A year ago this week I was put in the hospital with pre-eclampsia and given the steriod shots in anticipation of the babies early arrival. Luckily they held out another 15 days! I cannot believe that a year has gone by, it seems like just yesterday I was getting daily ultrasounds, hourly doppler checks, and the cafeteria was forgetting my carrot cake...hey I was pregnant x4 and needed my calories! ;) In less than three weeks weeks my teeny tiny preemies will be toddlers!
I do not know how parents of quintuplets or more do it! We had my 9 month old nephew for the day today and it seemed like we had 10 extra kids. We have 4 hands so we are always able to grab all 4 if need be but with 5 someone always is able to get away. Today Brady took advantage of it at the birthday party we went to by climbing and eating rocks. That boy is all boy!
Our county fair is starting Monday and Ben is a HUGE fair fan! He intends on moving our nightly walks to the fair grounds. I am sure the kids are going to love the sights, animals, rides, and lights. Luckily they are still to little to want to ride the rides, play the games and eat the food...give them a couple years and we will be taking out a personal loan to cover the 6 days the fair is in town.
This week has been crazy with sick babies, appointments and my physical therapy. It is a pain in the but to have to go there twice a week but it is definitely helping me get some movement back in my wrist. I think the babies really like the fact I can pick them up and do all the things they need me to again. I was lucky enough not to catch the bug that the babies and Ben had.
We had a new Early Supports person come and work with the babies this week and they really seemed to like her. Ben and I were under the impression that they would no longer be qualifying for the services after their first birthday but we were thrilled to learn this will not be the case. They are all doing well but still have not reached their actual age milestones yet. I am just thrilled to have four very healthy babies that are doing as well as they are. Our family was truly blessed!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
It's really happening...
they ARE going to turn 1! We took them to get their first birthday pictures done today by Mallory Patry in Berlin. She had tons of patience with our little crabby pants that were not thrilled to sit still or get any group pictures done. Aubrey was our little supermodel! She loved getting her single pictures done and even went through 3 wardrobe changes, accessories and all! LOL she is such a girlie girl! The boys each took turns liking the camera then disliking it. They all loved to play in the mirror and by the bars. I wish I had my camera because I would have taken a picture of them looking through the bars down the hall like they were in jail. I cannot wait to see the finished product of today's shoot!
I have been trying for weeks to get a picture of them as a group for their birthday cake and they have been uncooperative so now I think I may go onto Plan B and take 4 individual shots then take a picture of the 4 shots to make 1 picture. There was always someone not happy about having to sit with their siblings I think this is foreshadowing of things to come.
Ben and I still need to come up with a cool birthday gift or gifts for them. We are heading out shopping Sunday and hope to find something perfect for them!
I have been trying for weeks to get a picture of them as a group for their birthday cake and they have been uncooperative so now I think I may go onto Plan B and take 4 individual shots then take a picture of the 4 shots to make 1 picture. There was always someone not happy about having to sit with their siblings I think this is foreshadowing of things to come.
Ben and I still need to come up with a cool birthday gift or gifts for them. We are heading out shopping Sunday and hope to find something perfect for them!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Crazy kids!
We made it the week without pacifiers except for bed time and I didn't even end up in the nut house. Yesterday they were soooo crabby I was thisclose to giving in and giving them to the babies but I powered through. Aubrey is so funny she will wake up and stay in her room for awhile just so she can keep her paci. She is going to be mad at me when we take them away full time.
Sippy cups are going well. I think we will do a bottle at bed time another week or so then move on to cups before bed too. Cameron has discovered he can even drink out of something other than a straw cup. He has started showing a preference for juice over formula so I have been making him drink his entire cup of formula before he is allowed juice and he shows us his temper if he realizes his siblings are getting juice.
Matthew has learned to pull himself up now too so he and Brady think they are pretty cool standing by the couch all the time. I don't think it will be long before Cameron is right there with them.
