05:002012-11-14T20:20:48.806-05:00A Letter to our Friends and Family<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dear Family &
Friends, </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We want to start by
saying thank you for the outpouring of support we have received from everyone. We
are experiencing the biggest challenge of our lives, and we’re very lucky to be
surrounded by so many family members and friends who have shown us love and
support.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Some people have
offered to help in the future, whether it's helping bring meals, laundry,
playing with Tyler, feeding babies, or coming over to help watch babies so
that mom and dad can get some rest, and we appreciate these offers, however we
would like to find a way to organize volunteers ahead of time so we don’t end
up with extra volunteers one day and not enough the next. As far as the
feedings go, we are planning on having a small group that we can rely on
consistently to help with the feedings. If you are interested in being a part of this group, let us know. We
are hoping we can get people that can consistently fill a small period of time (approx.
2-4 hours) on the same day each week so we can get some kind of
routine going.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">To
assist us with
scheduling, our church is appointing a person to help us with scheduling
and an internet calendar will be set up to sign up to help</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">. We will let you all know who that person is and the information on the calendar when we have it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We will also be
bringing the kiddos home right at the beginning of RSV season and want to do
everything to prevent the babies from getting this. We don't want to be rude to
anyone but our babies health is our number one priority, especially this
first winter. If you are not aware of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), you
are among the majority. Most people have not heard of RSV, even though nearly
every child has had the virus by age two. For full-term babies, RSV typically
is not any worse than the common cold, but for preemies, the virus can be quite
different. Babies born earlier then 36 weeks are at the highest risk for
serious complications such as pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and other sometimes
fatal complications. Our babies were born prematurely, are multiples, and
have low birth weights. These are among the highest risk factors for
contracting RSV and developing serious complications.<span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">You
may ask, “Can’t
they fight it off and build up their immune system? Kids need to get
sick,
right?” The simple answer is NO. Since our babies are pre-term, their
immune systems are not strong enough to fight off infection. If they
contract
RSV, they could be hospitalized and develop serious complications.<span> </span>For this reason we will not be attending many
events this coming winter, including church with the babies. The picture below
demonstrates the difference between a full term and pre-term babies lungs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <br /> LUNGS OF NORMAL
BABY<span> </span><span></span><span> </span>LUNGS OF PREEMIE BABY </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHx41nY45n4/UG2iqsNHWjI/AAAAAAAAAOY/DCtTAEbaDMw/s1600/lungs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHx41nY45n4/UG2iqsNHWjI/AAAAAAAAAOY/DCtTAEbaDMw/s320/lungs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">While
we appreciate and are thankful for each and every offer of help, we do
want to maintain some privacy and control in our home and family. We
will be requiring
all visitors and volunteers, including family, to follow a few
requirements to help make this transition easier for all involved.<br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> – When you arrive, wash your
hands and use hand sanitizer before touching the babies, as well as in between
handling babies. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> – Get your flu shot, as well as
update your TDaP (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis) vaccine. This needs to be renewed
every ten years anyways. No time like the present. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> You can get the vaccine from the health department, or at your doctor’s office. </span></div>
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</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">3</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> – Please don’t come over if you
are currently sick, or have had symptoms in the last 5 days, if you live with
someone who is sick, or have been in contact with someone else who is sick. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">4</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> – If you smoke, we ask that you
change your clothes, and refrain from smoking while visiting, as preemies
