I hate planning meals. Didn't like it when it was just Ted and I, and certainly don't like it any better now that I have to make sure the Fab Four are eating a balanced diet! But, day after day, I do my best, trying other people's suggestions (avocado sandwiches are a favorite) and coming up with my own ideas (black beans with diced ham and cumin are also well received). And so far, I'd say the kids are surviving pretty well.
Even on the days that I think I've come up with the "perfect meal," though, sometimes the kids will finish eating and then look at me like there's something missing. That's when I have to improvise with whatever is in the fridge or pantry. And I must say that none of my experiments have been as popular as this (once-in-a-while, I promise!) treat:
Now, when is it that I'm supposed to start teaching them good manners?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Don't hate the hat!
Babies in hats are adorable, especially when the hat belongs to Daddy. Here's Dahlia the first time Ted put his hat on her head:
We got another cute shot of Dahlia in Daddy's hat a couple of months later:
As you can see, Dahlia has always seemed to enjoy wearing Daddy's hat, which is why we were baffled (and quite amused) by this reaction a couple of nights ago:
Dahlia, what did Daddy's hat ever do to you?
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| 7 months old |
We got another cute shot of Dahlia in Daddy's hat a couple of months later:
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| 9 months old |
As you can see, Dahlia has always seemed to enjoy wearing Daddy's hat, which is why we were baffled (and quite amused) by this reaction a couple of nights ago:
Dahlia, what did Daddy's hat ever do to you?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Think Weird Al for babies
Going through the junk drawer yesterday, I came across a scrap of paper with a list scribbled on it. Inspecting it more closely, I remembered that sometime last summer I decided to write down a bunch of "songs" that I liked to sing to the babies at the time. Each was based on a rock/pop hit, but I'd tweaked the lyrics to entertain the Fab Four (and my sleep-deprived self). If you came over to help us when the babies were small, you might remember hearing me sing/say:
Ted and I have come up with more silly parodies in the months since I made this list, but I don't even remember what they were anymore. I'm glad I recorded my greatest hits from the early days!
"Let's burp! Put on your red shoes and burp the blues" (to the tune of "Let's Dance" by David Bowie) or "Gimme a burp!" (said like Janet Jackson says, "Gimme a beat!" in "Nasty") when the babies were hard to burp ...
"All I want is some poop; just gimme some poop" (to the tune of "Gimme Some Truth" by John Lennon) when Isaac was constipated ...
"Dirty Lucia-ah" (to the tune of "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson) when changing Lucy's poopy diapers ...
"Let's get, let's get, let's get washed!" (to the tune of "Let's Get Rocked" by Def Leppard) or "Pour some water on meeeee, in the name of love" (to the tune of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard) when I was giving the babies a bath ...
"Who's sad?" (said like Michael Jackson says, "Who's bad?" in "Bad") if a baby was crying ...
"They say that waking up is hard to do-oo; now I know, I know that it's true-oo" (to the tune of "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" by Neil Sedaka) if a baby woke up crying, or ...
"Here I come, baby; comin' to getcha!" (lifted from "Foxy Lady" by Jimi Hendrix) when I was on my way to pick up a baby—for any reason.
"All I want is some poop; just gimme some poop" (to the tune of "Gimme Some Truth" by John Lennon) when Isaac was constipated ...
"Dirty Lucia-ah" (to the tune of "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson) when changing Lucy's poopy diapers ...
"Let's get, let's get, let's get washed!" (to the tune of "Let's Get Rocked" by Def Leppard) or "Pour some water on meeeee, in the name of love" (to the tune of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard) when I was giving the babies a bath ...
"Who's sad?" (said like Michael Jackson says, "Who's bad?" in "Bad") if a baby was crying ...
"They say that waking up is hard to do-oo; now I know, I know that it's true-oo" (to the tune of "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" by Neil Sedaka) if a baby woke up crying, or ...
"Here I come, baby; comin' to getcha!" (lifted from "Foxy Lady" by Jimi Hendrix) when I was on my way to pick up a baby—for any reason.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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:
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!
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!
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!
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!
 |
| Isaac at 13 months |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A year at home
One year ago yesterday, Ted and I brought home our 2-week-old quadruplets. Up until then, I hadn't really felt like a parent. During my pregnancy, in fact, I could barely wrap my brain around the fact that there were four human beings inside of me—after all, I knew very little about their personalities (only what their random kicks and stretches could tell me), and I didn't even have a good idea of what they looked like (despite the dozens of ultrasounds I saw!). Even after the babies were born, neonatal nurses took care of them around the clock, so visiting the NICU felt more like going to see a friend's baby than my own.
