Ride's over

Today marked the end of an era in the life of our little family: We sold our choo choo wagon! And because people around the world seem to have enjoyed the kids' first choo choo ride so much (or maybe just because we are dorks!), Ted and I decided that the most fitting farewell would be to film a little sequel:



Goodbye, dear choo choo ... you served us well!

Busting out

I almost never go into the nursery after the kids go to bed. Today, however, I thought I heard someone grunting, and—since nothing guarantees a bad nap like a poopy bottom—I decided to make an exception.

Turns out someone was probably grunting all right, but not for the reasons I thought! When I opened the door, I was shocked to see Isaac standing on the floor in front of me ...

Isaac demonstrates his escape method

... and Dahlia hanging out in Jude's crib!

Ted was sure that something like this was going to happen soon, and he was right. To buy us some time while we figure out what to do next, we've scooted their cribs farther away from each other (so that they can't use a neighbor's crib as leverage), removed from their beds anything that could be used as a step stool (including their CozyWedges and pillows), and (for good measure) taken down the glass frames that hung above each crib. Hopefully this arrangement is enough to keep everyone safe for the time being:

Anyone have advice on how to transition multiple 2-year-olds to toddler beds without losing one's sanity?

Chau, chupones!

How to wean four highly addicted 22-month-olds from their chupones (Spanish for "pacifiers") from one day to the next—with absolutely no planning ahead!

1. Wait until you find a pacifier that looks like this (if you're "lucky" like us, you'll find it just before bedtime and have to scramble for a game plan):


2. Identify the pacifier chewer (Jude) and put him to bed sans choking hazard. Thank the Lord when he falls right to sleep, and then call the abuelitos for advice.

3. Before turning in for the night, cut the ends off of all the pacifiers you can find so that there's no longer any suction when the kids try to use them:


4. In the morning (after the no-paci kid surprises you by sleeping all night without a problem), wait for someone to ask you for a chupón. Show the kids the mutilated pacifiers and explain that the pacifiers have ouchies; let the kids test them out so that they can see that they don't work anymore. Then have the kids toss their broken chupones into the trash:


5. Throughout the day, if anyone asks for a chupón, remind everybody that we threw them away because they had ouchies and didn't work anymore. Be thankful when the kids accept this explanation!

6. After a surprisingly quiet morning, endure a very loud nap. Stay strong. No matter how much they party or scream, do not give anyone a pacifier. Eventually, everyone will wear themselves out and SLEEP.

7. After an even quieter afternoon, put all of the kids to bed without pacifiers. Marvel when they all fall asleep right away and sleep all night!

We're currently on day 2 with no chupones and the girls have only asked for them once or twice (the boys seemingly could not care less). Dahlia still had a hard time falling asleep at nap time today (took her about an hour, as opposed to 2 hours yesterday), but everyone else seems to have already adjusted to the change. I can't believe it was that easy!

Free to a good home

Anybody need four dozen bottles?


How about close to a hundred nipples?


A ton of rings?


A whole bunch of caps?


We don't need this pile of paraphernalia anymore because the Fab Four are DONE with bedtime bottles! Which means that they are done with bottles, period! And they don't even seem to care—hallelujah! Can you tell that I never want to see another bottle again?

15 months old ... catching up!

A lot has happened since I wrote the 13-month update nearly 2 months ago. Here are some highlights:

As I'd hoped, we abandoned formula and made the switch to sippy cups and milk (keeping only a bedtime bottle) upon the first anniversary of the babies' due date. Unfortunately, the kids seemed to hate the taste of milk; on top of that, it took me a week to figure out that the sippy cups I had were not working for them. After getting a lot of advice from my wonderful friends, I purchased a can of strawberry Quik and some Nuby straw cups. Like magic, the kids suddenly started drinking their milk! They are now drinking straight milk from their cups like pros, but we have some work to do where etiquette is concerned: The kids are still learning that stealing, banging, or throwing cups is a no-no!

The Fab Four's interests are changing, too. They have discovered books and are almost obsessed with being read to. Sometimes they will make me read a book seven or eight times in a row! I love it, though—when they were smaller, I could never find the time to sit down and read to them (gee, I wonder why!), and I worried that I had ruined their chances of being book lovers. I'm so glad I was wrong!