lungs are very sensitive to smoke. Persons smelling of smoke will unfortunately
miss out on holding the babies.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">5</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> – If you are parents to a baby/children, please leave them at home during RSV season, however, we would love
to hang out after.</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">6</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> – When coming to our home,
please take a moment to greet and spend some time with our son Tyler
first. It is very important to us that he not feel left out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Please
understand that this letter is not meant to offend anyone, just simply to
provide explanations and to set expectations. We hope you understand, and we appreciate
your help in keeping our babies safe.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">With love,<br /><br />Allen, Katie, Tyler, Alexis, Allison, Daniel, and William</span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-58130073413517604062012-11-09T18:46:00.001-05:002012-11-09T18:46:49.478-05:00Our New AdditionsWell, most of you probably know that our quadruplets were born last week. It was rather unexpected, but went very smoothly. On Halloween I began having contractions late at night, and despite the discomfort I didn't alert the nurse immediately. Finally after about an hour or more of uncomfortable, close contractions I decided I ought to let the nurse know. After 15 minutes on the monitor it became evident that I was having contractions every 2-4 minutes.<br />
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Fortunately, my OB was on that night and she came in and checked me out. I was dilated to a 1 or so. After a couple more hours of contractions, she checked me again and I was up to a 3. At that point, they got an IV in (barely) to give me some Mag to slow contractions as well as give the babies the added benefit of brain protection from the Mag. They called in the general surgeon to put in my central line and started prepping for the delivery that was scheduled for 11:45 in the morning.<br />
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Hubby showed up around 5:45 am and we waited for what seemed like forever for our turn in the OR. 11:45 came and went as we got bumped by an emergency c-section...and then another. We were finally walked into the OR at 1:30 in the afternoon and the fun got started.<br />
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Beginning at 1:53 our babies were born. They all came out crying! It was such a relief! Another relief was that I didn't have any complications from the surgery. They didn't have to give me blood and my uterus began contracting and retracting immediately.<br />
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Our babies were born smallest to largest:<br />
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Alexis 2lb6oz and 14.75" long<br />
Allison 3lb2oz and 16" long <br />
Daniel 3lb7oz and 16" long<br />
William 4lb10oz and 16" long<br />
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And they are doing AWESOME!<br />
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Lexie has never had any breathing assistance. She was breathing room air from the start. She went on light therapy a day or two after birth for jaundice, but that was only for a day and a half. She takes most of her feeds by bottle/breast and is well on the way to an open crib in spite of how little she is. As of today she is up to 2lb7oz...the first one back up to and over birth weight.<br />
<br />
Allison was on vapotherm by nasal cannula for 2 or 3 days, but came off of it quickly. She also had to have light therapy for jaundice for a day. She also takes almost all of her feeds by bottle/breast and will soon be in an open crib as well. As of today she was one ounce from birth weight!<br />
<br />
Daniel was on vapotherm as well for about 3 or 4 days. He also did light therapy for a day. He is so close to getting his gavage tube out as he takes the majority of his feeds by bottle/breast. He is still a few ounces short of birth weight, but is packing it on fast! He is really close to being in an open crib. <br />
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Will also was on vapotherm for 2 or 3 days, but came off quickly. He never had light therapy and no longer has his feeding tube as he gulps his feeds from bottle/breast with enthusiasm and often follows up with a big burp. He is close to birth weight, but not quite there yet. He will likely go in an open crib in the next day or two and is all signed up for his circumcision. The nurses think he will be coming home in the next few days!!<br />
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Big brother Tyler is so excited about his babies. Unfortunately he has only seen them once because he got a cold and had to go back to granny's house to get better so that mommy doesn't get sick and so that he can get the care and attention he needs to get better.<br />