Bringing home the babies brought home the realities of being a mother. From one day to the next, I entered a season in which nearly every waking moment (and many half-asleep ones) would be devoted to caring for, worrying about, and growing to love each of these four little people. Over the next year, I would put everything else on hold and get to know each child's cry and each child's laugh as only a mother can. And on every one of those 365 days, I would learn something new about the babies, about Ted, about myself, about life.
I still have a lot to learn, and I know that the years ahead hold challenges and joys that I cannot even imagine right now, during the babyhood of my motherhood. But I do know one thing for sure: When I tell my babies that I love them, I mean it more than anything else I've ever said.
I've come a long way, babies, and so have you!
Bringing home the babies brought home the realities of being a mother. From one day to the next, I entered a season in which nearly every waking moment (and many half-asleep ones) would be devoted to caring for, worrying about, and growing to love each of these four little people. Over the next year, I would put everything else on hold and get to know each child's cry and each child's laugh as only a mother can. And on every one of those 365 days, I would learn something new about the babies, about Ted, about myself, about life.
I still have a lot to learn, and I know that the years ahead hold challenges and joys that I cannot even imagine right now, during the babyhood of my motherhood. But I do know one thing for sure: When I tell my babies that I love them, I mean it more than anything else I've ever said.
I've come a long way, babies, and so have you!
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| Isaac on Homecoming Day and exactly 1 year later |
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| Lucia on Homecoming Day and exactly 1 year later |
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| Jude on Homecoming Day and exactly 1 year later |
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| Dahlia on Homecoming Day and exactly 1 year later |
Thursday, December 31, 2009
They're 1!
Christmas Eve has always been an exciting day in my family. When we lived in Uruguay, my parents let me and my brother stay up till midnight to shoot off fireworks (as is the custom there) and then open all of our presents (after all, it was technically Christmas morning!). After we moved back to the States, there were no more fireworks to stay up for, but we kept the tradition of opening our presents at the stroke of midnight. Every year, we would eat panetón, listen to my dad read the Christmas story, sing a verse of "Silent Night," and then open our gifts as the Pope celebrated midnight Mass in the background.
This year was totally different. A celebration took place in the afternoon, rather than at midnight. There were no fireworks, but there were plenty of balloons. The pile of presents was on the dining room table, not under the Christmas tree, and not a single one was for me. The panetón was replaced by frosted cupcakes. And rather than singing "Silent Night" once, we sang "Happy Birthday"—four times!
Because it's still RSV season, we kept the guest list to a minimum. In attendance were my parents, Ted's parents and grandmother, and my cousin Glenda (who lived with us this summer—that's a quarter of the babies' lives!), along with her parents. We had a great time watching the Fab Four dig into the cupcakes, tear into their presents (okay, more like eat the paper after Mommy and Daddy unwrapped the presents), and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Yes, this Christmas Eve was certainly different. And this year I wouldn't have had it any other way.
This year was totally different. A celebration took place in the afternoon, rather than at midnight. There were no fireworks, but there were plenty of balloons. The pile of presents was on the dining room table, not under the Christmas tree, and not a single one was for me. The panetón was replaced by frosted cupcakes. And rather than singing "Silent Night" once, we sang "Happy Birthday"—four times!
 |
| The Fab Four, 1 year old and ready to celebrate! |
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| The birthday boys' and girls' personalized cupcakes |
 |
| Isaac: "Can I possibly use this as a ball?" |
 |
| Lucia: "Hm, how can I eat this without making a mess?" |
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| Jude: "I'm gonna take my time with this thing." |
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| Dahlia: "I like all this attention!" |
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Dahlia's refrigerator surprise
Even after nearly a year, I still forget sometimes that, to a baby, the simplest things are often new and downright amazing. Last night, for example, I was carrying Dahlia around the kitchen while getting the bottles ready for bedtime. I didn't think a thing of opening the fridge to retrieve them, but Dahlia had a much different take on this routine visit to the big white box in the kitchen:
Who knew a trip to the fridge could be so exciting?
Who knew a trip to the fridge could be so exciting?
Friday, December 18, 2009
Pass the Pedialyte
This week the Fab Four and I were laid low by a nasty tummy bug. This is the fourth time for the babies to be sick: They had a cold in August, roseola in September, another cold in November, and now this. Each time, it's been hard to care for all of them at once, but this time has been the most difficult to date.