I suspect that some language switch must have flipped recently because, in addition to being crazy about books, the kids are also starting to talk a lot more:

Lucy was the first baby to say a word, and she continues to lead the pack. She can say, "Pepper," "dada," "mama," "night-night," "nana" (banana), "yummy," and "bye-bye." She also knows the sign for "more." Her new game is to point at objects all around the room and say, "Dat!" I assume that she wants to know what those things are called, so I tell her. Over and over.



Jude (who, incidentally, has turned into quite the clown—I need to take video of some of his antics so that you can see what I mean) is quickly catching up to Lucy. He can say, "night-night" (his word for his blankie), "nana" (banana), "dada," and "mama," and he knows the signs for "more" and "all done."


Dahlia can say, "Pepper," "dada," "mama," "night-night," and "nana" (banana). Yesterday she learned the sign for "more!"


Isaac can say, "Pepper," "dada," and "mama." He's babbling a lot more than he used to, so I know more words are on the way soon. I am still working on getting him to use signs, but I think "more" is around the corner.

The last piece of news is that we eliminated the morning nap yesterday! It had gotten to the point where, after taking a good morning nap, the boys would sleep 0 to 30 minutes in the afternoon (no fun for Mommy!). To help get us through the morning yesterday and today, we employed an hour of Baby Einstein, topped off by a 30-minute stroll just before lunch. So far, so good. Ted and I are hopeful that this change in routine will bring back some predictability for all of us. And we're excited because the schedule shift means that we might be able to start going to church again soon!

Goodbye, crawling!

Even after many months of watching the Fab Four learn and grow, it still amazes me how four children born within seconds of each other can reach developmental milestones at such widely varying intervals. Take, for example, the babies' road from first steps to walking:

Isaac took his first steps at the end of October and began walking full-time in the first part of December ...

Jude took his first steps at the end of December, just before their babies' first birthday, and started walking at the end of January ...

Lucy took her first steps at the beginning of December but didn't start full-on walking until the beginning of February ...

and, last but certainly not least ...

Dahlia took her first steps in mid-January and started walking across the room ... TODAY!



I think it's safe to say that we have four toddlers on our hands! I guess I'd better hurry up and learn how to run in four directions at once—that is one of the Quad Mom superpowers, right?

1 year old ... again!

Today is the first anniversary of my due date. Of course, the only time my due date really meant anything to me was during the 2 weeks between the day I found out I was pregnant and the day I found out I was pregnant with quadruplets! Nevertheless, February 9 is a date to remember, as it marks the day my babies reach the adjusted age (as opposed to chronological age) of 12 months. To me, it's an important milestone because, even though the kids have already caught up to their chronological age in size and development, I now feel like I can safely do some of the things you do with 1-year-olds, such as weaning them off their bottles or feeding them eggs and cow's milk.

"So ... does this mean we get another birthday party?"

February 9 is also special because it's the day I am proud to announce that Lucy has joined Isaac and Jude in the walker club! I decide someone is officially walking when he or she can walk across the living room unaided, and Lucy's got it down. Check her out:

Walk this way

A month after taking his first step, it's official: Jude's our second walker!

13 months old ... and so much fun!

The babies are 13 months old today, and I'm already discovering why people always say that 12 to 18 months is their favorite age range. In the past couple of weeks, I have been repeatedly amazed at the new things the Fab Four are doing! Here are some highlights:

Isaac at 13 months

Weight: 22 lb. 10 oz.
Length: 29.5 in.
Tooth count: 6 (4 on top, 2 on bottom)

Isaac has been walking for a month and a half, and he is a real pro. He likes to dribble balls around (and around) the living room with his feet, and he will throw or roll a ball back and forth with whomever wants to play. A couple of weeks ago, Daddy taught him to high-five, so I guess he's all set to join a sports team now! Isaac has also started pretending to burp after we congratulate him on a real burp (a bad habit we got into because the babies were so difficult to burp when they were smaller). He puts so much effort into it that you can't help but laugh! This kid is all boy!