The four of them have really started to show they can be sweet to each other when they want to. Aubrey likes to share her puffs by feeding her brothers. When we praise one of the kids the others will clap for him/her. When Cameron was crying the other day Brady crawled over patted Cameron's head, rubbed his back and crawled off. Matthew decided to kiss Brady when he was upset the other day. I love seeing them like that! Trust me they have their moments of evil too when they antagonize their siblings as well.
All four of them love to "give 5" and wave. Playing peek-a-boo is a favorite in this house too. Tonight's edition was all fun and games until someone got hit by the cabinet door, well, even then it was still fun until Cameron realized mommy was standing there and wanted me to feel bad for him...you have to check it out for yourself!
We had some house guests this weekend and the babies loved playing with their pal Peyton. We wish they lived closer so they could play together all the time. Come back soon guys!
Monday we have baby massage class again. A local masseuse took classes to do infant massage and she needed to teach 3 people in order to finish her class so we were asked if we would allow her to teach us and a caregiver or two with the quads. We jumped at the chance to receive this as a free service that would benefit our babies. The first class was very successful with Aubrey our little diva, pretty good for Matthew and Brady and Cameron hated it! I hope that the second class goes better with him. I wish we had been able to start this when they were first home because I think it is a great way to calm them and promote good health. I wish I had someone to massage me everyday! LOL!
Ben and I are looking forward to next Sunday. As much as we love spending all the time we can with the babies we are taking a much needed day away to get some stuff for the party and try to find a gift for them so they have something to open on their actual birthday. Only 21 days until the big party! I hope my wrist can handle making 4 smash cakes for the babies to destroy and eat. I bet Cameron has no problem feeding himself cake...that boy is just like his momma, he could live on sweets alone. :)
Sippy cups are going well. I think we will do a bottle at bed time another week or so then move on to cups before bed too. Cameron has discovered he can even drink out of something other than a straw cup. He has started showing a preference for juice over formula so I have been making him drink his entire cup of formula before he is allowed juice and he shows us his temper if he realizes his siblings are getting juice.
Matthew has learned to pull himself up now too so he and Brady think they are pretty cool standing by the couch all the time. I don't think it will be long before Cameron is right there with them.
The four of them have really started to show they can be sweet to each other when they want to. Aubrey likes to share her puffs by feeding her brothers. When we praise one of the kids the others will clap for him/her. When Cameron was crying the other day Brady crawled over patted Cameron's head, rubbed his back and crawled off. Matthew decided to kiss Brady when he was upset the other day. I love seeing them like that! Trust me they have their moments of evil too when they antagonize their siblings as well.
All four of them love to "give 5" and wave. Playing peek-a-boo is a favorite in this house too. Tonight's edition was all fun and games until someone got hit by the cabinet door, well, even then it was still fun until Cameron realized mommy was standing there and wanted me to feel bad for him...you have to check it out for yourself!
We had some house guests this weekend and the babies loved playing with their pal Peyton. We wish they lived closer so they could play together all the time. Come back soon guys!
Monday we have baby massage class again. A local masseuse took classes to do infant massage and she needed to teach 3 people in order to finish her class so we were asked if we would allow her to teach us and a caregiver or two with the quads. We jumped at the chance to receive this as a free service that would benefit our babies. The first class was very successful with Aubrey our little diva, pretty good for Matthew and Brady and Cameron hated it! I hope that the second class goes better with him. I wish we had been able to start this when they were first home because I think it is a great way to calm them and promote good health. I wish I had someone to massage me everyday! LOL!
Ben and I are looking forward to next Sunday. As much as we love spending all the time we can with the babies we are taking a much needed day away to get some stuff for the party and try to find a gift for them so they have something to open on their actual birthday. Only 21 days until the big party! I hope my wrist can handle making 4 smash cakes for the babies to destroy and eat. I bet Cameron has no problem feeding himself cake...that boy is just like his momma, he could live on sweets alone. :)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Babies on the move
Aubrey decided that she was sick of the boys showing her up so she decided today was the day to crawl. Up on all fours! No army crawling for that girl, she might mess up her dresses that way.:)
The boys are all over the place! Climbing stairs, trying to get in the toilet, taking the radiators apart. Of course they always go in different directions so while I am dealing with one the others can get further in their quest to destroy the house.
