23 months old ... and fasting

Fasting is not the first word you'd associate with Thanksgiving, but that's exactly what our kids did at their very first Thanksgiving dinner yesterday (you may recall that we had to skip the holiday last year because we were all sick). Given the fact that they've been pretty picky during the past couple of months, I must say that their refusal to eat came as no surprise—at least not to me and Ted (hopefully Grandma T didn't take the rejection too personally).

I know the kids will eat when they're hungry, so I don't get too worried about how much (or how little) they're putting in their mouths these days. But I have to admit that it's still frustrating to spend time making a meal and then see perfectly good food go to waste! Even worse is when one (or more) of them decides to whine and/or throw a fit about what I've put on the table. I'd much rather they just shake their heads and laugh—preferably to the tune of a Beatles song, like this:



Let's hope that they don't turn up their noses at birthday cake next month!

22 months old ... oh, my word!

Yesterday I looked through my kitchen notebooks and made official lists of what the Fab Four are saying (and signing) these days. I was already aware that the girls are talking more than the boys, but I was blown away when I looked at the finished lists and realized just how much everyone around here is actually saying!

Because I know that counting all of their words will soon be impossible, I decided to compose a snapshot in time of each kid's vocabulary at this age. Here they are, in order of verbosity:

LUCIA

Can say:

abuelita • all gone • apple • baa • baby • back • ball • banana • bath • Bec • bock-bock • boo • book • bow-wow • box • buzz • bye • caca • car • cat • chair • cheek • choo-choo • comb • cookie • cracker • daddy • Dahlia • done • door • duck • DVD • eat • eye • eyebrow • feet • fry • Gabi • hat • hi • Isaac • jeans • Johnny • Jude • key • knee • Lucy • meow • milk • mole • mommy • moo • mouth • neck • neigh • night-night • no • nose • oink • ouchie • outside • pea • Pepper • pichí • please • pretty • purple • ring • seat • shirt • shoes • sky • sleep • snack • snap • socks • spoon • teeth • thank you • tongue • uh-oh • upa • walk • what's that • yummy

Can sign:

airplane • all done • apple • baby • bath • bear • book • car • cat • cracker • daddy • dog • drink • duck • eat • elephant • flower • giraffe • glasses • hat • help • monkey • more • phone • please • refrigerator • shoes • sleep • socks • thank you

DAHLIA

Can say:

agua • apple • baa • baby • back • ball • banana • bath • belly • berry • bib • bock-bock • boo • book • bow-wow • bubble • bug • bye • caca • car • cheek • choo-choo • circle • comb • cookie • cracker • daddy • Dahlia • drink • duckie • DVD • earring • eat • Elmo • eye • fry • Grandma • hat • help • heart • hi • jeans • Johnny • Jude • meow • milk • mole • mommy • moon • more • mouth • night-night • no • nose • ouchie • Pepper • please • ring • seat • shoes • sky • snap • socks • thank you • tree • tummy • uh-oh • upa • yogurt • yummy

Can sign:

airplane • all done • apple • baby • bath • bird • boat • book • butterfly • car • cat • diaper • dog • drink • eat • flower • hat • help • milk • more • please • refrigerator • shoes • sleep • tree

JUDE

Can say:

abuelita • agua • all gone • apple • baa • baby • ball • banana • bath • bib • bird • book • bottle • bubble • bug • bus • buzz • bye • caca • car • cat • cheese • choo-choo • cookie • dada • Dahlia • DVD • ear • egg • eye • hat • hi • Jude • mama • meow • milk • mouse • mouth • night-night • nose • oink • Pepper • shoes • tag • teeth • uh-oh • upa • walk • what's that

Can sign:

airplane • all done • apple • baby • ball • bath • bird • book • bunny • car • cat • cereal • dinosaur • dog • drink • eat • flower • giraffe • hat • help • milk • more • mouse • phone • please • refrigerator • sleep

ISAAC

Can say:

all done • baby • ball • bath • bird • book • bye • car • circle • cow • cracker • dada • dog • duck • eat • eye • help • hi • mama • Pepper • shirt • tree • uh-oh

Can sign:

all done • baby • ball • book • car • cracker • diaper • dog • drink • eat • elephant • giraffe • kiss • milk • monkey • more • phone • please • shirt • tree

I can't wait until these kids know enough words to carry on a conversation with me—and each other!