Lucy at 13 months

Weight: 17 lb. 15 oz.
Length: 27.5 in.
Tooth count: 3 (1 on top, 2 on bottom)

Lucy is our dainty girl, a neat eater with the most delicate pincer grasp. She has been working very hard on standing in the past few weeks, and she can now take up to four steady steps at a time. Lucy also loves to play peekaboo, except that she takes the "peek" part very seriously and will usually only cover one eye (or sometimes just her temple)—I think she feels very sneaky! She is the only baby who will clearly repeat sounds, but the only word she says on her own is still "Pepper." Lucy is the most content and patient of the four. Her biggest challenge is holding her own among her more rambunctious siblings, but she does a great job!

Jude at 13 months

Weight: 20 lb. 8 oz.
Length: 28 in.
Tooth count: 4 (2 on top, 2 on bottom)

Jude is this close to being our next full-blown walker. He can take up to 10 steps at a time, and he is adding to that number every day. He loves to observe any process, be it Daddy taking out the trash or Mommy folding the laundry, and does not like to be confined to the other side of the gate. Jude does the twist on command (we call it his "wiggle-butt" dance), and his new trick is to climb on top of the rocking horse and stand in the saddle like a rodeo clown. We tell him to sit on his bottom, but he listens only about half of the time. I can tell that he is going to be the most mischievous of the four!

Dahlia at 13 months

Weight: 19 lb. 6 oz.
Length: 28.5 in.
Tooth count: 3 (1 on top, 2 on bottom)

Dahlia is standing very well now and, like Lucy, can take up to four steady steps at a time. She is also our little chatterbox. In the past couple of weeks, she has started "talking" as if she were asking you a question or commenting on the weather. Her favorite "words" are "wudgie" and "zoey," but she recently perfected her first real word: "Pepper" (pronounced "ba-po"). Dahlia is liberal with her cheek-to-cheek hugs, freely granting them to people and stuffed animals alike. And if she sees another baby getting love, she will race over to shove that baby out of the way so that she can give you a big hug. This little girl is the Latin lover of the bunch, for sure!

For me, life is feeling a little more normal. The kids are consistently sleeping 11 hours at night—without interruption—and that's huge (now if only my circadian rhythms would get back to normal!). We ditched baby food back around Christmas, so the babies are feeding themselves all sorts of table foods. We are also slowly transitioning to milk and sippy cups (can't wait to be done with formula and bottles!); my original goal was to accomplish this by their due date (February 9), but I think we might need a little more time. It won't be long before my Fab Four aren't considered "babies" anymore!

A (pearly) white Christmas?

As the song says, "all I want for Christmas are my two front teeth"—and I discovered yesterday that Isaac's are coming in! Perhaps by Christmas, you'll be able to see them when he smiles:

Isaac at 11.5 months

Jude beat Isaac to the four-teeth mark, though: His canines have been making their way down over the past several weeks. Our little monster is going to start looking like a little vampire!

Jude at 11.5 months

The girls still have just their two bottom teeth. But these sisters are "two" cute, if I do say so myself:

Lucy at 11.5 months

Dahlia at 11.5 months

In non-teeth-related news:

Everybody is now clapping for real (even Lucy!)—especially when I either clap or say, "Good job!" or "Yay!" Lucy is a pro at waving hello and goodbye, and last night I taught her to blow kisses (she sticks out her tongue and licks her palm—hilarious!). Jude and Dahlia are starting to wave, too. Isaac doesn't wave yet, but he has finally started babbling like the others. And (drumroll, please) he is officially walking! Check it out:

So you think you can clap

Lucy has recently started "clapping" whenever she gets excited about something. And when Dahlia claps, Lucy most definitely does not want to feel left out!



I wonder when she'll realize that clapping involves a horizontal motion?

10 months old ... and 10 new things!

When I was pregnant, I didn't realize what a wonderful resource (and source of support) my local Moms of Multiples (MoMs) group would be to me once the babies came. The women in the group share everything from quick and easy recipes to Halloween costume ideas for multiples to real-life horror stories (for example: lady in Target asks triplet mom who's shopping with her girls, two of whom are identical, "So which one is the ugly one?").

