9 Month Update

I heard it four times during our doctor visits last week: "There is no reason anyone would ever know they were premies." YES!  The Fab Four are on the growth charts and making their own curve.  They are healthy.  Thanks be to God!  I firmly believe if it wasn't for the copious amounts of prayer and grace, we wouldn't be where we are.  God is good, all the time!
Here are some stats and some of my favorite things about our sweet babies!

Kathryn
6 months
weight 12 lbs 9.6 oz
height 24 in

9 months
weight 16lbs 9.6 oz 23%
height 27 in

Kathryn, it's hard to believe that you weighed 2lbs 15oz when you were born.  You officially have grown into your cheeks and they get even bigger when you grin!  You have the most hilarious giggle.  I call it your nerdy laugh as only a mama could.  You love it when your brother messes with you and giggle away!  You were the last to sit up on your own, but it looks like you're going to be second to crawl.  When it's time to eat, you lean forward with both hands on the table and with your eyes only say, "Feed me, Mommy!" Your favorite toy is the rainbow chick which you get food and slobber all over.  We can already tell you are going to be slyly mischievous   Daddy's ready (since he was too), Mommy, not so much!

Elliott

6 months
weight 15 lbs 6.4 oz
height 25.25 in

9 months
weight 20 9.6 67% oz
height 28.5 in

Our BIG boy!  We are continuously amazed at how big you're getting.  You amaze us.  You have the most content temperament.  You will sit, rock and play happily for the longest of times.  You're especially happy when you have your favorite toy, the bird ring.  You will cry if one of your sisters takes it from you.  I'm actually proud of you that you've started to grab it back!  Boy's got to stand up to all those girls.  You're still Mr. Sunshine and oh so ticklish.  Mommy can just look at you and you'll start giggling, but her favorite is when she kisses your stomach.  Too funny.  You're becoming more interested in crawling.  You pivot really well--especially when trying to get to your Elmo! 

Emerson
6 months
weight 14 lbs 9.6 oz
height 24 in

9 months
weight 19 lbs 65%
height 27.5 in

Oh, Miss Em!  If we only knew you'd develop so fast!  First of all, you feel so much better.  We got your acid reflux medicine correct and your temperament changed completely.  You now smile with your entire face and have the most gregarious of giggle!  It warms our hearts.  If anyone would have told me that one of my premie babies would crawl at 8 months (6 1/2 months adjusted), I'd have laughed at them...then I'd have to apologize.  Apparently, you were born to move.  Just after Chrisitmas, you started crawling.  It didn't take you long to master that completely.  Now, you're FAST,  you bulldoze over your siblings  you pull up on everything, and can cruise the couch.  Our mouths gape at your skill often.  You love to clap, clap and babble all the time.  Girl, you've got plans!

Thompson

6 months
weight 13 lbs 1.6 oz
height 24.5 in

9 months
weight 17 lbs 1.6 oz 32%
height 27.5 in

Miss Thompson, we're glad to see your sparkle back!  Just after we got Emerson feeling better, you started to feel bad and boy did you let us know it!  We thought you had silent reflux, but Dr. Mason and I figured out you have chronic rinitis...you had post nasal drip all the time.  Babydoll, I'd be crying all the time too if I had that!  Then we realized that you were having a horrible reaction to the Synigis shot y'all received to prevent RSV.  Three months in a row, you were miserably sick 3 days after the shot.  So, no more of that for you.  We're relieved since it made you (and us) miserable for about two and a half weeks, then you'd get the shot again in another week and a half.  We wanted to have our sweet Thompson girl for longer stints than that!  Thank goodness you finally feel better.  Your Daddy can get the best giggles out of you. Now, you enjoy sitting up and don't totally freak out if you fall over.  You still love to give Mommy hugs, but she's not going to complain about that at all!

Mason
3 1/2 years old.
Tall--long arms and torso (just like Daddy)

Can't forget the big boy!  Mason, you absolutely adore preschool (even though you didn't go much in January due to cold temps and snow) and I love asking you what you and your friends do each day.  I'm so proud of you that you play with more than one friend at a time and your compassion continues to come through with each of them.  Your imagination is bigger than the biggest thing you could ever imagine!  Daddy and I look at each other in amazement daily at what you think up.  You are an awesome big brother.  You've started sharing some of your toys and you know just how to make each baby smile and laugh!  I love that you have to start your day by kissing each of them on the head.  You warm my heart daily with your I love you's and snuggles.