Until this week we could feed only 2 babies at a time during meal times but now they have figured out if we disappear into the kitchen it is almost meal time so the race is on to get in there and we have to feed all 4 at once. Everyone but Cameron has perfected holding their cups and Matthew and Brady are great at feeding themselves finger food. Aubrey gets on in every now and then but Cameron likes us to do it all for him. I think he takes being "the baby" to heart!
The boys are all over the place! Climbing stairs, trying to get in the toilet, taking the radiators apart. Of course they always go in different directions so while I am dealing with one the others can get further in their quest to destroy the house.
Until this week we could feed only 2 babies at a time during meal times but now they have figured out if we disappear into the kitchen it is almost meal time so the race is on to get in there and we have to feed all 4 at once. Everyone but Cameron has perfected holding their cups and Matthew and Brady are great at feeding themselves finger food. Aubrey gets on in every now and then but Cameron likes us to do it all for him. I think he takes being "the baby" to heart!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Bye- Bye Bottles!
All 4 of the babies have mastered sippy cups so we decided it was time for the bottles to be gone. We have them down to just a bottle at bedtime right now but that will be gone soon too. It is kind of sad to see our babies turning into toddlers before our eyes. They all get very excited to see their bottles at bedtime but do not balk up about taking a cup during the day so I think they will be fine when we drop the bedtime bottle it is us wanting to hold onto the baby stage that is holding them back.
Their pacis are another story! I think Matthew and Aubrey are going to be the maddest of the four when they get taken away. I want them gone by the time their first birthday is here so we are trying to decide if it is best to limit them to bed/nap time only then take them away or just take them cold turkey...any suggestions?
Aubrey has decided she is sick of being immobile and is trying hard to get herself moving like her brothers, unfortunately she is going backwards while the others are going forward so that tends to make her mad. Yesterday Matthew kept taking her snuggy and crawling away with it, dropping it 10 ft or so from her so she would have to come get it. Do you think he was encouraging her to crawl or teasing her? My money is on teasing!
Brady seems to think it is funny to throw things lately so at snack time the other day he kept throwing his cup on the floor. After picking it up 4-5 times I told him if he threw it again snack time was over for him. So how does he respond? He reaches over, takes his sister's cup and throws it. Looks at her says "haha" and looks at me like "OK, snack time is over for Aubrey, can I have the rest of her yogurt melts?" LOL!
I did a weight check on our home scale since it has been almost 2 months since they were weighed and was surprised to find Cameron weighs only 3 oz more than Matthew. He feels much heavier! Matthew is weighing in at 21 lbs 5 oz, Brady 25 lbs 1 oz, Aubrey 17 lbs 8 oz and Cameron 21 lbs 8 oz. Amazing how much they have grown in 11 months.
Well, this week we will have 11 month olds! One more month until they are toddlers, UNBELIEVABLE!
Their pacis are another story! I think Matthew and Aubrey are going to be the maddest of the four when they get taken away. I want them gone by the time their first birthday is here so we are trying to decide if it is best to limit them to bed/nap time only then take them away or just take them cold turkey...any suggestions?
Aubrey has decided she is sick of being immobile and is trying hard to get herself moving like her brothers, unfortunately she is going backwards while the others are going forward so that tends to make her mad. Yesterday Matthew kept taking her snuggy and crawling away with it, dropping it 10 ft or so from her so she would have to come get it. Do you think he was encouraging her to crawl or teasing her? My money is on teasing!
Brady seems to think it is funny to throw things lately so at snack time the other day he kept throwing his cup on the floor. After picking it up 4-5 times I told him if he threw it again snack time was over for him. So how does he respond? He reaches over, takes his sister's cup and throws it. Looks at her says "haha" and looks at me like "OK, snack time is over for Aubrey, can I have the rest of her yogurt melts?" LOL!
