Sippy Cup Personal Ad: The Quest for The Perfect Sippy

My Pseudo-Submission to E-Harmony:



Happily Married Loving Mama of Four ISO (In Search Of) Non-Leaking, Easy to Hold, Cheap, BPA-Free, SIPPY CUP! Perfection is a PLUS! Looking for lifetime friendship!!!

Trying to find "The Perfect Sippy" is like trying to find Richard Simmons a date for the prom. (I can say this because I've met him personally, but that story I'll save for another blog.)Seriously, it's nuts! Soooooo many sippy cups out there, and now we have the whole BPA junk to mess with (If BPA is new terminology for you or you are looking for BPA-Free Products, this link is a great resource), plus purchasing sippy cups x4 turns into quite an investment! I decided my quest for "The Perfect Sippy" needed to be documented - Laugh, Cry, Comment! =)

Exhibit A: Our Sippy Cup Cabinet (Recently organized by Kathy C. while she was over watching the boys - HUGE Kudos!)

You'll see we've got options in the cabinet for thirst quenchin' action:

Option 1: Playtex First Sipster (Henry's Preference)

Pros: Very Little Leakage, Easy to Sip, Fairly Easy to Clean, Stackable, BPA-Free
Cons: Doesn't Fit in Cup Holders Due to Handles, Losable Parts to Clean

Option #2: Nuby Gripper Cup (Clark's Preference)

Pros: CHEAP (.99 @ Wal-mart), No parts to wash and loose, BPA Free
Cons: Leaks When Upside down, Hard to Screw on Top, Mouthpiece Has to Be Aligned Just So to Keep From Leaking, Unstackable, Leaks When Shook....Did I Mention It Leaks?????

Option #3: Take & Toss Sippy Cup (Van's Preference)

Pros: Cheap, Stackable, Convenient, Portable, BPA Free
Cons: Leaks When Squeezed, Shook, etc., Chewable Mouthpiece

So in continuing my search for "The Perfect Sippy ", I've turned to the Playtex Sipster, recommended by a triplet/twin mom. It was reasonably priced, somewhat stackable, so far leak free, BPA free, comes in 4 different lid colors, and the boys didn't get angry with them on the first try....so have I found my prince charming? Only Time Will Tell! Wish me Luck!

Stylize Me!

Our blog needed a fresh, SPRING look and thanks to Blogs for a Cause we're looking fantabulous!

You guys REALLY have to check out Nikki (http://www.madebynikki.blogspot.com/). Get this - She's a college student making incredibly creative blog designs for charity. Most of the profits will fund her upcoming summer humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic and another portion she donates to a charity of the month. This month is The Adoption of William, which will capture your heart.

Waiting by the computer for your reations (in between diapers, feedings, playtime, cleaning up, etc. of course!).....

The Story Is Still Unfolding....

I wanted to let you know that St. Vincent's Tiny Successes Campaign has updated our Quad Story with a One Year Update! It looks like this:

The writers and designers do such a phenomenal job creating such a great look and really "stick to the story". In fact, our Tiny Successes Campaign won several awards both locally and nationally for print ad, web design, radio ad, and the television commercial. (If you click on the links it will provide the press releases and/or link to the ads.)

You'll wanna click on the link below to see more and read the dialogue from my recent interview:

http://www.stvincent.org/MyStory/tinysuccesses/quad_1year.htm

In case you live in Indiana, you can find our print ad in this month's issues of Parents and Parenting Magazines.

If you're new to 4tunate and have no clue at this point to what I'm referring to I'll repost the radio and television ad for you to view, plus I know that some of you faithful readers want to see it again! (This original post will also fill you in.)

We just feel incredibly blessed to have a part in this campaign and to be living a Tiny Success Story!

NICU Survival Kits: Part V

If you are newish to our blog you might wanna check out this link to catch you up on NICU Survival Kits (Parts 1-4)- you'll get the 411 on what they are, who they go to, what's in them, etc.

Since our last update here's some progress that's going on with the kits:

~There's been talk about a possible sponsorship for a portion of the kits. (I don't know the details, but I will fill you in as I get more specifics.)

~We've started working on a card to put in the kits about our personal experience.

~We've opened a separate account for sole use of NICU kit contents, complete with a debit card that donates to the March of Dimes every time I use it - isn't that awesome? It looks like this:

~We received our first donation check from a blog reader.

~We've gotten a nice stash of homemade blankets for the kits.

~We received a few schedule books from justmultiples to try out.