<br />
Mom and Dad are doing well, too! Dad got a little bug this week too, but fortunately it passed quickly and he is able to come back to the hospital and help out! This mom is feeling the pain! I am recovering well from my c-section, but my feet and legs have been extremely swollen and I am exhausted. Nevertheless, I have been to the hospital everyday thanks to my dad who has been taking good care of me! He feeds me, drives me to the hospital, and helps me and the nurses get all the babies fed. It is quite a job!<br />
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I will have more updates and some photos soon, but right now my feet are up and the camera is across the room, so stay tuned! Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes! Without them we wouldn't be in as good of a position with the babies' health and progress. Keep em coming! :P<br />
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Katie<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-85854194811133592052012-10-26T14:39:00.001-04:002012-10-26T14:39:36.505-04:00Still Waiting...Well, I've been in the hospital for a week now. Not much is going on. Just hanging out waiting for babies. They are still looking good and I am still doing well. My legs and feet have swollen up now...BOO...but its just normal pregnancy stuff.<br />
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I am ready for these babies to come out, but at the same time, I want them to stay in a while. The difference of a week or two is huge at this point. If I make it to my c-section date, Nov. 14th, there is a small chance that I could even take a baby or two home with me...probably not, but maybe. :)<br />
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So, here I am. Waiting as usual. :P<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-90516607524862741542012-10-18T18:48:00.002-04:002012-10-18T18:48:42.780-04:00Admitted!Well, we did it...we made the choice to be admitted to the hospital so that we can have these kiddos watched more closely. I'm not gonna lie...I'm nervous. I could be here for 4 weeks before the babies are even delivered, but I will have peace of mind.<br />
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So, before I came to my temporary home, I had one last office visit with the specialist. They measured they babies growth, and boy have they been growing!<br />
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Alexis is now 2lb 7oz<br />
Allison is now 2lb 10oz<br />
William is up to 4lb 4oz<br />
Daniel is now 2lb 13oz<br />
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That is a whopping 12lb 1oz of babies!<br />
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And boy are they active! the girls were head down last week and this week they are breech. Daniel is now lounging sideways across the top of my belly, and William's head is lost. LOL! They could not see his head for anything.<br />
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So, the next, hopefully short portion, of this journey begins. :P<br />
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Katie<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-40618427558905126252012-10-13T15:21:00.001-04:002012-10-13T15:21:09.946-04:00Wahoo! 30 Weeks!Well, we've made it to another milestone...30 weeks! My drs have all said that they would like me to make it to at least 30 weeks...Done! I'm so proud...and tired. LOL!<br />
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This week at my many appointments we found that the babies are still doing very well. They have plenty of fluids, good heart rates, good blood flow, LOTS of movement, and are practicing breathing. We didn't have a growth scan this week, but we will have one this week.<br />
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We also discussed admitting me to the hospital. The tentative plan is to admit me on Thursday, but I am free to postpone that as long as all is still well.<br />
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On Friday I had a second visit to the OB because I was having crazy pain in my stomach. There was nothing visibly wrong and the theory is that the babies beat the crap out of me over night. Must be since I am not sore anymore. In the exam, however, we did discover that my cervix is shrinking and getting soft. It is still in the "good" category, just barely, but we may opt for the admittance to the hospital for this reason.<br />
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Aside from all that, these kids have started having tummy parties in the middle of the night. It is CRAZY to feel all of them bopping around in there. I can't believe we will be meeting our little babies sometime in the next few weeks! :P<br />
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Big Momma at 30 weeks! </div>
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-21109212286872528062012-10-04T17:17:00.001-04:002012-10-04T17:17:30.235-04:0028 Week 5 Days Growth ScanToday was our growth scan with the specialist. The babies all looked really good! All of them have great fluid levels and blood flow and are growing like little weeds!!<br />