If you couldn't tell, these blessings keep us busy.  Shawn Thomas and I are working to find more balance.  We have our nightly clean up routine down pat and more time to enjoy each other.  We're also ready to add exercise into our time.  That means getting up and going to bed earlier, but we know it's what we've got to do and it will be worth it.
It's hard to believe that the Fab Four will be 1 year old in less than three months.  Like I've said before, it's hard, but it's our hard and we wouldn't trade it for the world!

Oh and go check out a friend of mine's website.  Heather is amazing and so are her ideas and the products she supports!  www.domesticdomestic.com

Thoughts on this lovely life we're living...

Nine months.  NINE MONTHS!  Can it be?  Yes, we deserve it.  We deserve to be here at nine months.  Wow, what an exciting, challenging, grace-filled time it has been.  I do realize it's been a looonggg time since I've updated the blog.  To be honest, I write in my head a lot.  But when it comes down to it, when I do have some free time, I haven't come here to write.  I sew a little, I read a little, I cook a little.  But most of my time is taken up by caring for and playing with the five most amazing children I'll ever have!  And I'm okay with that.
Many people continue to ask us how we do it.  Our answer is always the same:  with a lot of help.  I've always said you do what you have to do because you have to do it.  You'd do it too if this was your life because you want the best for your children.  This is a challenging live to lead, but I feel like we are in a phase where 'having to do it' is more fun than a lot of work.  Well, it's still a lot of work, but when work becomes clapping, laughing, playing, and gibbering (yes, there's still laundry) your perspective shifts as it always will!
I learned a great line from watching a TED video several months ago:  Hard is HARD.  There is no sense in comparing your life to mine when life is hard for everyone.  This is our HARD.  Yours may look completely different (and probably does!).  But this is ours and we choose to share the love, smiles, laughter, and good times with you because getting bogged down in the bad-harder stuff has never worked for me.  It's not a pretty place to live and even though I go there sometimes--who doesn't--I refuse to live there.  There's just too much good that God has graced us all with and that's that.
I hope this video explains it.

The Fab Four are nine months old and Mason is getting closer to being a 4 year old.  I've got more on that, but right now, I hear babies waking up from nap (and I hear a big boy playing instead of napping) and I've got some clapping, laughing, and playing to do.    

We're ON the Charts!

Four Months Old...someone's not too excited...

The Fab Four are now four and a half months old.  Hard to believe that our next doctor's appointment is for six months.  That's half a year!  Yes I know you know that, but whoa, that's amazing to me!  Where does time go?
We went to our well visit today and here's our growth from birth to now.  We are ecstatically pleased as was Dr. Mason. Yes, his last name is Mason which is just funny and cool in this situation.  Seriously, he's fabulous.  He loves our family and is so compassionate and in tune with all five of our babies' needs!
So, I'll let you do all of the math here, but in short:  THESE BABIES ARE GROWING, GROWING, GROWING!  Everyone is ON the regular growth chart somewhere.  Some on weight, but all on head circumference.  Big heads mean big brains, right?!?

Emerson

 

Birth Weight: 4lbs 9oz    Weight Now: 11lbs 14.4oz
Birth Height: 17in           Height Now: 23 in

Emerson can hold her head up really well--in the Bumbo and during tummy time.  She still has reflux, but she's getting better.  My favorite (and I'm serious) is when I get her to laugh so much that she gets the hiccups and then spits up.  It's worth it and it doesn't seem to bother her one bit!

Thompson

Birth Weight: 3lbs 8oz         Weight Now: 10lbs 12.8oz
Birth Height: 16.25in           Height Now: 22.5 in

Thompson has become a bit more feisty these days for not particular reason.  We think she must want a bit more one-on-one time because once she's calmed down, she's all smiles.  But, I've discussed with her that this is not my favorite way for her to get attention!  She's finding her hands more and just in the last two days really started succeeding at tummy time.  She's hated it for a while now, but she sure showed off in the doctor's office today.  Oh, and she has a tooth bud.  REALLY?!?  So I suppose it's time to get ready for the next step in baby-hood!  Which is altogether exciting considering.  :)

Elliott

Birth Weight: 4lbs 8oz    Weight Now: 12lbs 9.6oz
Birth Height: 17in           Height Now: 24 in

Mr. Sunshine is the big boy!  Whoa, he holds that twelve pounds proud.  He's a chunk compared to Mason Man at that weight.  He giggles now and loves to kick the play mat while batting at toys.  Elliott is the most advance in the motor department.  He even smiles at himself when he makes a toy move.  Precious.  Dr. Mason found TWO teeth buds today in Elliott's mouth.  I'm purchasing amber necklaces as soon as I'm done here.  TEETHING, here we come?!?

