Frat Brothers

Fraternal Twins. (Henry left, Isaac right)

Frat Brothers for Life. 

Can I Get a Whoo-Hoo?

Put your hands in the air if you're ready for FRIDAY!!!!! 

Oh Henry!

Oh sweet Henry, you're sooooo lovable with those crystal blue eyes and a smile that's just plain irresistible.    

You wear the title of firstborn well, my little man.  You must be right in the middle of the action at all times, and you can outdo Curious George's curiosity any day of the week. I love how you are my adventurer, and biggest cuddle bug at the same time. 

(Henry's sporting a war scar on his forehead in these pictures after losing a fight with the door frame. It's long gone now, but I'm sure will be replaced with another shortly.)

 

If you missed any of the other boys' "Day in the Life" shots from the very talented Megan King, you can find them Here. Here. And Here.

 

Every Story Whispers His Name...

This morning as I was attending to Brooks, I heard Henry running towards me with excitement, but my brain had yet to process what he was saying. (It takes a little bit more processing to translate two-year-old ramblings at times.) I turned around to see him with a book in his hands, and he was screaming with glee, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!!"  He smiled with a smile that his face could barely contain as he held his treasure. 

He was holding this precious book, The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

I've been meaning to share this book with you for quite sometime, but Henry's little outburst prompted me to do so today. I began reading this to the boys shortly after the semi-truck dropped off our feeding table. Even though I knew they were too young to comprehend the stories, it's never too early "in my book" to start sharing His story.

The stories are far from watered down or "cutesie", yet written in a level that is graspable for the very young.  It has ministered to my heart on many occasions, and I would completely recommend it for ANY Christian, especially a new believer. The heart of this book is "every story whispers His name", depicting how everything in Scripture ties to Jesus.  And the illustrations are just magnificent too:

 

Back to Henry - so as he stood holding his "Jesus" with pure joy, I was delighted to think that my little boy, has learned the most important name in the world; yet convicted that I lack pure delight and child-like wonder over my Savior. My greatest desire is that he (and his brothers) would know Jesus and follow HIm with all his heart.  It's my desire for each of you as well!

Philippians 3:12-14 "I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back." (The Message)

PS The only way Henry could have reached this book, which is placed on our shelf divider for safe keeping - out of reach from destructive hands, is by climbing and standing on the kids table.  He knows better - but I let this one slide. =)

Did You Know You Were Reading a 2008 Weblog Award Finalist Blog?

So apparently our blog was nominated for the 2008 WEBLOG AWARDS in the "Best Parenting Blog" category...and somehow, someway, we've made it as a TOP TEN FINALIST (out of 79 nominated blogs)!  And from what they tell me (they being some of YOU) it's sorta a big deal.

"The Weblog Awards are the world's largest blog competition with over 545,000 votes cast in 2007 edition and nearly two million votes cast in all editions since 2003."

Initially I didn't think I would bother you with asking you to vote, but many of you consider us almost family, and I knew you would want to be included. In addition, I know that God has used this blog for a PURPOSE and if a well-known award could reach other mothers of multiples, women struggling with infertility, or encourage any reader who comes across our site, well then, I guess it's not ALL about me after all, then is it? 

It's one click voting - no need to create an account, and you can return every 24 hours until Tuesday, January 13th to recast your vote.

http://2008.weblogawards.org/polls/best-parenting-blog/

 

And would I recruit you to vote without some sort of offering in return?  Heaven's no!  Here's a little afternoon humor courtesy of Brooks and Henry.

 

 

I'm Thankful "4"...

henry

 

My Sweet Henry,

As we approach this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the many things that make you "Henry".  You have brought so much joy and laughter into our lives, so much so that I cannot imagine the world without your grin.  I love your curiosity and spunk that drives you to discover and learn. I love your sensitivity that makes you love to cuddle and be held more than any of your brothers.  I love that even though you remain the smallest, you are often the strongest, most determined, and loudest.  Our hearts are filled with thankfulness for you, Henry!

XOXO,

Mama and Daddy

 

My Heart Belongs to 5 Boys...

LOVE these little expressions...

 

Sweet faces that belong to 5 sweet boys.  So many men in my life...