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Alexis (baby A) is up to 2lbs 2oz! (a gain of 7 ounces)<br />
Allison (baby B) is up to 2lbs 5oz (up 9 ounces)<br />
William (baby C) is up to 3lbs 4oz (up10 ounces)<br />
Daniel (baby D) is up to 2lbs 8oz (up 11 ounces!)<br />
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We are up to 10lbs 3oz of babies! We have now met one of my personal goals of having the babies over 2 pounds!<br />
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On the momma front, things are still looking up. Aside from an increase in contractions and pretty much constant exhaustion at this point, I am progressing well. Dr. S wasn't going to check my cervix again (its been 2 weeks), but did so to ease my mind. Holy crow! It is still rocking! He said it looks great and I have "extra cervix". LOL! He then told me that he won't be watching it anymore because it doesn't matter what happens to my cervix at this point. The other "symptoms" are more important...pre-eclampsia, increased contractions, problems with the babies, etc. He still hasn't put me on bed rest, but instructed me to keep resting a lot.<br />
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They haven't indicated anything of concern, but Daniel is getting harder to see since he is in the middle and behind all the others. Lexie is also difficult to see well because she is so low in my uterus. It will be interesting to see who or what finally puts me in the hospital or the OR! :P<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-81021609480122132102012-09-29T10:58:00.001-04:002012-09-29T10:58:50.153-04:0028 Weeks!We made it! I can't believe it that we have gotten this far with no problems. We have been exponentially blessed with this pregnancy. So, now next milestone is 30 weeks.<br />
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At my appointment this week, we didn't have any changes. The babies are passing all of their tests and so am I. They didn't measure growth this week, but will be doing that on Thursday. I also finished getting my shots on Thursday, so I am all vaccinated up!<br />
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After our doctor appointment we had the opportunity to tour the NICU and meet several members of the staff that we will be working with and who will be taking care of our babies. They were super nice and answered all of our questions and more. They showed us where the babies will be rooming as well. Thankfully they will all be in the same room.<br />
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The staff in the NICU is very positive that if I can make it to 32 weeks the babies will only have to be there about a month, barring any serious problems. We were also relieved to learn that Tyler is very welcome to come visit his babies as long as he isn't sick...same goes for mom and dad and anyone else who wants to visit.<br />
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So, how am I feeling/doing you ask...pretty much like crap. With each passing day, I get more sore, tired, and it gets harder to breathe. I have found that even though my doctors haven't put me on bed rest, I am a lot less sore and my body feels generally better if I spend most of the day lying down. I like to call this voluntary bed rest. Riding in a car at this point is torture as is sitting straight up basically any time.<br />
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This coming week will hopefully be uneventful. I have my OB appointment here in town on Tuesday and my specialist appointment on Thursday. Rumor has it that if I haven't already been admitted that I will be put in the hospital at 32 weeks just to have me there. <br />
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So there you have it. Thank you for continued prayers, and please keep them coming! We really need all the help we can get to keep this baby factory going. And a special thank you to the wonderful ladies who have started coming to help out a couple times a week. It is more appreciated than you know! :P<br />
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Katie<br />
<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-16733332821468023852012-09-20T18:01:00.001-04:002012-10-04T17:01:14.686-04:0026 Week Appointment...Baby Mix-up?So, at my appointment 2 weeks ago, Daniel was all of a sudden measuring bigger than William, and William hadn't grown very much. At the time I questioned whether or not they had them mixed up (trust me its an easy thing to do!). So when I heard the measurements today, I was positive that last time they had the boys mixed up, and the ultrasound tech agrees that it is very likely. So they have grown as follows:<br />
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Lexie (Baby A) - 1lb 11oz (up 5oz)<br />
Allison (Baby B)- 1lb 12oz (up 5oz)<br />