Kathryn

Birth Weight: 2lbs 15oz    Weight Now: 10lbs 1.6oz
Birth Height: 15.75in        Height Now: 22.5 in

TEN pounds!  I can't say that without smiling.  Our turtle has been really gaining speed these last two weeks.  She eats 5 ounces at a time which even surprised Dr. Mason, but pleased him as well.  Kathryn stares into your soul before she smiles.  She loves to play and suck on her hand--so much that she spends most of tummy time doing just that.  But, we aren't worried and she'll be pushing up in no time. My favorite is when Kathryn finds her voice and you can tell it surprises her just a bit!

Mason

Mason loves his babies, but loves having one-on-one time with us.  So, we make that a priority as much as we can.  We have a home visit with Mason's two pre-school teachers tomorrow.  I can't wait to see what they think of Mason's home environment.  I also can't wait for Mason to start enjoying school again.  I think he and his imagination are ready to learn and play.  He's ready which I see as a very good thing!

So now all babies, including the big one, are asleep in their beds.  I'm praying that the shots don't affect them too greatly and that if they do, I have enough arms to love on all of them!  So, I'm off to nap while I can.  I'm going to sleep all I can before teething starts! ;)

   --April

Smilin' Sixteen Weeks

The babies have come alive!  Not to say they haven't been here, but they are now really becoming babies.  Goodbye preemie and newborn days!  We have babies that kick and wave their hands.  And smiling, oh my goodness, I'm not sure I've seen anything cuter in my life!  Each of the Fab Four has always had quite the personality.  It's amazing to see their personalities coming out more and more every day!  I promised myself I'd blog more often to remind myself (and the babies in the years to come) what milestones everyone has reached, so here goes!

Being held by G.  She used to be the size of his hand!

Kathryn:  You are our bitty-bit!  Our petite and powerful one, you came home just shy of four pounds after being born at almost three.  It's hard to believe that you've almost doubled your weight.  You were the first one to find her thumb.  I was happy because you weren't really a pacifier fan and with four siblings, you need a way to self soothe.  You were the last one to smile, but it was worth the wait.  You're precious!  I love that you've started talking and you don't sound like a newborn anymore!

Early morning smiles

I found my hands today!

Elliott:  Oh, Elliot, you are Mr. Personality!  You kicked the whimpy white baby boy theory out the window within 24 hours of your life.  Ever since then, these sisters have nothing on you.  I guess you were the last one to work on putting your hands in your mouth because you were busy smiling at the world.  This week, you've started to laugh with your whole body.  It's pretty funny.  You inadvertently roll over if you are leaning on your arms just right.  I love that you thank me for your bottle and changing your diaper with a sweet smile AND that you found your hands today!

Sweet girl Thompson

Thompson:  Sweet Thompson!  You are too funny.  You came home a grunter and quickly became who we called our nanny goat.  I didn't know babies could make those sounds.  But lately, your sounds sound more like a baby and your smile is so genuine.  You do lots of smiling with your eyes, even in the middle of a bottle--which is funny because you used to have your eyes closed for your entire feeding!  Your hands don't interest you too much, but you love black and white patterns and sticking your tongue out.  I love that you make yourself laugh like the ceiling fan just told the funniest joke!

Happy Emerson

Emerson:  You're my big girl!  With your piercing blue eyes (which, let's face it, just might stay that way.  Who knew your brown eyed parents would end up with you?!?) you've become so much happier.  You have acid reflux, but your eyes tell me that you aren't in as much pain anymore.  Sometimes you smile right before you spit up which fools me, but I secretly think you think it's funny.  You're working hard on putting those hands in your mouth, but you don't like when they disappear.  You let us know that for sure!  I love that you have a head full of crazy hair--none of your siblings can compare!

Boat riding!

Ta-da!  I dressed myself to play outside.

I love my 3 sisters and 1 brother!

Mason:  You are the best big boy there ever was!  You've done such a wonderful job of becoming used to "your babies" as you call them.  You introduce your family to everyone--the perfect Masters of Ceremonies.  This summer, it has been so fun to watch your mind come alive.  I have never known a more creative, imaginative three year old.  No wonder the doctor says you're verbally advanced!  I love that you have made up entire activities like campfire with pillow marshmallows in your bed and the treat trip with your named stuffed animals.  I love when you tell me that helicopter starts with H--you know all of your letters which pleases you and me alike.  You've moved on to working on the sounds also.  I imagine reading will make your world an amazing place.  Thank you for learning to be patient and for filing up my snuggle bank!