20 months old ... letting 'em loose!

What happens when you take four 20-month-olds and give them free rein in someone else's (ungated!) home? Surprisingly, not much. At least that was the case last night, when we went over to our friends Joe and Lisa's house for dinner—yet another first for the Fab Four!

Four factors made the situation manageable:

• The place was already toddler-proofed for Joe and Lisa's 3-year-old son, Reece.
• The floorplan made it easy to keep an eye on the little kids—even without the gates we depend on at home.
• The adult-to-quadruplet ratio was 1:1.
• Joe and Lisa were totally cool and not the least bit intimidated by the possibility of four toddlers running amok inside their house.
  

At first, the Fab Four weren't quite sure what to do with their newfound freedom. But as soon as the toys came out, they began to make themselves at home: Dahlia plopped herself on the couch, Isaac started exploring the bookshelves, and Jude commandeered a dump truck. As for Lucy, she was most comfortable observing the others from the very spot in which we'd initially set her down.


While Lisa finished dinner preparations, the rest of us decided to go ahead and move into the backyard—and what a yard! It was spacious, featured a beautiful fence and deck, overlooked a pond, and even had a big slide!


The Fab Four had a blast running all over the place, throwing balls, climbing on and off the deck, and trying to pet the neighbor's dogs through the fence. Dahlia even climbed up the slide by herself and slid down into Lisa's waiting arms—what a brave girl!


The weather was perfect, the burgers were delicious (even Jude and Dahlia thought so, although Isaac and Lucy wouldn't try them), and everyone was in a great mood (read: no meltdowns and only one timeout). In fact, the six of us had such a good time that, by the time we finally said our goodbyes and drove home, it was an hour past the kids' bedtime—and it was totally worth it!

Thank you, Joe and Lisa, for providing our family with a great dinner, enjoyable company, and a wonderful taste of freedom—we can't wait to do it again!

19 months old ... reining 'em in

This morning we FINALLY took the kids to church. We'd been meaning to try it ever since we dropped the morning nap, but we hadn't gotten around to it yet because, frankly, the idea was supremely intimidating. I mean, getting four toddlers ready for church—feeding them breakfast, changing their diapers, dressing them up, and preparing the diaper bag for an extended outing—while also having to get ourselves ready, all before 9am? A daunting task, to say the least.

But this morning I got the itch to try it and, since Ted didn't have any strong objections, we decided to go for it. After breakfast, we raced around to find outfits for the kids and make ourselves presentable before rushing out the door (right on time) for our first family trip to church since the babies were dedicated.

When we got there, we quickly unloaded the van and each grabbed two kids by the hand to walk inside (in the most meandering way possible, of course, as each child desired to walk in a different direction). We registered the kids in a flash ("yes, they all have the same birthday ... no, they are not two sets of twins ... yes, I do have my hands full") and dropped them off in the toddler room.

Notice that I have no pictures of the chaotic momentous occasion.

While Dahlia was thrilled to go in and make new friends, the other three cried as soon as they realized what was happening. Although I felt bad for leaving them when they were so sad, Ted and I quickly left the scene and made our way to the sanctuary. There I tried to put the kids out of my mind in order to focus on the message (which turned out to be a very interesting exegesis of a portion of Matthew 5—see, I paid attention!).

As soon as the service concluded, we booked it back to the toddler room to see how things went. I could hear Isaac crying down the hall and immediately thought the worst, but the caregivers claimed that he had been fine until just then. In fact, they assured me, all of the kids had actually had a lot of fun while we were gone. It would seem that our first church nursery experience hadn't been too bad after all!

My relief, however, was premature, as leaving proved to be even more difficult than arriving: Isaac was inconsolable, Dahlia repeatedly bolted at the slightest decrease in hand pressure, Lucy insisted on being carried, and Jude absolutely refused to walk through the double doors. Somehow, we were eventually able to get all four of them to walk back out to the van among a throng of exiting churchgoers, but it was no picnic!

To be completely honest, the whole endeavor left us sweaty and grouchy and utterly exhausted. But at least now we know that taking the kids to church on our own is not an impossible feat! We will be repeating the attempt sometime soon, but definitely not until we receive delivery of these nifty little contraptions:

The key to controlling our
four little monkeys in open spaces?