William (Baby C)- 2lb 10oz (up 13oz from corrected weight from 2 weeks ago)<br />
Daniel (Baby D)- 1lb 13oz (up 3 oz from corrected weight from 2 weeks ago)<br />
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We are up to 8lbs of baby now! Holy moly! And they are 4 very active babies! Everyone who does an ultrasound always comments on how active they are, and then talk about it amongst the staff. It is so funny! I think the best part of this pregnancy is the reactions of people when the find out I'm carrying quads.<br />
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Anywho, my cervix is still doing great, too! So...no bed rest still! I asked the doctor if he had a prediction for how long I would carry the babies for and he is guessing at least 32 weeks. I really feel like that will not be a problem, and if these kids keep growing like this, we ought to have a 4 pounder and at least one 3 pounder, if not two. I think that Lexie will probably fall into the high 2's in weight...just a feeling.<br />
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I also went to the cardiologist, who I didn't actually see, for my echo cardiogram. Apparently no news is good news, but they said that they will send the report to my docs and they will let me know.<br />
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Aside from all of that, there is nothing much to report. Just happy goodness all around. :P<br />
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Katie Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-11827407464080555722012-09-16T16:30:00.003-04:002012-09-16T16:35:55.424-04:00Pity Party<div align="left">I'm going to say this in advance...this post is a bit of a whiny rant. Consider yourself warned!<br /><br />As you know, I am 26 weeks pregnant with quadruplets. I have been very very fortunate in this pregnancy so far. I haven't had any complications, I'm not on bedrest (which at this point is practically unheard of), and I have had a fair amount of help from mine and my husbands families and some friends. I am very grateful for this! That being said, I am getting sick and tired of everyone telling me how awful its going to be to have 4 babies at once to care for and how my life is over. I'm not an idiot...I know its going to be hard...REALLY HARD! It was hard with one baby.<br /><br />These babies are miracles. I had a 95% chance of miscarriage! That number lessened as<br />time passed, but until I had hit 24 weeks there was little or not chance of survival if born. Once I hit 28 weeks, chance of major complications is very small. And every week after that is one less week they will spend in the NICU. But seriously it is going to be awesome. I will have a reminder all the time of how awesome God is, and how much trust he has in my and my husband to raise these children to be good people. That is a both a huge burden as well as a major confidence booster to know that God trusts us with his spirit children. Because of that I<br />have no doubt that we can do it.<br /><br />Anyhow, I must really make this look easy or something because for all those who think its all over for us there are those who act like I should be business as usual. It makes me want to scream and tear my hair out! I HAVE FOUR BABIES IN MY BODY! I am measuring 43 weeks<br />people...that is 3 weeks past when you all couldn't take another day of being pregnant...and news flash...I have at least 2 weeks more to go, but probably closer to 8! I have to go to a cardiologist this week to make sure my heart is keeping up with the strain of supporting this<br />pregnancy. That is no joke!<br /><br />So why do I feel guilty asking people to take a few hours out of their day only two days a week to come help me manage my 3 year old? Sure, I could send him to other people's houses, but these are my last weeks with just him. His life will be turned upside down, and it breaks my heart. So please understand why I don't want to just send him off. He will have to be shuffled around endlessly when I have to be back and forth from the NICU for who know how many weeks when the babies are born.<br /><br />Anyway my point is this...I'm not wonder woman. I'm tired, I hurt, I can't take care of my family right now, and I feel pretty helpless. This was my timeout to feel sorry for myself. Enough said.<br /><br />Katie<br /></div><br /><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-53182775672243500662012-09-14T11:46:00.002-04:002012-09-14T12:00:09.059-04:00Holy Moly! 25w5d OB AppointmentYesterday I had my OB appointment, but before I get into that, I need to back up a few days...