Brewton Bound!

Sleepy Annie with all of the sleepy babies. This is how we all feel at the end of the day.

Papa and Uncle Kirk

Pal and Lizzy

"Miss" Joan and Broox

Grandmama and Rainer

Shelley meeting the babies!

Broox loves Brewton!

Friends from the Church meeting the quads for the first time.

Daddy strolling the babies in the fellowship hall to keep them entertained.

Aunt Candy visiting with Broox.

Mama Merle says we can have two more children but that is enough! :) (She is a mother of six children)

Rainer meets Uncle Bob

Granny and Jane

Cousin Ryan and Aunt Leah

Cousin Brooke and Pal

Aunt Leah brings Jane inside.

This will last us about two or three days.

The babies' luggage.

Rainer taking a nap in his Brewton crib.

Snoozing Broox

Uncle Marshall is so much help! He helped Honey feed the babies at 7:00 a.m. so that I could catch some Zs.

Steely with Rainer.

Coley and Grace help with the 3:00 feeding. They are naturals.

Aunt Gray and Granny

The babies waiting to go on their trip.

Rainer

Broox

Virginia

Jane

Gray worked the morning away preparing the Quad mobile for its destination.

This is how we transport the Runabout.

They are all in their carseats and finally ready to go.

Here we go!

Gray passed the car seats to me and I clicked them in the back. It's definitely a two person job.

Jane enjoying the ride.

Rainer

Virginia looking out of her window.

Last Saturday the babies took their very first road trip to Brewton, our hometown. We started three days in advance to prepare for the trip. We made a master list of everything the babies need from morning to night and started packing. We threw all of their clothes, burp cloths, changing pads, diapers, wipes, formula, washcloths, bottles, bibs, boppies, activitiy mats, blankets, etc. into a huge duffle bag. Our friend Ruth took down everything that could be taken a day early to Brewton on Friday. On Saturday morning, Gray was busy attaching the luggage carrier on top of our car and hooking the Runabout on the back, while I entertained babies in the den and threw in the last odds and ends. We fed the babies at 11:00 a.m and then put them in the carseats for the big trip. We planned the trip during their naptime in hopes that the babies would just sleep the three hours to Brewton. We loaded the carseats in the back of the expedition and headed out. I'm able to sit between the two carseats in the back and I'm able to see all four babies at the same time. They were all asleep by the time we merged onto the interstate. Our stroller was attached to the back of our car so everyone that passed us was staring, smiling and checking to see if there really were four babies with us. The quads were angels on the way to Brewton. The only time they fussed was when we had to stop for gas and food. They woke up just short of the city limits as their 3:00 feeding drew near. When we pulled up to my parents house my Aunt, Uncle and cousins were here. Everyone quickly grabbed a baby, and the bottles that Honey had heating in her crock pot were in their mouths in a matter of minutes. Success!

We have now been in Brewton for six days and are having a ball. The Quads have met lots of friends and family and I have enjoyed all of the help and relief. Gray is in Birmingham working and said that the house is too quiet. The babies and I can't wait to see him this weekend.

Pictures Galore

I love this picture of Gray and Jane. It wasn't very long ago that his ring fit all the way down her arm! She is really growing up. The babies love playing with Daddy when he gets home.
My cousins Jim (R) and Wes (L) came to visit the quads while Aunt Anne was with us this week. They are experts at feeding babies and burping...and so cute! The babies love company!
Broox dozing during awake time. Hmmmm...what to do?

Virginia in a cute lady bug suit. The air conditioner went out this day so they laid out under the fan in summer clothes!

Jane in the dress that Marie bought her. What a little lady!

Rainer during awake time trying to decide if he'll tolerate the bouncy seat. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't that day. :)

A beautiful smile from Virginia. She smiles the most right now out of all of our children. She was even grinning at me as I put her back to bed in the middle of the night. Their gummy grins are my favorite thing right now!

Here is what the babies like to do in the morning. I call it their coffee talk (minus the caffeine...they don't need it.)

Here are the babies in a pile on the sofa as we get everything ready to feed them. They are not their happiest at this time. They think they are starving! 5 minutes later is the most quiet time of the day when each one is working on their bottle.

The Quad Runabout is Here! We caught some attention in the neighborhood and took the babies to meet the neighbors.

This stroller is amazing. It maneuvers so well and the babies really enjoy it as long as we're moving. Unfortunately, our street is on a steep hill. I'm going to have to build my stamina to make it to the top.

Broox and Rainer getting ready to ride. Look at Rainer peeking through the headrest.

Everyone is buckled in and ready to go!

Pal and Papa making sure that everyone is safe and secure.

A photo with Broox before Gray and I went out to run errands. Honey and Pal stayed with the babies.Pal and Rainer taking a nap. That is Rainer's favorite spot.

Broox in a big boy bed.

Katie and Broox spending time together.