One of the most useful tips I've gotten from the veteran MoMs so far is to buy a notebook for each child and keep it in the kitchen. That way, every time one of kids does something new or cute, I can quickly and easily jot down whatever it is before I forget. The notebooks are not as fancy as baby books, but they're not as much work, either. Exactly what I need!

As I looked over my entries yesterday, I realized that the babies started doing 10 new things during their 10th month (how appropriate!). One or more of them can now:

Feed themselves! Exactly a month ago, Isaac fed himself a Cheerio at the dinner table. A couple of minutes later, Dahlia did the same. Then Jude did it. And then Lucy did it! I find it amazing that, while the babies usually reach milestones days or even weeks apart, they all started feeding themselves within minutes of each other. We are now trying out various table foods, with varying degrees of acceptance.

Isaac at 10 months: Almost always the first to do something new!

Clap! Dahlia started doing this on her own one day at the breakfast table. At first she would get the cheesiest look on her face when she clapped; I wish I had gotten it on video because now she just claps like a normal baby.

Play with a ball! Isaac has discovered that some toys bounce if you throw them! So he now plays his own game of fetch, throwing bouncy toys in one direction, crawling across the pen to get them, and then throwing them in the other direction. Ted is certain that Isaac is going to be a pro athlete one day and make us all millionaires.

Bite! Everyone but Lucy has two teeth now (she has one), but some teeth have had more time to grow than others. Isaac's are pretty big, and, with more on the way, he will bite on anything for relief. Including our arms.

Throw tantrums! Okay, so this started before the 10-month mark, but I just recorded the phenomenon last month. Dahlia wants to be an only child, and if she doesn't get your attention when she wants it, she'll throw back her head, arch her back, and kick her legs wildly. This is accompanied by very loud screaming, of course. We've been using the "ignore" tactic—does anyone have a better suggestion? I am afraid that the other babies will get some bad ideas from Dahlia!

Dahlia at 10 months: Doesn't she look so innocent?

Babble! Dahlia and Lucy have been babbling for a while, but Jude recently joined them in saying ba-ba, da-da, and na-na. Jude has also started chirping and making other cute sounds when he plays—so cute!

Jude at 10 months: Happy to see Mommy after his nap!

Say words! As I related earlier this month, Lucy can say "Pepper," and she often will call the kitty's name when she is in the room. But Lucy has also added to her repertoire by repeating "banana" at dinner and "bubbles" at bath time. Oh, and while we were watching "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Lucy said "Obama"—twice!

Lucy at 10 months: Learning to pattycake with Abuelita Joanna

Call me! Everyone except Isaac cries, "Mamá, mamá," whenever they are upset. I am pretty sure that they are talking to me most of the time!

Sit up, crawl, and pull up! When Lucy decided to catch up with her siblings, she did it fast: She sat up and crawled on the same day, pulled up to standing 5 days later, and started cruising 5 days after that! She can pretty much keep up with the pack now.

The Fab Four at 10 months: Nothing can stop them now!

And, last but not least:

Stand alone! Isaac has been experimenting with letting go when he's standing up. I have seen him stand on his own several times in the past week. From this position, he can also squat to sit without holding on to anything for support. I have a feeling that walking is around the corner. Eleven months, here we come!

Lucy's first word!

When people ask me what I think the babies' first word will be, I invariably answer, "Pepper." The babies are absolutely fascinated by our kitty, and her presence is enough to pause even the loudest screamfest. In return for their adulation, Pepper tolerates the babies extremely well (although she's not quite sure what she thinks about this crawling thing).

Anyway, last night Lucy was in the Exersaucer babbling away as usual (baba, dada), when Pepper came around the corner and sat down a few feet away from her. As soon as Lucy spotted the kitty, she started bouncing and panting, which is what she does when she's excited. Then Lucy leaned in Pepper's direction and said, "Puh-puh."

Ted was sure that Lucy had only said "baba," so when I picked her up to change her diaper, I decided to see if she would say Pepper's name again. As Lucy twisted in my arms to look at the kitty, I said, "Hi, Pepper!" And Lucy whispered, "Puh-puh."

Pepper, aka "Puh-puh"

"Isn't Pepper pretty?" I asked. Staring at the kitty, Lucy repeated, "Puh-puh." Ted and I looked at each other in amazement. One more time, I said "Pepper," and for the fourth time in a row, Lucy called her name: "Puh-puh."