For one, babies give you little to no warning that they are going to vomit. Therefore, they can crawl up to you, sweet as can be, and suddenly BARF! All over you. The resulting mess is not their fault, though, because another problem is that little ones cannot aim their puke. In the past few days, we have not only had to do a lot more laundry—theirs and ours—but also Ted (aka Super Daddy) has had to clean up vomit from the table, the carpet, the couch, the linoleum, the wall, the gate, a pack 'n' play, a crib, shoeboxes, and even a drycleaning bag! Each new incident would set off a circus, as we frantically tried to decide what to do first: grab some rags to soak up vomit, change our clothes, clean up whichever baby got sick (as well as any other baby that was in the line of fire), or keep all of the babies from crawling around in the mess.
The worst part of it all was that there just wasn't enough of me to go around. At one point, all of the babies were miserable and crying for me to pick them up. As I would hold one close and feel him or her relax, three others were tugging on my jeans, wanting the same attention. How do you choose who gets to be in Mommy's arms? I couldn't. I just had to rotate who got to be in my lap, temporarily ignoring the cries of the others so that one child could feel the comfort of being close to Mommy. A friend of mine speculated that this must have been heart-wrenching. Yes. Yes, it was.
Thankfully, Ted was able to take a day off work yesterday to run things around here while I was feeling my yuckiest. This also allowed me to concentrate on spending quality time with the babies, who were also still feeling puny. Ted is such a wonderful helper—I can't imagine how I'd cope without him! And now that the rest of us are on the mend, we are praying that Daddy manages to stay healthy. The entire family needs to be well in order to enjoy the babies' first birthday next week!
For one, babies give you little to no warning that they are going to vomit. Therefore, they can crawl up to you, sweet as can be, and suddenly BARF! All over you. The resulting mess is not their fault, though, because another problem is that little ones cannot aim their puke. In the past few days, we have not only had to do a lot more laundry—theirs and ours—but also Ted (aka Super Daddy) has had to clean up vomit from the table, the carpet, the couch, the linoleum, the wall, the gate, a pack 'n' play, a crib, shoeboxes, and even a drycleaning bag! Each new incident would set off a circus, as we frantically tried to decide what to do first: grab some rags to soak up vomit, change our clothes, clean up whichever baby got sick (as well as any other baby that was in the line of fire), or keep all of the babies from crawling around in the mess.
The worst part of it all was that there just wasn't enough of me to go around. At one point, all of the babies were miserable and crying for me to pick them up. As I would hold one close and feel him or her relax, three others were tugging on my jeans, wanting the same attention. How do you choose who gets to be in Mommy's arms? I couldn't. I just had to rotate who got to be in my lap, temporarily ignoring the cries of the others so that one child could feel the comfort of being close to Mommy. A friend of mine speculated that this must have been heart-wrenching. Yes. Yes, it was.
Thankfully, Ted was able to take a day off work yesterday to run things around here while I was feeling my yuckiest. This also allowed me to concentrate on spending quality time with the babies, who were also still feeling puny. Ted is such a wonderful helper—I can't imagine how I'd cope without him! And now that the rest of us are on the mend, we are praying that Daddy manages to stay healthy. The entire family needs to be well in order to enjoy the babies' first birthday next week!
Friday, December 11, 2009
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:
Isaac at 11.5 monthsJude 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 monthsThe 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 monthsIn 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:
Friday, November 27, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Giggly boys!
Although the Fab Four have been aware of each other for months now, their interactions have only recently begun to resemble that of playmates. On Friday afternoon, Isaac and Jude started doing this the minute they laid eyes on each other:
Isaac proceeded to chase Jude around the living room as they both giggled, Jude stopping and turning every once in a while to make sure that Isaac was still following him. And they've played the same game every day since.
Try as I might, right now I can't think of anything more delightful than seeing my babies become friends!
Isaac proceeded to chase Jude around the living room as they both giggled, Jude stopping and turning every once in a while to make sure that Isaac was still following him. And they've played the same game every day since.
Try as I might, right now I can't think of anything more delightful than seeing my babies become friends!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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?
I wonder when she'll realize that clapping involves a horizontal motion?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Isaac steps up ... and up!
Isaac likes to stand on things. His favorite stepstool is a musical table (sans legs) that Tia Janine gave us a few months ago:
If the musical table is not available, no worries. Isaac will just find something (or someone) else to stand on:
I need to be more careful about what types of toys I put in the pen, though. The other day I came out of the kitchen and was surprised/alarmed/amused to see this:
Looks like we've got a little daredevil on our hands! (Hmmm, I wonder where he got that from?)
If the musical table is not available, no worries. Isaac will just find something (or someone) else to stand on:
I need to be more careful about what types of toys I put in the pen, though. The other day I came out of the kitchen and was surprised/alarmed/amused to see this:
Looks like we've got a little daredevil on our hands! (Hmmm, I wonder where he got that from?)
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