18 months old ... we're lovin' it

The Fab Four celebrated turning one-and-a-half (!) by making their debut at Family Day, the reunion that my mom's side holds just about every summer. For most of my many (many!) relatives, this was the first time to meet the kids in person after following the blog for the last couple of years, so our arrival was greeted with big smiles and open arms—literally: While we were there, I didn't have to hold a kid unless I wanted to, which was simultaneously a very weird and a very wonderful position in which to find myself!

I wasn't sure how the Fab Four would react to such a large crowd, but they did great with all of the new faces—and they absolutely LOVED being able to run around in the park where the reunion was held. I think Dahlia actually ran nonstop, in any and all directions possible, the entire time we were there! Lucy and Jude preferred the shade (and attention) that they got in the shelter, and Isaac ended up splitting his time between fun in the sun and the shade. Keeping track of everyone was a challenge (and boy, was it HOT out there!), but we had a lot of willing helpers, which made it doable. I think it was all worth it to introduce the Fab Four to their huge family and show them how much everyone cares about them!

Family Day 2010:
Abuelito Nehiel with Isaac, Ted with Dahlia,
me with Jude, and Abuelita Joanna with Lucy

By the time we left the park, it was almost dinnertime, so we decided to stop at McDonald's and try eating out with the Fab Four for the first time ever! Once again, the kids were amazing, and all of us thoroughly enjoyed the novelties of using restaurant high chairs and eating in public. We were fortunate to have a quiet corner of the restaurant to ourselves and were interrupted only by a lovely old lady who told us that meeting our family was the highlight of her day. I told the kids that that should be our family mission: to spread joy wherever we go!

"Did somebody say quadruplets?"

Sadly, our McD's adventure came to an end after Lucy choked on a fry and threw up, but that was the only blemish on what turned out to be a pretty fun day. We drove home without incident, and the kids even went to bed an hour and a half late without melting down. It's amazing how the most mundane things can feel like huge accomplishments when you multiply them by four—thanks so much to everyone who helped make our big outing a success!

17 months old ... stayin' alive

Our living room has undergone a makeover during the past month. Actually, several makeovers. Not because we're redecorating, but because we're rapidly discovering that "baby-proofed" does not equal "toddler-proofed"!

Scaling fences, climbing on tables, tipping toy boxes, running on the couch—we've seen it all and more in the last few weeks. Ted has spent a lot of time moving furniture around (and around) to make the living room as safe as possible, but as soon as we think we have a foolproof plan, the kids (*cough* Jude *cough*) immediately find a way to subvert it. Just yesterday morning I about died when I turned to see Jude clinging to the top corner of the couch like a little, sideways koala!

Being naughty!!

I know, I know—everyone tells me that kids are resilient and that it's normal for them to fall (after all, that's how they learn, right?). Nevertheless, visions of horrible accidents flash before my eyes when I see my four little monkeys behaving so dangerously. I'm not a worrier by nature, but I do find myself praying that the Fab Four will make it to the 18-month mark in one piece!

An increasingly rare moment of sofa zen

The next (admittedly extreme) measure would be to completely remove the furniture from the living room (as we know other families of multiples have done). However, our house is tiny, and there's simply nowhere else to put our stuff. Oh, for a basement ...

16 months old ... a day in the life

Now that we don't have daytime bottles or a morning nap to deal with, the Fab Four and I have been getting out a lot more. Which means that we're running into a lot of strangers with a lot of questions for us. The most frequent comment is, "You sure have your hands full!" (Yes, I do.) Many people want to know whether it's hard, whether I'm worn out, and whether the kids sleep all night. (Yes, yes, and yes.)

Another common question is, "How do you do it?" Well, besides a lot of prayer and a great husband, I have to say that the key is a consistent schedule. The babies came home from the NICU on a 3-hour schedule, and we've just adapted that routine as they've grown. Here is what a day with 16-month-old quadruplets looks like for me:

7am: Wake up! Anyone who wakes up before this is out of luck. Sometimes one or more kids will sleep later than 7, but we never let them sleep past 8. Everybody gets a diaper change and then plays with Ted while I unload the dishwasher, assemble and fill sippy cups, and make breakfast.

8am: Breakfast. I feed and clean up the kids while Ted gets ready for work.