I did a weight check on our home scale since it has been almost 2 months since they were weighed and was surprised to find Cameron weighs only 3 oz more than Matthew. He feels much heavier! Matthew is weighing in at 21 lbs 5 oz, Brady 25 lbs 1 oz, Aubrey 17 lbs 8 oz and Cameron 21 lbs 8 oz. Amazing how much they have grown in 11 months.
Well, this week we will have 11 month olds! One more month until they are toddlers, UNBELIEVABLE!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
1 month until the big party!
Decorations are in, invites are out, outfits have been purchased, goody bags ready to stuff, just waiting for the big day. We are so excited for their party but so sad about them turning one. It seems that this year has passed far faster than any previous and I hope time begins to slow down.
We have gotten a lot of comments about how cute the invites are and I wish I could take credit for them but the creator was a friend of mine Mandy King. She is so creative and we are fortunate that she was willing to make them for us...thanks again Mandy!
People have been asking what the babies want/need for their birthday so we made a wish list at Toys R Us under Hickey Quads. http://www.toysrus.com/wishlist/search/index.jsp?_flowExecutionKey=_c0ABB06F8-54D5-0356-F299-3677E27DC3D1_k724E72E0-7829-378A-9AFA-D30DE90B319E&overrideStore=TRUS
We are in the process of turning our den into the babies playroom so they can keep thier new toys seperate from the day care playroom and so they can be downstairs while we are instead of up in thier room.
Others have been asking about sizing so for fall/winter we are looking at:
Matthew- Tops 18 months, Bottoms 12 months, PJ's 18 months
Brady- Tops 24 months, Bottom 18 months, PJ's 24 months
Aubrey- Tops 12 months, Bottoms 9-12 months, PJ's 12 months
Cameron- Tops 18 months, Bottoms 18 monthsm PJ's 18 months
We have gotten a lot of comments about how cute the invites are and I wish I could take credit for them but the creator was a friend of mine Mandy King. She is so creative and we are fortunate that she was willing to make them for us...thanks again Mandy!
People have been asking what the babies want/need for their birthday so we made a wish list at Toys R Us under Hickey Quads. http://www.toysrus.com/wishlist/search/index.jsp?_flowExecutionKey=_c0ABB06F8-54D5-0356-F299-3677E27DC3D1_k724E72E0-7829-378A-9AFA-D30DE90B319E&overrideStore=TRUS
We are in the process of turning our den into the babies playroom so they can keep thier new toys seperate from the day care playroom and so they can be downstairs while we are instead of up in thier room.
Others have been asking about sizing so for fall/winter we are looking at:
Matthew- Tops 18 months, Bottoms 12 months, PJ's 18 months
Brady- Tops 24 months, Bottom 18 months, PJ's 24 months
Aubrey- Tops 12 months, Bottoms 9-12 months, PJ's 12 months
Cameron- Tops 18 months, Bottoms 18 monthsm PJ's 18 months
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Liver Life Walk 2010
Last year I intended on walking in the Liver Life Walk in Boston but was unable to due to the fact I was in the hospital waiting to give birth to the quads. This year I will be walking! I am looking for sponsors to help me raise money for the Liver Foundation through our team JaeChlo's BA-ttle.
The Jae is for on of my friend's 2-year old daughter who was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia shortly after she was born. She is one of 4 (soon to be 5) children in her family and is living life thanks to her wonderful Aunt Tonia "MaToni" who gave Jaelyn part of her liver. There isn't another gift that is more unselfish than giving a part of yourself to save another.
Here are a few pictures of Jaelynn, you will notice the yellow skin gets better as Jaelynn gets healthier.
Jaelynn and her donor Tonia a month prior to surgery
Amazing girl happy through it all
Jaelynn just after surgery
1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
The Chlo is for a little girl Chloe who was diagnised right before last years walk who, after 2 unsuccessful attemps to match her with a liver, recieved her transplant last week!
Here is a little more back ground...
