Where the Wild Things Are

Halloween will be here soon and the quads are ready!

(L to R) Rainer, Virginia, Broox, and Jane

Birthday Weekend

This past Saturday was my birthday. My parents came up so that Gray and I could go out and enjoy the weekend as a couple while they took care of the babies. We also took advantage of the wonderful weather and the babies got their first trip to the park. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

Happy Birthday Mama!

My beautiful birthday cake The quads love their jumpers. When they get tired they fall asleep in them just like this. If you wake them up, they keep right on jumping as if they never stopped.

Broox was the only one not napping, so he came to whole foods with us. He thought it was amazing!

Jane waits patiently for her turn.

Virginia loves to hold and look at books.

At the park

Jane and Virginia modeling their cute bonnets that Granny made.
Now that the babies are rolling and moving more, they love playing with this "crawl ball." It moves by itself and they love trying to get it.

Friends Meet the Babies

A few of my friends from work came by the other day to visit me and the babies. I can't tell you how happy I was to get to talk to some adults and hear about what was going on outside of our little world. As much as I love having the opportunity to be with my babies all day each day, it can get dull at times. We aren't able to just pack up and go somewhere. I hope in the coming months that it will become possible for me to take the babies over to the park or to the zoo by myself. The moms of multiples that I talk too told me that it takes baby steps. They say to start small and make a point to get out once a week first, then twice a week and so on. On the weekends we make sure to get the babies (and me) out of the house since Gray is home to help. Unfortunately, lately, we've had beautiful weeks and rainy weekends. This one looks like it will be a nice one, so we will definitely have an outing.

Anyway, I had a great time with the girls! They came bearing gifts, and we have so enjoyed the casseroles this week. Here are a few pictures from our visit. I love these girls and I miss everyone at Central. Thank you all so much for the support and kind words you sent.

Adriane and Jane were wearing matching outfits. Adriane even stayed and helped me feed the babies supper.

Angie with Broox and Cassie with Virginia.
Trying to get a good shot of all of us.

It was great seeing you and come back soon!

A Day to Remember

7 Months Old

....and looking back to 1 Day Old

Virginia
Jane

Broox

Rainer

Today the quads turned 7 months old. This is quite a milestone for us! Not only because of the birthday, but because this is the anniversary of the day that we found out about our four and saw them on an ultrasound screen for the first time. I cannot believe that a whole year has passed since that life altering doctor's visit. What was once just a bewildering idea is now our life and we are so happy in it. I never could have imagined then, just how special they would be and how much joy Broox, Jane, Virginia and Rainer would bring to Gray and me. I love each of them more than I could ever say. Happy 7 months!

I tried to take their picture this morning for documentation but they just weren't in the photo shoot mood. They do best with a group of "clowns" behind me when we do it. Today it was just me and they weren't amused with anything I was doing. I may have gotten one good one, but I thought I would also add a few of the bad so you can get an idea about what its like to get a picture of four seven month olds.

It's tough being a quad.

Not interested.

Look at me! Look at me!

BORED Boys will be Boys.

Blog Design

I wanted to send out a belated thank you to my cousin Jim Schaeffer for designing my new blog page. He is extremely creative and has done all of the work for me. I have received many compliments on the new look. My blog is so much more appealing now and I can't thank you enough Jim. Jim and his partner do Web and Print design and their business is called Flowso Studio. You can find them at flowso.com. Check them out!

Closing in on 7 Months

Next week, the quads turn seven months old. I wanted to share some of the things we have been up to this month, new tricks the babies are doing, and the ways that we are changing to accommodate their new skills.

More and more I am noticing the babies wanting to get up and go. They seem to be getting frustrated that they still have very limited mobility. Playing on the floor is getting dull, so they keep me constantly moving as I pick up and put down babies here and there. While they enjoy playing by themselves and exploring new things for a while, they are demanding one on one time with Mama more than ever. They are beginning to notice me with another baby. I so wish there were more of me to go around. I am looking forward to the day when they can at least sit up on their own. I can tell that they enjoy that view of the world much better, and anytime I put them in a boppy or chair they strain to sit up. I think they are very close, but they can only do it for a short while on their own before they tip over, back or to the side. They also enjoy standing on the floor or in your lap whenever possible. Rainer especially enjoys this and will often refuse to bend at the knees and sit.

I think that the coming month ,just as the sixth, is going to be full of growth for the Virginia, Rainer, Jane and Broox.

This is our new quad table!!! We absolutely love it. Papa and our friend Mr. Raymond custom built the table for the quads. This allows Gray and me to both sit at the table and each take two babies to feed. It takes up so much less room than four high chairs and we are able to feed them all at one time. I love how their little legs dangle!

Rainer, Jane, Broox and Virginia happy to be in their fancy new table.



Now that the babies have some control over their bottles, I am propping them up. This way I can feed everyone at the same time. I had to stop feeding them on the couch by myself, because they kept trying to roll off.

10 o'clock feeding today.
The babies have been enjoying game days in their Bama duds. Roll Tide!

The exersaucer has been a hit this month.

I received these cute hats before the babies were born and we decided to play dress up with them a few mornings ago. I think the babies got a kick out of them. Here is Rainer in a frog hat.

Broox as a puppy.

Virginia

Hahaha. What a face!

Jane's hat is a little big.

Honey bunny

This is the day his teeth came through and he kept his fingers in his mouth all day.

I thought these pictures on the changing tables were really cute, but unfortunately turned out dark. You can see them better if you double click on the pictures. Look at Rainer's hands in this picture. He loves to put his hands together like that all the time. It cracks me up. We like to say that he's praying for his Mama and Daddy.

Broox

Jane

Virginia

Broox is getting pretty good at holding his bottle. You have to be sitting right by him to help get the bottle back in when he drops it, but I'm trying to let him practice as much as possible. He also doesn't like to do it if he is sleepy. I think he has picked it up first because of his big hands, and because he is so good at grabbing and picking up objects. Bottle holding is going to be so much help to me.

Virginia enjoying the new jack-in-the-box.

We have not really used the Bumbo chairs until now. We decided to pull out the little trays the other day and attach them to the Bumbos with piles of toys on them. I'm glad that we did because the babies will tolerate sitting in them more now. Notice Rainer has his hands folded again.

Virginia in her doorway bouncer. She is probably the best jumper so far. Her tiny feet look precious dancing around and she is so proud of herself when she gets it moving.

Here we are outside of the Newborn Follow-Up Clinic. This clinic follows the development of premature babies during their first three years. This was our first visit and the physical therapist, pediatrician, and nutritionist were amazed at the progress the quads have made. They used to visit the babies in the hospital when they were 2 and 3 pounds and couldn't believe how much they had grown. All of the babies are in the 90th percentile for their adjusted age for development and size. Even when looking at those areas as six month olds, they are still all in the normal range.

Here are their new weights.
Broox: 18 pounds, 7 ounces
Jane: 12 pounds, 9 ounces
Virginia: 12 pounds, 12 ounces

Rainer: 15 pounds, 8 ounces

When we rolled into the clinic, they knew all of the babies names. The appointment started with pictures of each baby. We had the whole clinic to ourselves, and enjoyed the visit. What mother doesn't love to hear how well her babies are doing?

Here is Rainer standing on my lap. Rainer has both bottom teeth and you can just barely see them in this picture. He was the first to have a tooth pop through, then Jane, and yesterday Broox joined the club! I'm sure Virginia's will break through soon. She is chewing on everything.

Jane posing for the camera.

Counting the fish on her dress.

Virginia in polka dots.

Broox hanging out.

Rainer enjoying the last days of his first summer.