I think we can safely say that this was not a fluke! I wonder how I can get her to say "Beatles" next ...

9 months old ... it don't come easy!

I won't sugarcoat it—this past month has been a hard one.

We kicked it off with all of the babies getting roseola (several days of fever, followed by a rash). Naturally, their symptoms did not all appear on the same day—Lucy was the first to have a temperature, then Jude, then Isaac, and finally Dahlia. To compound the sheer misery of dealing with miserable babies (thank God my mother was in town!), the air conditioner chose to die on the second day of fever (which happened to be my birthday). A new air conditioning unit was not the kind of birthday gift I'd envisioned, but at that point I would have paid anything for a little relief.

Then, just as the roseola subsided, Isaac started cutting his first tooth. Suddenly, the kid who'd been sleeping 10 solid hours a night started waking up screaming every 2 hours! He now has two teeth on the bottom to show for it, but his sleeping patterns have yet to return to normal (I suspect another tooth is on the way). Dahlia, on the other hand, cut her two bottom teeth around the same time Isaac did, with very little change in her mood or sleeping patterns. Are my kids proving the theory that women have a higher pain tolerance than men do? We'll see how Jude and Lucy react to the ordeal when it's their turn!

Of course, none of this—fever, rash, or teeth—stopped the kids from keeping us on our toes with their continuing efforts to become fully mobile. Isaac started cruising a couple of weeks ago (and will loudly protest when confined to the playard); Dahlia occasionally pulls to standing; Jude can sit himself up, pulls to standing like a pro, and is almost officially crawling; and even little Lucy is rocking on all fours (only when she wants to though—you can't make her!).

Freshly bathed and happy—but it's getting harder and harder

to get them to sit still long enough for a quad pic!

We ended the already difficult month with a change in our feeding schedule—never an easy adjustment for any of us. Specifically, we've added a third meal of solid foods (so now they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner—just like real people!), and we've taken away one round of bottles. (Thanks for the advice, Christy!) This means that we are now going through 4 pounds of baby food per day, while the formula we are using has decreased to about two-thirds of a gallon a day. Incidentally, we are using just over two dozen diapers every day now, but we change approximately twice as many dirty diapers as we used to (thanks, baby food!).

As for naps, they've gone from three a day to just two—one in the morning and one in the early afternoon. We have to fight to get the babies to stay awake until bedtime, but I'd say that it's been paying off: Last night Dahlia slept for 12 straight hours! Dare I hope that the others follow suit (and save my sanity) in the near future? Stay tuned!

8 months old: Jude and Lucia

Things are changing so fast around here. When I wrote my update on Isaac and Dahlia a couple of weeks ago, Jude and Lucy were not even close to sitting up by themselves. Now, although neither can get into that position alone, they can both remain seated if someone puts them that way. This is revolutionary for life around here because it means that, despite their acid reflux, all the kids can play somewhat independently without needing to be propped up in a bouncy seat or swing. Woohoo! Here's more on what's been going on with our "middle" children lately:

Jude is a very sweet little boy who loves to observe the world around him. In the past week or so, he has started to show affection by putting his arms around my neck and giving me wet, sloppy kisses. It's a good thing he's so darn cute during the day because he's long been the main reason I can't get any sleep at night! Since his sleep study back in July turned out normal, we are thinking that he might just be a light sleeper; with that in mind, we moved him into a pack 'n' play in the guest room a few weeks ago, and he's been doing much better.

Jude, hooked up to a bunch of sensors but very
happy to see me after his 3-hour sleep study!

Jude cracks us up because he loves people, but he hates it when any of the other babies touch him or even get near him (not that he has a problem touching them!). I keep telling him that he's just going to have to get used to being crowded all the time! Fortunately for him, he has recently started to army-crawl; the newfound mobility seems to have ease his frustration somewhat. And I know that real crawling is not far away because he will occasionally get on all fours and rock now. Or perhaps he will just skip crawling altogether: A couple of days ago, he surprised us (and himself, I think) by pulling up to stand in the playard—go, Jude!

"Whoa, what did I just do?"