Playtime!

Our life is full and God is GOOD!

The Shortest and Longest Fourteen Weeks of My Life!

Really, has it already been 14 weeks?  Really, has it only been 14 weeks?  It is hard to believe that the Fab Four are 14 weeks today.  So much of our time has gone so quickly and some of it slow as well.  For some perspective...

Two Weeks Old

Twelve Weeks Old and Mommy can barely fit us all in!

Fourteen Weeks Old!

It's hard for me to believe that it's been 14 weeks.  I looked back on some of our first pictures right after the Fab Four were born and I myself--though I lived every minute of it--found it hard to believe what a miracle occurred.  Four HEALTHY miracles to be exact.  

Although I've been building up to this, today was the first day I really felt like I could sit down and type out my thoughts and emotions.  I don't think I could have done it before now.  That has been the long part.  I felt like for so long, I've had to literally take care of business.  Feed babies, change diapers, give kisses, make sure Mason was adjusting, shower (maybe), feed the rest of the family, actually talk to Shawn Thomas not over baby sounds.  It's been a business around here.  Several times I broke down, finding it hard to remember that the Fab Four were 7 weeks early.  Perfectionist April came out to play and wasn't always the one you wanted on your team.  

But now, the Fab Four are 14 weeks old and are acting like thriving as babies.  For so long, they were small babies (I never felt like they looked like premies until I went back through pictures.  It's amazing what you will do to mentally get through those early baby days!)--not even newborns yet.  Most days they ate, slept, and pooped--that was all.  I think I took for granted that that was all and yet it was EVERYTHING.  These babies got to eat, sleep, and poop in their own home after a shorter than I could have imagined NICU stay.  We were even there a month.  

They've grown so much and they are are acting like babies now.  They interact, they smile-oh goodness do they smile, they love the ceiling fan.  It's almost like now, 14 weeks later, I can stop and enjoy these four amazing human beings.  I wasn't holding my breath, but now I feel like I can breath easier if that makes any sense.  They are on an schedule I love (and stressed over to get working for everyone in the family) and they are sleeping 8 hours a night (working to get to 9 so the schedule will be amazingly perfect).   By no means is our life slowing down.  But, it feels like we are managing (with an amazing amount of help--more on that later) better and better everyday.

I posted the last picture from above yesterday on Facebook.  The caption stated:  "Oh my goodness, look at these big babies!  I am in love!" 

I am in love with these babies.  I am in love with my family!  I just now am able to say that without breaking down in a post partum frenzy even thinking about it.  Yes, our life won't be an easy one.  But it is our life and we are going to live it to the fullest--and yes, that includes road trips!

So, I've decided that I'm going to do my best to blog weekly about things that the babies have picked up on in the past week.  How else will I ever have time to remember to document all of these lovely baby firsts?  And, of course, Mason will be included.  Duh!  

But, that blog post will have to wait until tomorrow.  It's family nap time--yes that's constitutional around here. And I'm going to power nap before our afternoon round begins. :)

Quadruple Thoughts?

Easter--29 weeks!

To say that I've been meaning to write this post is an understatement!  Most of my days are not very full in the ways I'm used to, but when it comes to putting words together in the written form, it just hasn't come to me.  I do a bit of internet reading and chatting via phone or text, but that's about it for communication for me.  Shawn Thomas would agree that even those are limited sometimes if my brain is tired.  So having quadruple thoughts...well, that would be a miracle at this point.  :)

We have arrived at 31 weeks pregnant with the Fabulous Four and we are thrilled to be here.  I'm still gestating at home (I'd say lounging, but then it would seem like a vacation...not a vacation by any means) which can only be because of the extreme amount of prayer and care that has been going on these days surrounding our family.  So, if that includes you, thank you.  We feel every one and are so appreciative (and amazed) to still be at home.

Most days I feel pretty good.  I've tried to limit my out of the house activities to once every other day, which, if you know me, is one of the hardest things ever.  But, when I literally sit, eat, and sleep, I feel better.  Imagine that!  :)  That's been a bit of a challenge these past two weeks.  Mason has been on spring break, had an ear infection, and had a severe (although medically it was 'minor') allergic reaction to Amoxicillin.  And my doctors' appointments have been increasing as well.  Those are necessary, but more frequent than I'd physically like at this point, but I totally get it!