Quick Story from My Day:

I took one little man named Henry on a date with me tonight to the library and the grocery store.  I cherish the one on one time. It was Henry's first time to the library and he was fascinated with the copy machine. Truly fascinated!  And when Henry is fascinated with something he stands frozen, expressionless, and takes it all in with silent enjoyment. Later on, after it's completely over, he responds with a thrilled "Wow!" or "Whoa!".  The guy copying his textbook had never felt so compelling.  Even the librarian took notice of Henry in pure wonderment.  I thought about responding with a "We don't get out much", but I refrained.  I was busy watching the world through a little boy's crystal blue eyes. 

The Next Generation of Bloggers...

Clark and Henry would like to take a stab at blogging.  Truthfully, they all LOVE looking at the blog, especially watching themselves on video.  These 2 little munchkins climbed up on the chair by themselves. Little adults.

They know the computer is off limits.

                   "Just Look, No Touch!"

Any guesses how many times I say "NO" in one day? 

 

This Baby's Got Moves!

We aren't certain where Henry learned these sweet moves.
Some say he dances like his daddy....
Others like his grandpa...
I think it's his own original style.

Don't miss his graceful wipe out techinique....CLASSIC!

(Pardon my shaking camera. I couldn't contain my laughter to hold the camera still. You can't hold it back either, right?)

Look Who's Walking 2!

I've needed to post this for a while now.... (Check out pro-walker Brooks in the background.)

He's soooooo proud of himself and LOVES the attention. He's up to about 7-10 steps this week. So what do his parents have to say??????

"It's about time, Henry!!!!!!!"

Afterall you've been climbing this for months..

And then there's this...

Even this...

Welcome to the world of WALKING, Henry! Why don't you give your climbing gene a rest for a while, k?

(Clark and Isaac are neck in neck for who's next. Soooo close - I'll keep ya posted!)

Related Post: Brooks' First Steps

My Son Henry

The picture you see above is not what it appears to be. I know it looks like chicken and noodles, but I assure you that what you see above is much, much more than that. Henry worked on this creation for the better part of dinner time at the table. While all three of his brothers ate, played, and talked at the table, Henry was very quiet, and very concentrated. You may think that he quickly smushed this pile of noodles, chicken, and corn together hastily, but you would be wrong. Each of these bits of food were maticulously placed in just the right spot, then inspected for structural integrity.

I am not kidding folks, this one was really funny to watch. He took several minutes and placed each bit of food on this pile one piece at a time. I am convinced that Henry must have decided to become an architect. He is not able to communicate this verbally yet, but he was very proud of this structure.

Conveniently, shortly after Henry created this masterpiece, I needed to go to Lowes to pick up some supplies for a few home repairs. I decided that this was a perfect time for me to show Henry "man's land". I showed him what real lumber looked like and explained that someday he could build real buildings out of real wood, not just chicken, noodles, and corn. I cannot be sure, but I think I heard Henry say, "this is the coolest place I have ever seen, dad" under his breath.


I cannot tell you what a joy it is to be this boy's dad. Henry makes me laugh almost everyday. I am so proud to call him my son. God has filled my heart with so much love for this little rascal that I cannot even begin to express it. I love Henry's electric blue eyes, his love for wrestling and being rough, the way he curles up on my lap for his night bottle (man, I will miss that), his daring personality, his lightning fast crawl, his perfect hair, his ability to get out of any confined spot, the way he whispers da da da, and most of all, the fact that God created Him just the way he is and gave him to us healthy.

Henry entered our world 2 months premature. He was our first and our smallest, wieghing just 2lbs. 12oz. I am so excited to see what God has in store for Henry's life. I pray daily for his salvation and the impact I hope he can have on his world. I also pray daily that my example, and Jen's example would show him what it means to live every day for Jesus Christ. And, when we fall short in this area, I hope to point him to Jesus who is the only one who can forgive us for our sins. Henry needs a Savior just like I do, so I trust God to take care of him.

I love you Henry,

Dad

PS In case you are wondering, I am planning to write a post on each of my four sons. They are all a blessing and I cannot get enough of them, so I want to praise God publically for the amazing gifts He has given me through my precious wife....

Oops! He Did It Again!

I'd like to begin by thanking my son, Henry, for providing such great blogging material. He is the creator behind this post and the film.

You may recall that Henry has a fascination for toy boxes (click highlighted text to see previous encounters). Brooks first introduced him to "life inside the box" and Henry quickly joined the elite Toy Box Diving Club.

Unfortunately for the divers, the "pool" was taken over by a new wall-mounted, sturdy storage bins....(pictured)

...but Where There's a WILL There's a HENRY!