8:30 to 10am: Playtime. While the kids entertain themselves, I clean up from breakfast (wipe off table and floor, rinse bibs, refill cups, load dirty dishes), prep lunch, make myself as presentable as possible, and usually change a couple of dirty diapers. Around 9, I pop in a DVD (usually Baby Einstein) to keep the masses under control.

Learning sign language in the morning

10 to 11am: WALK! By this time of the morning, all of us need a change of scenery. Doesn't matter if it's hot, cold, or raining—our mammoth stroller can handle it all! Once in a while (usually on the weekend, when Ted can come with us), we all pile in the van for a change of pace.

11:30am: Lunch. I feed and clean up the kids, and then I strip them down to their onesies. Each kid gets a diaper and wardrobe change while the others run around and have a good ole time. My back is usually killing me by this point.

Engaging in a staring contest with the neighbor's dog

12:30pm to 3pm: NAPTIME! While the kids sleep, I clean up from lunch (see breakfast cleanup routine), get lunch ready for me and Ted, eat in front of the computer, fold laundry, pick up toys, etc. People always assume that I nap while the kids sleep. This is rarely an option!

3:30pm: Snack. After the kids eat, I wipe the table and bibs, prep dinner, and then it's time to change diapers. A few times a week, friends come over during this time to entertain the kids and help me out for a few hours. This is a LIFESAVER.

Trying their first Peeps (thanks, Abuelita!)

4:30 to 5pm: Walk. The kids really enjoy leaving the house, so I try to fit in two walks a day. Sometimes this doesn't happen, in which case there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth (by both me and the kids).

5pm: Dinner. I feed and clean up the kids, and then I strip them down to their diapers. They run around like I just freed them from prison while I clean up from dinner and fill their bedtime bottles. When I'm done, it's time to put on their jammies (and usually change a couple more dirty diapers). "Naked time" is coming to end, however, as a couple of the kids have become a little too interested in messing with their diapers (!!).

6pm: Musical education hour. Ted is done working, so he breaks out the CDs and teaches the kids what good music is all about. During this time, I hang out with them, finish my chores, get a shower, chill in front of the computer, or do whatever else I need to do. If it's bath night, we skip musical education and stick the kids in the tub (we started bathing two at a time this month, but I'm still not brave enough to try all four at once).

Lucy and Dahlia's first bath together

Jude and Isaac's first bath together

7pm: Bedtime bottles. Everyone drinks their bottle while watching "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy." Everyone, that is, but Lucy, who weaned herself from the bottle this week and now drinks a bedtime sippy (big girl!). After bottles, we brush teeth and do a last round of diaper changes.

8pm: BEDTIME!! The kids are in bed, but the day isn't over yet: Gotta pick up the toys, finish any cleanup that didn't get done, fold laundry, watch "Lost" or "Survivor" (the only two shows we can't miss), pay bills, go to the grocery, etc. Oh, and figure out what to eat for dinner. Around 10, we hit the sack and pray that no one wakes up during the night ... gotta rest up to do this all over again tomorrow!

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!

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!

11 months old ... and thankful

I can hardly believe it, but the Fab Four turned 11 months old on Tuesday! Unfortunately, all four of them (and I) came down with nasty colds the next day, so we were forced to skip Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws' yesterday and settle for eating the leftovers that they were kind enough to drop off later.

Still, it was definitely a better Thanksgiving than the one I had last year! And in spite of the snotty noses and crankiness, we have much to be thankful for: thriving babies, the loving kindness of friends and family, and God's faithful provisions at every turn. Oh, and let's not forget the smaller things, like the fact that the babies finally started sleeping allll night this month—I feel like a new woman!

If the babies could tell me what they are most thankful for, I think they'd pick the newly gated living room, which is giving them the freedom to play and explore to their little hearts' content (hmmm, maybe that's why they've been sleeping better):

The Fab Four at 11 months: Lined up at the gate to greet a visitor

Can't wait to see what life will be like with 1 year olds ... the big day is less than a month away!

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!

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!)

5 months old ... in their own words

The Fab Four turned 5 months old yesterday! To celebrate, Ted and I packed them up in the minivan for an "exciting" trip to the Steak N Shake drive-thru. While we waited for our food, I interviewed the kids to see how they feel about reaching the 5-month mark. Here's what they had to say:

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!