When my brain is working, I've been processing what these Fabulous Four could possibly be like.  I would never want to pigeon hole anyone-especially my own children, but I have those mommy-gut moments that makes me have certain perceptions about the growing babies.  It more has to do with how and when I feel them--yes I can tell who is who.  So here are my thoughts for posterity's sake.

Emerson:  She's down on the bottom and has been head down for a long time.  This probably means she'll be first out, the boss (hopefully not too bossy like Mommy), or a herder of cats if you will.  When she moves, she moves in large motions which often take my breath away or definitely cause some audible response.  So, yes, she'll move mountains!

Thompson:  She's also on the bottom but has been lounging side to side for the longest as well.  I don't feel her as much as I feel the other babies, but she's healthy and has a great heartbeat.  Maybe she'll be the mellow one, the free spirit, like Daddy was/is--you know there has to be one in the bunch.  Maybe her peaceful mood will be a lovely influence on the other three.

Kathryn:  She's queen of the world, up on top of everyone, but doesn't take advantage of that.  She's actually the smallest of all the Fabulous Four.  I've deemed her "petite and powerful".  Yep, she'll be the fighter.  She may not be feisty  but she'll be the fighter--often times the smallest are.  But to quote one of the nurses we met in the NICU, I'll bet "no one ever told her she was small."  Exactly.

Elliott:  Oh and then there's Elliott, the only boy in the bunch.  He rarely leaves me alone--very active.  I am thankful that he has been the largest, too, because there is a theory that premie boys can be wimpy when it comes to making strides in the NICU.  I seriously doubt that with him.  Until about a week ago, I thought he'd be the wild one and last out making him the youngest with a "Hey everybody, look at me" attitude.   But since then, my feelings have changed.  At our last doctor's appointment, we had to do a non-stress test to see if everyone was functioning at a steady rate which would mean no delivery and keep cookin'.  All the girls were asleep.  Enter Elliott!  He started having his own party and that made everyone else perk up, show their stuff, and have amazing heart rates through the entire test.  I even think our doctor was surprised at how well they performed.  It was amazing to watch and feel because I got to do both all thanks to Elliott.

If you can't tell, I hardly think that these Fabulous Four will be anything less than, well...fabulous!  We need to see some good weight gains this week so that the quads can keep on keepin' on in their personal incubator--me.

FYI--pretty amazed that I got all of this typed.  I think I'll have ST proofread it just to be safe.

I did, and only one typo!  STS

An Unexpected Blessing Along the Way...

Day after day, Shawn Thomas, Mason and I become more acutely aware of how blessed we are with the people that have been placed in our lives.  We've always known we are loved and felt it.  But with the news of quadruplets, this has become even more evident.  These blessings have show themselves in a myriad of different ways...friends babysitting or clipping coupons, a diaper drive, a QUAD shower from church, daily prayer, the list goes on and on...
Over Christmas, we received a blessing we never dreamed of!  As I was sitting at my parents home still working on getting through my first trimester of carrying quadruplets, I checked my gmail and found a message from someone I didn't know.  Her name is Sarah Kane...that's all I knew from the subject line. When I opened the message, with it came a huge blessing.  A friend of mine had let Sarah, a passionate photographer, teacher, artist, and of course: mom,  know about our news and this is what her message said...

"An anonymous photographer started something called The Olivia Act named after one of the children killed in Newtown. Olivia’s family had family pictures taken a short time before she was killed. Those pictures are precious and now priceless to them. Upon hearing this, this photographer was moved to give away a family photo shoot and has challenged other photographers to do the same."

Sarah, of Dia Marie Photography, accepted this challenge and, in her true fashion, actually took it a few steps further.  Sarah asked to follow us on this quadruplet journey, photographing our family along the way...this means from now until the Fabulous Four are one year old, Sarah will be documenting our lives and love that we share for one another.  Obviously, I had to read the email several times to actually compute that a complete stranger (at the time!) would want to offer our family such a gift.

 Since then, Sarah has gotten to know our family and started her part of the journey with us.  These shots are from our first family shoot with her back in January.  I was 18 weeks pregnant at the time.  I gaze at these shots now and think, "Wow, look how small I was!"  But more importantly, I look at them and can say, we're still smiling and loving each other!

Sarah actually let Mason take this one.  We love it for so many reasons!

Eating from Mommy's childhood bowl

Sarah has and will continue to capture this journey for us; and for that, we are forever grateful.  Sarah is a lovely example of using your gifts and talents to do what you love and pass that along for others to be blessed by it.  We count her in our blessings!

Here are links to Sarah's blog and her Facebook page.