(To those in the Henry Fan Club, he's perfectly fine here...just frustrated that the toy box is limiting his climbing ability, but I'm sure he thanks you for your concern.)

Here's the old file footage of Henry's Toy Box Initiation in December:

Hats off to your creativity and great sportsmanship (even if it is forced), Henry!

Name That Quad! - Part Deux

Your comments in the Part One post shows that every name has a story! Thanks for sharing your name origins with us - I've enjoyed these posts!

So last post I shared the HOW....now on to each individual name and story to go with it - the WHO! (I'll be using some quotes from a sweet friend, Kathy, who created a handmade card for us shortly after the birth of our boys with their names, meanings, and a verse to compliment the meaning. I'm not sure what name book she used, so hopefully if she's reading she'll leave a comment revealing her source.)

Let me preface this by saying that Brad and I had a few Naming Rules. These were simply personal preferences. I am not in any way slamming your kids names if they fit into any of these criteria....=)

1. They couldn't rhyme or be "sing-song cute".
2. They needed to be non-trendy; Traditional, yet distinct.
3. They needed to be names that were complete in itself - not needing to be shortened to a nickname (This rule was obviously meant to be broken...keep reading!)
4. They (at least some of them) needed to have a family link.
5. They couldn't rhyme with "Murray"....That eliminated furry, hurry, and Suri!

In Birth Order:

HENRY SAMUEL

Henry - A name we both agreed on and since Henry was only 2 lbs. 12 oz. "Isaac" just didn't fit him!
Meaning: Trusted
Psalm 37:23 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way."

Samuel - We really liked the Biblical heritage of Samuel as well as the meaning of the name (Check out I Samuel Chapter 1)
Meaning: God heard
I Samuel 1:20 "Hannah gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the Lord."

Nicknames: H-Sam, Henry Dickory Dock, Hen, HEN-ERR-EEE (3 syllables like my TX Friend Pam says it), Heners, Show Boat, Small Fry, 2-12, Buddy

BROOKS LAYTON

Brooks - A name that we threw out there and then ended up falling in love with
Meaning: Refreshed
Zechariah 2:10 "Sing for joy and be glad O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst."

Layton - A family name on my mom's side, but mostly chosen because we just liked it
Meaning: From the Meadow Land =)
Psalm 23:1-2 "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."

Nicknames: Brooksy, Brooks A Million, Little b, Brooksalufigus, Stinky (with all my affection), Buddy

Clark Thomas and Isaac Edward will be explained in detail tomorrow. It's getting late and lengthy....On To Part 3 Tomorrow!

AND While You're Waiting on Me to Return You can Discuss the Meaning of Your Name (or your baby(ies)) and Any Naming Rules You had/have for Your Kids!

Quad Cam

Thanks for sharing all your money saving ideas and your personal recommendations on our last post. We're up to almost 50 comments showing that you truly are passionate diaper enthusiast! I hate to end all the great diaper dialogue, but I wanted to post some recent video highlights.

The first video is proof that I'm not a big fat liar. =) I mentioned a few posts ago about how Clark was doing "So Big" for Brad and I, but looks at us like we are crazy fools when I ask him in front of anyone else...Caught on camera!!!



The second is Henry up to his usual mischief. When we revamped the guest room/office into the playroom we gated off the "leftovers" (desk-top computer, vacuum, desk, office equipment, and such) until we had a chance to find a place for it. Henry decided it was high time for us to find a new home for it all. How he fits his big head in a 2" gap is beyond me! Move over, Curious George - Here comes Henry!



Don't worry I haven't forgotten about the other quad buddies (Brooks and Isaac). I just didn't have any recent footage, but if you're dying to see them in action you can click here to re-watch these great Quad Cam Moments.

Speaking of watching.....Gotta cheer on our Indianapolis Colts Sunday as they stomp the San Diego Chargers in the playoffs. Go Horse!

New Episode....

Although this may appear to be a re-run (see Brooks' video), this is brand new footage! Henry apparently wanted to reenact the classic toy box episode.



My dad has labeled Henry as the future "troublemaker" and he just might be on to something....After all, this is the kid that tried to break out of his isolette when he was 2 days old! Here's some pictures of a more successful attempt in climbing in the toy box.

To add to his record - I've found Henry in the playroom without pants 2x now! How the little dude figured out how to de-pants himself is beside me, but I'm thinking it's WAY too early for this mischief!

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For.......

Henry, you tell them....

"BABAH BAH BAH DAD DAAH DAH!"