Lucia is pure sunshine: She wakes up happy, loves to talk (she can say "ba," "da," "ma," "na," and "nigh"), and is generally a very content baby. Unfortunately, Lucy hates taking her bottle, which has caused her to fall behind the other babies in the weight department. Thanks in part to Abuelita Joanna, however, Lucy has finally started to fill out. During Abuelita's recent visit, she used her grandma magic to get Lucy to drink everything—all the time! It also helps that Lucy loves her solid foods. As soon as you give her a bite, her little mouth is open and ready for the next one!

Lucy, sitting just as pretty as her sister does

Lucy also loves to stick out her tongue. It's always out there, sometimes with its tip curled up. That little tongue is so cute that we often find ourselves sticking out our own in response (a habit we should probably try to break before the babies start thinking this is a socially acceptable greeting!). As adept as she is with that muscle, however, Lucy is the only baby that hasn't yet attempted to get on all fours. In fact, if you even try to put her in the position, she will absolutely refuse to bend at the hips (stubborn!). We are working with her on that, since she can clearly be quite flexible when she wants to be:



Oh, and I happen to have some news about the other babies, too: Dahlia has mastered crawling, and Isaac cut his first tooth the day before yesterday! Yep, things sure are changing fast around here!

8 months old: Isaac and Dahlia

The babies turned 8 months old this week, and if you're wondering why I skipped the 7-month update ... well, I have quads! I have no free time! And now that I'm officially a full-time, stay-at-home mom (yes, I finally took the leap and quit my job a few weeks ago), blogging time is even more scarce. Since there is a lot of news to share and I can't seem to write more than a sentence or two before being called away, I've decided to divide the 8-month update into a series of shorter posts ... perhaps this way I'll be able to catch everyone up before the 9-month mark! Now, without further ado, the latest on the "oldest" and the "youngest":

Isaac is a happy, energetic boy who gets a kick out of life: He loves to interact with people by giggling, squealing, and cooing—sometimes for no apparent reason. In the past couple of weeks, he has started to give hugs, sometimes pulling hard on my ears or hair (the better to grip me with—he's very strong!), and occasionally he will even give me a "kiss" by sucking on my face. Isaac has been our champion eater from the beginning, and it's really paying off for him. Not only is he the longest and the heaviest (18 lb. at last check), but last week he was also the first to sit, crawl, and pull to standing, all within the space of a few days! It's funny because Isaac initially hated tummy time so much that he was the last to roll over (both belly to back and back to belly)—now he's ahead of the pack. Check out some of the trouble he's been getting into lately:

"Now that I can stand, I think I'll climb in here for a nap!"

"Hmmm ... I wonder how I can break out of this joint?"

"You think you can fence me in?"

Queen Dahlia (as my cousin Glenda calls her) is a fiery ball of energy. When she's happy, she beams; when she's not happy, she lets you know, and loudly. Dahlia needs more naps than the other babies, but when it's time for bed she gets so excited that it can take forever for her to calm down enough to fall sleep. She loves music, and her favorite place to be is in her daddy's lap while he's working. Dahlia can now say, "ta, ta, ta, ta," and she loves to try to talk to (read: squeal at) her brothers and sister. Developmentally, this girl is hot on Isaac's heels: She sat up by herself for the first time on the day she turned 8 months old (exactly a week after Isaac sat up), and although she isn't technically crawling, she can definitely get wherever she wants to be!

"See how pretty I can sit?"

"Ah, so this is what you're doing all day!"

"I may be stuck, but I'm still smiling!"

You know, being home with the babies may be physically and emotionally exhausting, but the fact that I've been present for these milestones makes the utter fatigue worth it. Bring on the energy drinks!

6 months old ... going on 7!

Yes, this update is late. And yes, it's because the Fab Four are keeping me terribly busy!

