Time to change

Fall back? Not us. At least not today—this year I actually anticipated the switch in time to gradually adjust our schedule (in increments of 15 minutes) before having to set back the clock! The entire process (not including the embarrassing part at the beginning where I went 15 minutes the wrong way) took about 10 days and was totally worth it: If the kids are cranky today, it's definitely not because their internal clocks are messed up!

Something else is changing for us today, though, and it involves the kids' toys. The playroom has always been somewhat of a wreck at the end of the day, but recently the kids decided it would be fun to start systematically emptying all of the toy boxes and scattering their contents about the playroom. As a result, Ted and I do nothing but trip over the discarded toys all day, and then we're stuck cleaning up this disaster area after the kids go to bed:

(Click to enlarge)

The way we figure it, the solution to this mess is twofold. First, we have decided to make half of the kids' toys "disappear" into a closet for the time being. After the kids get bored with what we've left in the playroom, we'll make those toys disappear and rotate the other group of toys back into service (until the kids get tired of them, and then we'll repeat the cycle). We are hoping that this will help the kids to better appreciate all of the wonderful gifts and hand-me-downs that our family has been blessed to receive up to this point and keep the playroom from looking like it was hit by an F5 tornado. 

Secondly, we want to start training the kids to pick up their toys before they go to bed. Last night, when we asked them to help us put away their toys for the first time, reactions were mixed: Although the boys totally ignored us, we did get some half-hearted assistance from the girls. Unfortunately, however, none of the kids seem to grasp the concept of leaving the toys alone once they're back in the toy boxes. Anyone have any good ideas on how to teach kids this age to put away their toys—and then leave them there?

Budding artists

I have a confession to make: Last week I gave the Fab Four crayons—for the first time ever. Yes, I, the girl who once dreamed of becoming an artist, waited almost 20 months to introduce my own children to the joys of coloring. My only excuses are that (a) until recently it's been difficult to fit anything "extra" into our schedule, and (b) I was afraid of the mess. I mean, think about it: four toddlers indiscriminately wielding multicolored sticks of wax? Shudder!

But it turns out that adding the occasional après-snack coloring session has been a great way to inject some much-needed variety into our routine. The kids love it, and I thoroughly enjoy seeing them explore their newfound ability to scribble. And with the proper precautions—kids strapped into the feeding table, oversize sheets of paper taped down in front of them, and washable crayons—the mess is minimal!

First time coloring(l to r: Lucy, Isaac, Jude, Dahlia)

Naturally, I saved samples of the Fab Four's first artistic endeavors—in my eyes, these scribbles are irreplaceable works of art:

Clockwise from top left:
Isaac, Lucy, Dahlia, Jude
(smiley faces courtesy of Daddy)

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!

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!

1-month check-up: Isaac and Lucia

Three days after bringing the quads home, Ted and I took all four of them to the pediatrician. The visit went well, but the doctor suggested splitting them up for future visits (and we heartily agreed—carting four babies around is not easy!). So today we left Jude and Dahlia in the capable hands of friend/coworker/triplet mom Christine, and took Isaac and Lucia for their 1-month appointment.

I was very excited to see how much they weigh now, and they did not disappoint. Isaac weighed 4 lb. 15 oz. when he left the NICU less than 3 weeks ago, and today he weighed 7 lb. even. I had been a little worried that Lucia was not growing as fast as the other quads, but her growth is right on track: She weighed 4 lb. 7 oz. when she left the hospital, and she now weighs 5 lb. 11 oz. Jude and Dahlia will have their turn on Monday, and I can't wait to see how much they have grown since we brought them home!

I also asked about lengthening the time between their feedings. The pediatrician said that since all of the babies have recently been eating more, we could probably try going 3.5 hours before giving them their next bottle. She also said that we could try letting the quads sleep at night until one of them wakes up hungry, and then waking up the rest of them to feed. Previously, we had been waking them up every 3 hours, no matter what. Hopefully this means we will be getting a little more sleep. Wish us luck!

Four sweet babies (34 days old)
Clockwise from top: Dahlia, Isaac, Lucia, and Jude

Feed, burp, change, repeat

Those four words just about sum up what the last 2 weeks have been like for us. The quads are currently on a 3-hour schedule, and by the time we feed and change all of them, it's almost time for the next feeding! Needless to say, there has been little opportunity for picture-taking, let alone blog-posting. But the quads turned a month old yesterday and I know people are anxious for news, so here are a few updates:

Isaac is our champion eater and regularly downs his 3 ounces of formula in record time. We couldn't miss a feeding if we tried because he always starts making noise about a half-hour before mealtime! All those calories are paying off: Isaac is the most alert of the four and is growing like a weed. He is doing really well at holding his head up and even found his thumb a few days ago—no amount of tugging would convince him to take it out! Everyone says he looks like a "little Ted," and I agree.

Isaac snoozing in his crib (21 days old)

Lucia eats the least out of the four and has been having a little problem with reflux about once a day. We can already tell that she is very strong-willed: If she does not want to eat any more, she vigorously shakes her head until the nipple comes out of her mouth, and sometimes she even shoves away the bottle with her hand! Lucia has my Grandpa M's eyes and everyone says that she looks a lot like me; the resemblance was confirmed when I found a baby picture of myself yesterday (I will scan and post it when I get the chance, but it might be a while since we don't have a scanner at home).

Lucia lounging in a Boppy (26 days old)

Jude is just about as big as Isaac and is generally a very calm little dude. He has been struggling with gas pain for the past week, but I've been giving him simethicone drops and that seems to help. He is a very observant little boy and loves to look around. The first time I fed him in front of the television, he craned his neck to see the screen (I think he's going to be a TV junkie like his mama!). His receding hairline is starting to fill in on top, and I think he looks a lot like my brother's baby pictures.

Jude not napping in his crib (21 days old)

Dahlia is our second-best eater and her little face is really filling out—I think she might be getting bigger than Lucia! Her mouth is still so small, though, that she has to use "special" bottles with slower-flow nipples so that she doesn't dribble out half of her feeding. When Dahlia's eating, she loves to stare at you with her beautiful eyes that are ringed with dark, curly eyelashes. Although the NICU nurses claimed that she was a feisty one, Ted and I have yet to see this side of her (knock on wood).

Dahlia hanging out in her car seat (27 days old)

Hopefully I'll be able to post more often now that our help schedule is in full swing. Ted and I seriously don't know what we'd do without all the wonderful friends and family that have been pitching in with feedings, laundry, bottle washing, and housework over the past couple of weeks! And now that Ted is going back to work tomorrow, everyone's help is going to be more vital than ever, especially at night. It's a joyous yet anxious time for us, and all we can do is continue to trust in the Lord's provision in our lives. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate your continued prayers!