That's right, Henry doesn't really speak English yet! Well, the news is we now have 3 cribs up in the nursery! HAHAAAA! Okay, so maybe it's not the BIG news you were anticipating, (and folks, I hope you aren't too disappointed when we reveal the real news, because you have come up with some very clever guesses) but it is BIG news in our house. We've been waiting for 8 months for this! Brad and I were able to take a field trip to BRU this weekend for a crib mattress. Then we had to play the "cram the crib" game, but I'm fairly pleased with the results. I guess I should tell you who got separated and why. Henry and Isaac are now proud owners of their very own cribs! Henry learned how to climb up and over the crib divider, thus waking his brother Isaac by plopping on top of him. Yep, it was time. Clark and Brooks continue to be cuddly and content together, so we'll refrain from cramming another crib into the room for now.

As for the teaser, I can't tell you just yet! I have to speak with some "insiders" before the secret can be revealed. Keep checking in, I've got a few more hints up my sleeve!

From the Hiccups of Babes

Yesterday after a particularly challenging and tiring day, I guess I had a little "learning moment" from my buddies Isaac and Henry. My brother and I were just having a discussion on Monday about how much kids show you your own sin and selfishness, humble you, and hold you accountable. Well, last night at the nine o'clock feeding (my favorite feeding - it's quiet, the boys are sleepy adorable and Brad and I are able to have actual conversations) Isaac and Henry were finished with their bottles and ready to put down for the night. We had them sitting up (burping position) and facing each other. Well, Henry had the hiccups. Poor guy, he gets them so often and so strong! However, Isaac was getting a kick out of it. He was checkin' Henry out and beaming every time Henry hiccuped. Isaac even started trying to imitate Henry by breathing and kinda jumping on Brad's lap. Henry started smiling from Isaac smiling. It was such a precious moment and I wish there would have been someone there to grab the video camera, but it was a sweet thing that Brad and I got to share. Okay you ready for the corny application point?

There are PLENTY of "hiccups" in life, Jen. Step back and laugh at your crazy day. Don't let the little things get you so down that you miss the amazing things happening around you! Smile at the hiccups.

Profound, theological, deep, book worthy, huh? Hey, they aren't even 5 months old, give them and their mama a break!

We could not do any of this on a daily basis without first of all, Jesus Christ - He gets the glory! Thank you for all that you have done to serve us. Thanks for continuing to read our blog, leaving comments of encouragement, supplying us with diapers and meals, feeding babies, thanks for your patience with us as we learn how to parent these boys, and just your overall willingness to help us. Our hearts are grateful.

Catching You Up....

Alright, so where should I start?????? Let's just start with the boys and what they've been up to.....We have a doctor's appointment today, their 4 month appointment - can you believe it? 4 shots a piece for a grand total of 16 shots and 8 bandaides. Ouch! We will be Tylenoling (yes, it's now a verb) all night. There's a specific prayer request for ya! I'll try to get on and update you on weights. We look forward to that part!

Let's see....the boys are growing and are so much fun each day. Especially now that they are all smiling up a storm, it makes you feel like, "hey, he likes me". Everytime one of them smiles it makes my day over and over. What a blessing! They are sleeping about 9 hours on average a night, with an occasional pacifer run. Whoohooo! It was hard work, but it's now paying off. We are such better parents with a good nights sleep and we are so thankful for some real shut-eye! Their day consists of feedings every 3 hours, playtime, and naptime. They enjoy their bouncy seats, boppies, and gym mostly. Here's a short run down of what they are doing individually.

Henry: Henry has been showing that he still is the oldest by rolling over, (which is quite an accomplishment for a 2 month old (adjusted age)). He loves to do his trick in his bed, while he should be sleeping! Occasionally he rolls into his big brother Isaac, which he isn't too fond of, but we are keeping them in 2 cribs for as long as possible. The crib dividers maybe just around the corner, though. Henry smiles with his whole face - too cute. He has such a sweet personality.








This Henry right after he rolled over for the first time!



Brooks: Brooks continues to be laid back and go with the flow. He likes to smile most when you're feeding him, which is very cute, but a bit frustrating when you are trying to feed 4 babies! He's been figuring out how to bat at his toys and loves to look at his brothers. He curls up with Clark in the middle of the night - so cute!





Clark on the left, Brooks on the right. Yes, we really can tell them apart! Promise!








