Lake Babies

I'm sorry it has been such a very long time since I've given an update on the quads. I haven't been able to find the time lately, but I'm hoping to do much better. Now that the babies are sleeping better at night, maybe I can spend more time blogging and less time sleeping during their naps.


Virginia, Jane, Rainer and Broox are doing great! They are growing right before our eyes. On our last visit to the pediatrician their weights were Broox (14 pounds and 4 oz.), Jane (9 pounds and 5 oz.), Virginia (9 pounds and 14 oz.) and Rainer (11 pounds adn 13 oz.). That was on the 10th of July so they are even bigger now. They shared their 5 month birthday at the Garrett's lake house on their very first trip to Lake Martin. They didn't exactly get the full lake experience, but I could tell that they liked the change of pace and it was fun to see them in a place that I know they will spend lots of time in and love as much as we do.


We did a lot of rocking on the porch, strolling, and playing in the house. They took outside baths in the baby pool and loved it. Honey and Pal stayed with us the first part of the week and then Lizzie and Papa for the latter half. It was a beautiful weekend and Gray and I enjoyed time on the boat and in the water.


The babies are now sleeping from around seven at night to six thirty or seven in the morning, except for Broox. He gets up much earlier than the others and during the night and still gets an extra feeding at night. We are having trouble with the boys waking up in the middle of the night when they bust out of their swaddles. They sleep soundly until they work an arm or a leg out and then they cry until we rewrap them and put a pacifier in their mouths. Then, they go right back to sleep until it happens an hour or two later. We tried the sleep sacks last night where their arms are already out and it didn't work either. Wrapping them back up is still much easier than getting everyone up and feeding them and the whole thing, but it would be great if we could figure this out. Do any of you mothers have any tips? Virginia is our only baby so far that will fall asleep without a swaddle and not wake up. Any advice would be very helpful.

Here are some new pictures from the lake. Me and Broox, Honey and Jane, Katie and Virginia, "Miss" Margaret and Rainer on the porch at the lake house.

Jane was not enjoying the photo shoot in the top picture. Here is one of Virginia by herself.

Here are two happy girls (L Jane and R Virginia), in their matching summer outfits from Annie, enjoying some time on the porch.

A morning stroll at the lake. These double strollers are still a little large for our gang, but work great when you have a friend to walk with.

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The warm day and the rocking were making the babies sleepy.

Uncle Marshall's sweetheart, Katie, and Virginia. She lives in Alex City now and was just a short drive away. The babies loved seeing her.

Annie visiting Jane at the lake.

"Miss" Margaret meeting the quads.

Yay, for outdoor baths! Virginia enjoyed splashing around in the baby pool.

Can you tell who tolerates the camera the best?

I just love Rainer's wide grins!

Looks like he's up to something.

A nap has never felt so good! Broox above and Jane below relaxing at the lake.

This is how we spend the majority of our days, playing on the activity mats. They love reaching for and babbling to their toys.

All the girls!

My big boy.

Happy 4th of July from the Garrett Quads!

It has been a great 4th of July weekend. Gray had Friday off and we spent the day playing with the babies and doing a little house work in between. Lizzie and Papa dropped in for Friday night on their way to Charleston, and they volunteered to stay with and feed the babies so that Gray and I could have a date. We went out and had dinner and didn't even have to worry about being back before 9:00. We had such a good time! We are always so grateful for time together and a little break from the daily grind. Today we swapped turns taking naps and were even able to watch a whole movie during the babies' nap. We have had a good time dressing the babies up in their 4th of July outfits and documenting their very first of the holiday. They are in the bed now and Gray is cooking us dinner. I think we are learning how to adjust to our new life with four babies and things are becoming a little more normal and routine. The babies are still eating at 6:00 p.m. and we're putting them down at 7:00 p.m. They sleep until 9:00 or 9:30 and we feed them again before the go down for the night. Jane and Virginia have been sleeping through the night for about a week now, and it has made the biggest difference in the world! The boys get up anywhere from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. and we feed them again. They usually wake up in the morning around 6:00 a.m. I'm hopeful that they will soon be sleeping longer as well. It's amazing what a little more sleep will do for you. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday. Happy 4th!

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.