Despite my long silence, a lot has happened in the past few weeks. Most importantly, we dedicated the babies on June 28, just days after they turned 6 months old. The occasion was made extra special because all four grandparents, a great-grandma, Tio Johnny and Aunt Holly, and nearly 100 of the quads' closest family and friends were able to join us to celebrate this milestone. It really was a family affair all around: My dad officiated, personalizing the ceremony by extracting meaningful qualities from each baby's name; my brother read Scripture; my dad's brother Ner (a classical guitarist) provided the music while his wife Harriet led the singing; my cousin Glenda took video; and two of my mom's sisters (Priscilla and Esther) catered the reception that followed. The babies must have known that I would need more energy than usual to get through the big day: The night before the dedication, all four of them slept until morning for the first (and, so far, only) time!

Isaac, Lucia, Jude, and Dahlia in their dedication outfits

Speaking of sleeping, the babies have gotten so good at rolling over both ways that all of them are now making a habit of sleeping on their tummies. The girls, in particular, are so skilled in the rolling department that we cannot leave them playing on a blanket anymore without coming back to find them eating carpet across the room. Here's Lucy the first time I found her flipped over in her crib—she was so proud of herself!

The babies have also started eating all kinds of fruits and veggies. Isaac is the best (and least messy) eater; Lucy has been the most difficult to feed (as usual), but she's getting the hang of it. It's so much fun to see the different reactions to new foods. They will often make a face and act like they don't like it—but as soon as they see me smiling and saying, "Yummy!" they decide it's okay after all. Here's Dahlia taking her first taste of sweet potatoes (do you think she likes them?):

Other events of note:

While my parents were here, the quads went to college for the first time! During our church's North American convention, we walked around my alma mater's campus, visited a couple of friends who work there, and got a lot of practice in dealing with curious passersby. The admissions office even announced the Fab Four's visit on its welcome board!

Hopefully the quads will return in 2027 as freshmen!

Later that week, we packed up the quads and took them to visit my Grandpa M's grave. As you may remember, he passed away just a couple of weeks before the babies were born. Although I don't believe there's anything magical or supernatural about a gravesite, I did feel like it was important to take the babies out to the cemetery, even if just for a few minutes. I really wish they'd been able to meet my grandpa and, until they're old enough to understand stories about him, this is as close as we're gonna get.

With Abuelita Joanna, at Grandma and Grandpa M's gravesite

On a final note (pun intended), Michael Jackson died just after the quads hit the 6-month mark. Okay, so he was a tad eccentric, and it's widely held that he led a questionable lifestyle—but hey, his songs are the soundtrack to a large chunk of my childhood! In the past couple of weeks, I've been playing his music for the Fab Four so that perhaps they can become fans, too. I can't think of a better way to sign off on this month's update than with Dahlia's brief tribute to the King of Pop:

(Special thanks to Glenda for her dancing assistance!)

4 months old ... yes, already!

I can't believe that it's been a month since I posted my last update. I have no excuse except that I've been too busy, enjoying my four babies as they blossom into little people with heart-stopping smiles and infectious laughs!

Isaac continues to be our big boy at 14 pounds. His new trick is to suck on his fists and then rub them all over his face, which has the unfortunate effect of making his skin break out (we call this condition "formula face"; the cure is to just wash his face more often!). Isaac also loves to smile and coo at the chandelier in our living room. His big news, though, is that he has slept through the night on 6 of the last 7 days! Ted and I are absolutely thrilled by this development; we never expected our most demanding eater to be the second one to sleep through the night. Let's hope he keeps it up!

Isaac wearing one of Lindsay's cute
"One-Two-Three-Four" bibs

Jude is about the same length as Isaac, but weighs only 12 pounds. A couple of days ago I put him on his tummy and he propped himself up on his arms for the first time—and then he surprised me by immediately rolling over onto his back! In the past week, he has also started to intentionally reach for the toys that hang from the play gym. Right now, Jude is the biggest talker of the bunch, and his face lights up when he sees Mommy or Daddy. I could gaze into his beautiful brown eyes and listen to him say "goo" and "boo" all day!

Tio Johnny and Jude make a connection during
Johnny and Holly's visit late last month

Dahlia has been sleeping through the night for over a month now and currently weighs 11 pounds. She demands the most one-on-one attention, and scrunches up her face in delight when she realizes that you are talking to her. Fortunately, entertaining her can be as easy as folding laundry in front of her—she gets a big kick out of that! Her favorite place to be is on the changing table, probably because she gets undivided attention there. She's very strong during tummy time and I wouldn't be surprised if she is the next to roll over!