Clark: Clark loves to kick (this started way back in wombville). He was definately my most active one in there. He loves to hang upside down by kicking backwards in his boppie. He has a wonderful grin and is quite the happy boy when you wake him up from his nap. He has rolled over once in the boppie and once in his crib - we'll see if he keeps that up! He's also quite the cuddler.

Isaac: Isaac is the talker of the bunch. He makes noise from sleeping to waking. I'm thinking he might be immitating his cousin Jonathan. He loves to smile and coo at you while you talk to him. He just loves to eat! Isaac loves to be held and loved on.

Isaac showing off his big ole cheeks and no neck!




They each have their own personality, as you can see. Hope you enjoyed my little update.

More blogging later,
Quatro Mama and the Gang!

Back to the blog.....sorry for the blog vacation!

Friends and Family:

Hello from the Murray family!

I am sorrry for the delay in adding a new post to the website. As you can imagine, life has changed dramatically for Jen and I. I have found it difficult to find the time to give everyone an update, and when I have had a chance, I have been overwhelmed because of how many things there are to tell you about.

First, Jen and the boys are doing really well. As many of you have seen, Jen is back to her beautiful self, both physically and emotionally, and our boys are growing like weeds already! I cannot beleive that my little preemie sons are now 8-10+ pounds and doing so well. In the past two months, God has shown Jen and I how he intended to provide for us once the boys arrived. We have yet to purchase a single diaper or anything else for the boys. I had no idea how we were going to afford to raise our boys, and I still don't, but God has placed his hand of provision on our family and blessed us in a mighty way through your generosity.

A little about our new family:

Henry:

Henry, who is still our smallest, probably weighs in the vicinity of 8 pounds these days. Since starting life at 2lbs. 12 ounces, he has grown into his skin and is plumping up nicely. I am excited to see Henry's personality reveal itself further in the coming months. He does his own thing and rarely follows his brother's examples. Henry has continued to have miraculous health. Along with his brothers, he has had no illnesses, but he also has continued to grow and eat and give us very little worries about his health.

Brooks:

Brooks has been fun to watch since bringing him home in February. He came home weighing less than four pounds, but now is about nine pounds. As I mentioned in previous postings, Brooks has a hernia that we are watching, but his pediatric urologist seems to think that it will close on its own in the coming months. Please pray that this will happen, then we would be able to avoid surgery. The only other issue that we are dealing with daily with Brooks is his projectile spit-up. Many parents have told us their own stories of babies with this issue. As long as he is gaining weight, this is not a health concern for him. But, I think Jen and I should buy some stock in Resolve cleaner, as Brooks is trying to stain every peice of furniture and carpet we own! :) Brooks is a calm little boy and a pure joy to watch develop.

Clark:

Clark has not looked back since leaving the hospital in March. All of our concerns for him as we brought him home have turned into relief as he has thrived. He truely is our little superman. Clark has joined Brooks in having problems with projectile spit-ups, giving us plenty of messes to clean up. In fact, little Clark decided it was payback time last week. Brooks spit-up right in Clark's face a couple of weeks ago as I left for work. So, a few days ago, while laying in their cribs, Clark nailed Brooks in the face, making them even. Neither were very happy when they were rudely awaked from their sleep by about three ounces of formula in the face coming from their brother! The boys now seem to be getting along fine, please pray that this fight is settled! :)

Isaac:

Isaac is still the tank. Born a whopping four pounds, we are now guessing that he has left 10 pounds in the dust. We go tomorrow for a weight check, so we will know for sure then. Isaac is the most vocal of the Murray Crew. (except for me of course) Isaac makes noise when he is sitting in his bouncy seat, when he is eating, and even when he is sleeping. Jen and I lay awake one night a week or so ago listening to him make a little sigh noise over and over. I worried that he might be weazing or something, so I went in to check on him. After leaning in close, it was clear that it was just his voice, making little ahhh sounds as he exhaled. I have a feeling once he learns to talk, we may never experience silence again! (he gets this honestly from his father)

Well, I have also attached some pictures below. These are not really up to date, but they are as up-to-date as I have on my flash drive. I will post more later and I hope to post a little more often now.

We love you all, thank you for your love and support, our God is so good.

Brad, Jen, Henry, Brooks, Clark, and Isaac

Our two double strollers, thank you RCI!

From the left: Brooks, Isaac, Henry, and Clark

From the left: Isaac, Henry, Clark, and Brooks

Clark and Brooks

Brooks and Clark

Top to bottom: Henry and Isaac

Isaac

Formula for one month!