Last year, we formed a team to raise money and awareness for the American Liver Foundation and liver disease. It was an amazing experience for all of us. Right before the walk, Chloe Chaput was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. Chloe is still waiting for a liver. This year (in Jaelynn and Chloe's honor) we have changed our name to JaeChlo's BA-ttle. The walk will be held on Sunday September 19...just 3 days before the two year anniversary of Jaelynn receiving a piece of her "MaToni's" liver.
Our name may have changed but our goal is still the same ~ to help the American Liver Foundation continue to fight and learn more about liver disease.
By making a donation you'll take us one step closer to our goal and take all of us another stride closer to a world free of liver disease!
Your generous gift will help the American Liver Foundation provide research, education, and advocacy to assist the 30 million people affected by liver disease in the United States.
Donating is easy! Follow this link, no donation is too big or too small to save a life. Thanks in advance!
http://go.liverfoundation.org/site/TR/LiverLifeWalk2010/LiverLifeWalk?px=1121821&pg=personal&fr_id=2110
The Jae is for on of my friend's 2-year old daughter who was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia shortly after she was born. She is one of 4 (soon to be 5) children in her family and is living life thanks to her wonderful Aunt Tonia "MaToni" who gave Jaelyn part of her liver. There isn't another gift that is more unselfish than giving a part of yourself to save another.
Here are a few pictures of Jaelynn, you will notice the yellow skin gets better as Jaelynn gets healthier.
Jaelynn and her donor Tonia a month prior to surgery
Amazing girl happy through it all
Jaelynn just after surgery
1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
The Chlo is for a little girl Chloe who was diagnised right before last years walk who, after 2 unsuccessful attemps to match her with a liver, recieved her transplant last week!
Here is a little more back ground...
Last year, we formed a team to raise money and awareness for the American Liver Foundation and liver disease. It was an amazing experience for all of us. Right before the walk, Chloe Chaput was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. Chloe is still waiting for a liver. This year (in Jaelynn and Chloe's honor) we have changed our name to JaeChlo's BA-ttle. The walk will be held on Sunday September 19...just 3 days before the two year anniversary of Jaelynn receiving a piece of her "MaToni's" liver.
Our name may have changed but our goal is still the same ~ to help the American Liver Foundation continue to fight and learn more about liver disease.
By making a donation you'll take us one step closer to our goal and take all of us another stride closer to a world free of liver disease!
Your generous gift will help the American Liver Foundation provide research, education, and advocacy to assist the 30 million people affected by liver disease in the United States.
Donating is easy! Follow this link, no donation is too big or too small to save a life. Thanks in advance!
http://go.liverfoundation.org/site/TR/LiverLifeWalk2010/LiverLifeWalk?px=1121821&pg=personal&fr_id=2110
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Story Land
We had a great time at Story Land today with Uncle Tom and Auntie Kate! For those of you who do not know what Story Land is...it is an amusement part based on fairy tales. I loved going as a child and was so happy to bring my babies there today!
There weren't many rides the babies were able to do but the circus was fun and they all enjoyed it. The babies loved the ball pit so we are thinking of maybe getting them one for their birthday. Our swan boat ride was adventurous...we ended up stuck out in the middle of the water because the boat bottomed out on all the rocks and we needed to get pulled out. Matthew flirted with Cinderella when we visited her castle and they all enjoyed the jungle safari. I can't wait until next year when they are able to enjoy more of the rides!
Welcome to Story Land!
The 8 of us
Our family <3
Thank goodness for Auntie Kate and Uncle Tom!
Little Miss Muffett's Spider
Meeting Cinderella
Daddy and Brady
Uncle Tom and Cameron
Auntie Kate and Matthew
Mommy and Aubrey
Playing in the ball pit!
Riding the merry go round
Rehydrating!
The big pie
1-2 Buckle my shoe
The talking tree
There weren't many rides the babies were able to do but the circus was fun and they all enjoyed it. The babies loved the ball pit so we are thinking of maybe getting them one for their birthday. Our swan boat ride was adventurous...we ended up stuck out in the middle of the water because the boat bottomed out on all the rocks and we needed to get pulled out. Matthew flirted with Cinderella when we visited her castle and they all enjoyed the jungle safari. I can't wait until next year when they are able to enjoy more of the rides!