Rainer and me after the doctor's appointment.

Marshall with the boys. They are going to love hanging out with Uncle Marshall!

Baby Central

Jane snoozing.

Jane and Jane. Honey has been talking about sneaking a baby out in her purse since they were in the NICU. We caught her just before she finally did it.

What do we do all day?

Well, my day goes something like this. Gray and I wake up at 7:00 a.m. or before depending on how the babies are sleeping. While Gray hops in the shower to get ready for work, I busily pop the bottles in the crock pot to warm, gather burp cloths, bibs, and pacifiers and set up pillows and boppys in the living room. I then change the babies and put them in position for feeding. I usually place two babies in boppys on either side of me, and then place the two that will be fed first on a firm pillow in my lap. After they eat and burp, I swap their positions and begin again. After everyone is done (usually about an hour to an hour and a half later) I put them back in the bed for a morning nap.

I then run the dish washer, start a load of laundry and try to get a shower before the 11:00 feeding. Twice this week I have gone back to bed until 11:00 to catch up on the sleep that we lose at night. At 11:00 we do it all again, but this time I line them up in swings and bouncy seats for their awake time. I then attempt to entertain them so that they will stay awake until nap time. I read them books, talk to them, shake rattles, sing, etc. to keep them awake. After that, they take another nap until around 3:00 p.m. During that time, I eat lunch, continue laundry, make fresh formula and pour 20 bottles. On Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, I give them baths, so I also prepare for that. They sleep really well after taking a bath and love them!

Gray gets home at around 5:00 p.m. and I can go run an errand or get out of the house for a little bit. At 6:00 we feed them again, but of course it goes much more smoothly with two people. After that, we eat dinner and relax until 9:00. We feed them again at 9:00 and go directly to bed.

Night time is still pretty tough for the babies. We are trying to train them to sleep from 10:00 until 3:00a.m. but it has yet to happen. They usually crank up around one and we share turns popping up and down to soothe babies. Usually we can hold them off until right around 3:00 a.m. We feed them in a dark room very quietly, and tuck them back in. For the most part they go back to sleep pretty easily after that feeding, but we've had a couple of nights when it took an hour. When they do get to sleep they usually make it until 7:00.

We certainly look forward to the day that they can sleep through the night. Even sleeping for four hours at a time at night would help tremendously. I know we have a long way to go, but the way the time is passing, it will be here in no time. We are going to be calling in the troops again for the next few weeks. My mother is coming next Tuesday to help and Liz and Broox will be here next weekend. Despite the sleepiness, Gray and I are enjoying every minute with our babies (maybe not the middle of the night minutes)! :) They are growing right in front of our eyes and I laugh out loud daily at one of their expressions, or babbles or personalities unfolding. It is so hard to believe that they will be 3 months old next week. Look how big they are now!

Rainer watching me entertain.

Virginia has become fascinated with the bear mobile.

Jane enjoying the swing.

The boys

This is where I typically sit the babies after I finish feeding them. I then precede to read to them, shake rattles, sing and dance to try and keep them awake until the end of the hour.

Broox being a cutie pie.

Jane and Virginia. It looks like they're telling secrets.

"Put that down and get my bottle!"

Hanging out with daddy.

Gray and me at Jacksons in Homewood. We got to go out with my mother, grandmother, aunt and cousin while Marie and Charity were watching the babies. We had so much fun, and it was great to get out of the house.

Happy Mother's Day!

(Rainer, Virginia, Jane and Broox)

The Fab Four

Daddy and Babies

Jane was too tired to participate. She had just had her 2 oz. and she was out.

This is a great feeling! All four of your children in your arms at once. I know I won't be able to keep them there long.


Happy Mother’s Day! I am so proud to be a part of the club. We’ve had a wonderful week with Marie and Charity here with us. They have been here helping with the babies and still have one more week to spend with us. The babies are really doing well with the suggestions they have made and are sleeping much longer in the night than before. Marie is hoping that Broox will be sleeping through the night by the time she leaves. I’m already ecstatic that they are only having to eat at 9:30 p.m. and then not again until around 3:00 a.m. and then back to bed until 7:00 a.m. She has also been able to work out their reflux issues and other causes of fussiness.

They are all growing so fast! No one is wearing preemie clothes any longer. Broox and Jane’s eyes are getting lighter and bluer, while Rainer and Virginias are getting darker. For the first time the other night when I was talking and smiling at Rainer he smiled right back at me! It’s amazing to see them interact with you like that. These pictures were taken today, and they will be 11 weeks old tomorrow. Time is just flying by.

For Mother’s Day, Gray and the babies gave me a beautiful amethyst ring to represent their birth month, and Marie cooked us a delicious lunch to celebrate. I had such a special day and look forward to this first year as a mother. I had the best example in the world for motherhood in my own mother. I can only hope to be just like her.