Dahlia chilling in her Bumbo

Lucia remains the tiniest of the bunch at just over 10 pounds (I keep telling her that she needs to eat more if she wants to grow up and be a leggy supermodel). She is so mellow that sometimes I am afraid I don't give her enough attention! She is also very bright: A couple of weeks ago, she was the first baby to notice the others, which led to our first quad-to-quad interaction on Easter, when Jude looked right at her and said "goo" while Lucy returned his gaze and squealed with laughter. It was adorable!

Lucy sharing a quiet moment with Abuelito Nehiel
during his visit earlier this month

We are so grateful for how well the babies are doing—so far they are keeping up with their chronological age (meaning that they are acting like 4-month-olds, and not like they were due just 2.5 months ago) and are as healthy as can be. Ted and I have nothing to complain about, so we gripe about the lack of sleep. We did get some relief on Ted's birthday this week, though, when my mom (who's here for a few days) and her sister Esther took quad duty and sent us to a hotel for the night. We can't thank them enough for doing that! Although we were a little sad to leave these adorable faces for that long:

Jude, Lucia, Dahlia, and Isaac (left to right) in the hoodies
that Tio Johnny and Aunt Holly gave them

Last but not least, I'm happy to announce that our stroller arrived a couple of weeks ago! The Everest Quad Buggy (from the Adventure Buggy Company in New Zealand) is a double-decker beast that maneuvers like a dream and has removable sun and rain shields, built-in storage, and four reclining seats with sun roofs—the babies don't realize how lucky they are to have such a sweet ride. We've been out in it several times, enjoying the sunshine and the wind in our faces. We haven't gotten too much attention around the neighborhood yet, so we've been able to enjoy some very peaceful walks. Thanks for the tip on this great stroller, Jenna!

This is what quad mom independence looks like!

3 months old ... and smiling!

It may be hard to believe, but with four 3-month-olds, Ted and I have now officially changed a year's worth of diapers, fed a year's worth of bottles, and burped a year's worth of babies. We do not, however, have a year's worth of parenting under our belts, so we are muddling our way through it all like any sleep-deprived new parents and just doing the best we can.

Fortunately, though, the lack of sleep did go down a notch last week: Little Dahlia has slept until approximately 7am for the past 6 days in a row! Our brown-eyed girl is also eating as much as her big brother Isaac, and I have a feeling that it won't be long until she catches up with our current heavyweight. Here she is cracking up at her silly mommy:

Isaac is still struggling a bit with fussiness related to his acid reflux, but it's not affecting his weight at all: He was 11 lb. 14 oz. when I took him to the doctor a week ago! He slept until 6am one day last week, but usually he's clamoring for food at 4am sharp. When Isaac gets your undivided attention, he gives you a big smile, and his beautiful, blue eyes light up as he says, "Ah-woooo!"

I call Jude a "lump" because he is usually just content to slump over on your shoulder and sleep all day. When he's supposed to be sleeping, though, he's wide awake and kicking the whole time, taking in everything in the room with his big, gray eyes. Jude is still taking forever to eat, and I've given up on trying to get him to eat as much as Isaac. When he laughs, he likes to say, "Goo!"

Lucia is still the littlest one (Ted describes her as "dainty"), but I think she may be entering a growth spurt: She's now eating as much as Jude! Blue-eyed Lucy rarely cries, and she was the first to smile. I am going to have to be careful with her because I think that smile could get me to do just about anything she wants!

Lucy also got her first acting gig on Sunday, as the Baby Jesus for a Christmas DVD (another baby was also filmed, so we don't know whether Lucy's footage will be used, but she's still a star in our eyes!). Here she is smiling up into Mary's face:

This post would not be complete without a big thank you to all of the wonderful people who have helped us out over the past 3 months, and especially to those of you who answered my S.O.S. call for help last week—for the first time in a long while, we have coverage for the entire work week! This is a big deal because it means that Ted will not have to take time away from work to help me feed the babies, which in turn means that he will get done working at a decent hour (rather than as late as midnight), and he can actually do something other than work or feed babies. I am in no hurry for the kids to grow up, but I will be so glad when they can hold their own bottles!