<br /><br />Monday or Tuesday I wasn't feeling a ton of movement from the babies. I was mildly concerned, but decided to give them some time. By Wednesday they were moving like CRAZY and I could even feel the girls a lot better. My conclusion was that we had a growth spurt. <br /><br />At my OB appointment yesterday I was measuring 43 weeks! I think my assumption was correct! I also had my usual day of adjustment after a growth spurt. I usually have a day where I have issues breathing and getting comfortable while my body adjusts to the growth and further lack of useable space. And today I am SORE! I feel like I have been riding a horse for 3 days. Mama Mia! <br /><br />Aside from my growth from 37 to 43 weeks in the last 2 weeks, all is still well. Everyone looks good and I am still free. LOL! <br /><br />I am very excited for tomorrow. My Mother in Law and Sisters in Law are having a Babies Shower for me and I can't wait! <br /><br />That's about it for now. Just letting these little critters cook a while longer! :P<br /><br />KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-72610849307553359632012-09-06T18:01:00.003-04:002012-09-20T18:03:28.543-04:00Visit to the Specialist (24w5d)Well, today was the regularly scheduled appointment with the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor. We had a good ultrasound. My cervix is still long and closed up tight...phew! The babies are doing great! They are so active it is hard for the U/S tech to get her measurements before they move around. As usual, baby C (Will) was talking away. It is so funny and cute! Baby B (Allison) was jib jabbing a little as well. They were able to give us a look at Daniel and Allison on the 4d setting, and they are so cute! It was the first time they didn't look skeletal. The babies weighed in as follows:<br />
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Baby A (Lexie): 1lb 6oz (up 5 oz in 2 weeks)<br />
Baby B (Allison): 1lb 7oz (up 4oz)<br />
Baby C (Will): 1lb 13oz (up 4oz) (corrected 9/20)<br />
Baby D (Daniel): 1lb 10oz (up 7oz!) (corrected 9/20)<br />
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We are doing so well, I don't go back for 2 weeks! After that it will be weekly. <br />
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I also had the pleasure of my first steroid shot today. OUCH! And the kicker is I have to get another one tomorrow...plus my flu shot...plus my Tdap in 2 weeks. UGH! I hate shots! My bum hurts from that shot!<br />
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I have become a hot topic of conversation at the weekly high risk meeting at the hospital now. At the meeting next week, they are doing a mock delivery to prepare for us so that they can have it planned out to have enough space for everyone. At a minimum there will be a NICU nurse and respiratory specialist per baby, the anesthesiologist, at least 2 doctors for me, a few nurses for me, and Allen. That is at least 19 people counting me and the babies! I suspect there will be a few looksie lous as well since quads don't happen too often around here. <br />
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So we keep trucking forward...<br />
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I get more uncomfortable everyday. I am full term size now and everything is harder to do. :P<br />
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KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-54761017001536365702012-09-01T10:37:00.002-04:002012-09-01T10:52:50.344-04:00First Major Milestone - 24 Weeks!<br />Well, I made it! I got to 24 weeks, which is considered the point of viability in a pregnancy. And I made it without being put on bed rest! I'm feeling my freedom slipping away day by day. I know that sooner or later I will be put on bed rest or in the hospital, and I'm dreading being away from my sweet Tyler and not being able to take care of him, but I know that I have to take care of these babies and others will step in to fill the void for him. <br /><br />Anyways, next big step is 28 weeks. This is the next major point, at which the severity of possible issues with the babies if they are born is significantly less. It seems like a lot of quad moms have their babies between 28 and 30 weeks, and we hope to make it to 32-34 weeks, so I don't have a lot of time left to prepare myself for their arrival. It is scary and exciting. I can imagine holding my sweet babies and it makes my heart smile. And the thought of the lack of sleep makes my insides groan. LOL!<br /><br />So coming up I have A LOT more doctors appointments, steroid shots this week to help the babies lungs along, and very likely bed rest. All the prayers, thoughts, and kind words and deeds are very appreciated, and needed more than ever going forward...especially the prayers! <br /><br />My mom is leaving on Monday and she has done so much to help us prepare for whats coming. She has been amazing! Our nursery is practically finished, we have a freezer full of food so that we don't have to worry about cooking, and I have been able to rest this last month ensuring that problems have been practically non-existent. THANK YOU MOM! For everything!