Welcome to Story Land!
The 8 of us
Our family <3
Thank goodness for Auntie Kate and Uncle Tom!
Little Miss Muffett's Spider
Meeting Cinderella
Daddy and Brady
Uncle Tom and Cameron
Auntie Kate and Matthew
Mommy and Aubrey
Playing in the ball pit!
Riding the merry go round
Rehydrating!
The big pie
1-2 Buckle my shoe
The talking tree
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Back from our vacation at the beach!
We spent the last couple days camping at Bailey's with Grammie and Grandpa Brann. It was nice to get away and the babies loved all the extra attention they got from all of their grandparents friends. The weather was perfect and the babies were so well behaved.
We had a fun time in Old Orchard Beach, well most of us! Aubrey was NOT impressed with the cold water or getting dirty in the sand...she is definitely my girlie girl. Brady was thrilled to eat the sand, not so thrilled to get it taken out of his mouth. Cameron and Matthew loved playing in the sand and Matthew liked the water too. They loved walking around the pier and by all the shops. The amusement park thrilled them! Thank God for Auntie Kate who spent our vacation with us and helped out with the babies.
Mommy and her little quadlings!
Brady the Momma's boy
Daddy and Cam
Daddy and Matty
Daddy and Brady
Auntie Kate and her God Daughter Aubrey
Cameron not too sure about the water
Brady ticked off we won't let him eat sand
Matthew loving the beach
Aubrey the Diva
Playing with their pails and shovels
Everyone was amazed at the site of quads. Ben and I turned around once to see what Kate and the babies were doing and saw people hovering. I wonder if the novelty of it will wear off as the kids get older?
The "paparazzi"
We went out to a yummy Chinese buffet and the babies tried some Chinese. They loved it but Daddy did not when he had so many bad diapers to change the next day. The broken wrist worked to my advantage...LOL!
We went to Cabela's so Ben could look around and the babies loved the aquarium and all the stuffed game. Matthew was a little scared of the moose. He thought the moose was going to get him I think!
Before heading home we spent some time in the pool at the campground. It was a great vacation! I only wish it would have lasted longer. Since having the babies we have done more than ever before. Before I would work as much as I could, including several years of 7 days a week. Now I am willing to take the time off work and enjoy them...life is too short to regret not spending all the time I can with them. I love them more than I ever thought possible!
We had a fun time in Old Orchard Beach, well most of us! Aubrey was NOT impressed with the cold water or getting dirty in the sand...she is definitely my girlie girl. Brady was thrilled to eat the sand, not so thrilled to get it taken out of his mouth. Cameron and Matthew loved playing in the sand and Matthew liked the water too. They loved walking around the pier and by all the shops. The amusement park thrilled them! Thank God for Auntie Kate who spent our vacation with us and helped out with the babies.
Mommy and her little quadlings!
Brady the Momma's boy
Daddy and Cam
Daddy and Matty
Daddy and Brady
Auntie Kate and her God Daughter Aubrey
Cameron not too sure about the water
Brady ticked off we won't let him eat sand
Matthew loving the beach
Aubrey the Diva
Playing with their pails and shovels
Everyone was amazed at the site of quads. Ben and I turned around once to see what Kate and the babies were doing and saw people hovering. I wonder if the novelty of it will wear off as the kids get older?
The "paparazzi"
We went out to a yummy Chinese buffet and the babies tried some Chinese. They loved it but Daddy did not when he had so many bad diapers to change the next day. The broken wrist worked to my advantage...LOL!
We went to Cabela's so Ben could look around and the babies loved the aquarium and all the stuffed game. Matthew was a little scared of the moose. He thought the moose was going to get him I think!
Before heading home we spent some time in the pool at the campground. It was a great vacation! I only wish it would have lasted longer. Since having the babies we have done more than ever before. Before I would work as much as I could, including several years of 7 days a week. Now I am willing to take the time off work and enjoy them...life is too short to regret not spending all the time I can with them. I love them more than I ever thought possible!
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