<br /><br />We will be having Allen's mom coming in for most of the week after mom leaves as well as a hoard of people from our neighborhood and church that have graciously offered to come over or have Tyler over at their house while Allen goes to work. We are so blessed to have the support of so many friends and family members! I honestly don't know how I would get through this without the comfort of that knowledge! <br /><br />I think I'm done rambling now, but again, THANK YOU to all of you for your support and prayers. Enjoy the picture of my crazy belly growth! :P<br /><br />Katie<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOPkRnQJvAg/UEIhGU62iDI/AAAAAAAAASg/nOOnQ-mURaw/s1600/Weeks%2B14-24.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOPkRnQJvAg/UEIhGU62iDI/AAAAAAAAASg/nOOnQ-mURaw/s400/Weeks%2B14-24.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5783221264075622450" /></a><br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-71443343236501950162012-08-24T12:03:00.002-04:002012-08-24T12:15:20.785-04:0022 Week Growth ScanWell, yesterday was our 22 week growth scan and everyone is doing well and growing fast...including Mama! For me the most nerve wracking part of the appointment in the cervix check. I'm always worried that it will start shortening, opening, or softening. If any of those things happen I go on bedrest. So far so good, though.<br /><br />Of course the next mini concern is that they are all still alive. LOL! They are very much alive in there and getting so big! They are weighing in as follows:<br /><br />Baby A (Lexie): 1lb 1oz<br />Baby B (Allison): 1lb 3oz<br />Baby C (Will): 1lb 9oz!<br />Baby D (Daniel): 1lb 3oz<br /><br />I have 5 pounds of baby now, and they are supposed to grow several ounces a week at this point! I feel a lot better about things now that they are all over a pound. Hopefully they can get up to 3+ pounds before they are born...which is not far away at all! From my experience in the Quad group on Facebook, most of the quads are born between 28 and 31 weeks. That is only 5-8 weeks left! Hopefully we can go a little further than that, but that is still not a lot of time!<br /><br />It is so confusing looking at all those babies on the ultrasound screen. Yesterday, Allison and Lexie were foot to foot, Will's feet were in Daniel's face, Will and Lexie are head to head, and Daniel and Allison were kinda spooning. It is getting cramped in there! We had a good laugh when during the 4d portion of the u/s Will was opening and closing his mouth. I can't wait to meet my sweet little babies! :P<br /><br />Katie<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245880717284903431.post-42688526201371606182012-08-14T20:08:00.001-04:002012-08-14T20:08:20.653-04:0021 Weeks and a Little DramaWell, I am 21 weeks now...woohoo! We saw the specialist on last Thursday and everything checked out just fine. They didn't do any growth measurements on the babies so it was kinda uneventful. Oh, and the babies have moved around positions a little. I guess they are getting a little cramped at this point. The take away from that appointment was that my babies are good and my cervix is a rock star.<br /><br />Fast forward to yesterday at my OB appointment. First off, I am now measuring 37 weeks!! Dr. M said I don't have any more room to grow up or down so from here on I will be growing OUT! Here comes Ol' Torpedo Belly! After all the measuring tape fun, the jelly came out and he proceeded to check out the babies and my cervix. Babies are still fine. But he didn't/couldn't see what he needed to check my cervix and brought out Alejandro! Apparently that didn't cut it either so I also got a physical check...and while all of this is going on my 3 year old is being a BRAT! Never taking him to the dr again!<br /><br />So anyways, while I was dressing Dr. M went and called the specialist and told him what he saw and then came back and told me that he thought my cervix was opening/softening...WHAT! Following that, he instructed me to go immediately go to the specialist's office in Annapolis and to be prepared to be admitted to the hospital. My mom and I started to freak out! <br /><br />We dropped Tyler off at a friends and headed out. We got there and waited in the waiting room for an hour...longest hour ever! Finally we got back to a room and Alejandro was brought forth again...yay! <br /><br />Doctor came in, looked, said everything is fine. Go home and take it easy. Keep up the good work...blah, blah, blah. Apparently what Dr. M was seeing on his ancient ultrasound machine was a harmless cyst on my cervix. Phew! What a relief that was!<br /><br />So basically everyone is fine, I need to rest more, and keep up the good work. So, I am cutting unnecessary trips out of my life and unfortunately that includes going to church. :( Between a 45 minute ride each way and the 3 hour block that is too much pressure on my cervix. <br /><br />On other news, I am feeling and seeing the babies move from the outside more and more. My mom is here and taking good care of me and Tyler and I'm eating better than I have probably this whole pregnancy because she is cooking! Let me tell you...I DO NOT miss McDonald's one bit!<br /><br />That's about it for now. :P<br /><br />KatieKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04098469099067579372noreply@blogger.com3