~We've received a payment check from Adsense for hosting ads on this blog (proceeds going towards the NICU kits)

~We visited our NICU and perinatologist office around the boys birthday to thank them once again for the excellent job they did in caring for our boys. We are so grateful for the roles they played in their health and well-being. Here's some pictures from our visit:

Henry getting a birthday hug from DeDe; She "caught" him when he was born

Dr. Sumner's IN the choo-choo wagon - he's still a kid at heart and we love him for it!

Sheesh! That's more than I thought had happened in a month!

A couple of questions I need to answer.....

How do I decide who gets the kits?

My contacts so far have been either a personal connection, through friends, or through this blog. I would LOVE to make one for each multiple family/preemie that I hear about, but right now I do not have the resources (time, finances, etc.) to do so....for now I'm trying to send out at least 1 per month.

What size do I make the blankets, how do I get them to you, what should they be made out of?

I prefer 20 x 20 or close (they don't have to be square - rectangle are fine)...a little smaller or a little larger is just dandy too! They can be yarn, fleece, or fabric. Email me at quatro_mama [at] yahoo [dot] com for my mailing address.

Are there other items that need donated?

It seriously floors me that any of you would be interested in supporting this cause any more than what you are already doing by visiting our site. You can find the contents of the kit here. I've got plenty of lotion and journals for now, but the other items are still needed. My next item to purchase is some storage containers, so that I can stock up and put them together more quickly/efficiently.

How can we donate, how can I sponsor a kit, will you put a donate button on the blog?

Again, blows my mind! For now, we are not adding a donate button to this site, for various reasons. We are looking into creating a 501c3 account (there's a pretty hefty application fee)...so it may be down the road, making donations tax deductible. If you truly feel led to donate please contact me (email posted above) and I can give you our mailing address.
Please know that we package these kits not with the intention of gathering donations, but rather a way for US to give back to other families facing similar situations that we have experienced, but enjoy sharing it with you!

Once again, feel free to leave me a comment or send an email with questions, encouraging words, or suggestions. I will try my best to get back with each of you in a timely manner. Thanks for being part of the TEAM!

Tiny Successes, Ginormous Billboard

Our friend Jayson alerted us that our St. Vincent's Tiny Successes Campaign was displayed on a billboard at The Fashion Mall at Keystone. We thought, "cool, we'll have to check it out sometime"....What we didn't realize is it's the size of a BUS! Hilariously Huge!

Funny story to go with it....Brad and I were able to go out to eat for his birthday (thanks Joan and Cindy for watching the boys), so we decided to check it out while we were in the area. I took the camera with me to take a few shots. Just as soon as I snapped these 2, a security guard from out of no where quickly approaches me and with his limited English skills informs me I cannot take any pictures inside the mall. Say what????? I told him they were OUR KIDS, but I guess a rule is a rule and he wouldn't let me take anymore. Thankfully he didn't confiscate my camera or throw me in jail....I'm such the troublemaker!

So if you're in the Indy area check it out...just watch your back!

(If you are not in the Indy area you can find our story on the St. Vincent's Tiny Success Website by clicking here.)

watch out Gap...our sign is 20 of yours!

PS I haven't forgotten the promised NICU Survival Kit Post....I'm planning on posting it tonight.

Our 1st (and possibly only) Q & A....

First and foremost THANK YOU for your outpouring of encouragement and congratulations through the past week. I'm glad I could share little pieces of our celebration of LIFE with you.....

I've been a bit stumped on how to follow up what has been some of our best blog posts ever (in my humble opinion). I can't possibly beat the 1st Year Video, Cake Pics, or 1st Bday Memories! So I've decided to attempt a Q & A....Hopefully I don't kick myself for it later!

I've selected a FEW questions/comments that I've been getting via comments or email.

Please don't be offended if I didn't choose your specific question. There's probably a variety of reasons why I did not (ie: It was too intrusive, I've answered it before on this blog, I don't know the answer, or because I'm just mean like that -HA!). I also would ask that you refrain from turning this post into a forum of comments/questions that you would never say aloud to your grandmother......(I'm typing this with a smile, but in all seriousness there is some REAL negativity in the air these days in the blogosphere, so I ask that you'd respect our family and keep in mind that our boys will be reading this someday.) I do read every comment, but screening every comment would be much too time consuming. On the other hand, I do like to promote blog interaction....just use some descretion! We'll see how it goes and who knows perhaps we'll turn this in to somewhat routine post?????

Let the Q&A Commence....

~What Artist/Song Titles did you use in the video montage? (-Anonymous)

"All Things New" - Watermark

"Ordinary Miracle" - Sarah McLachlan

"Everything Glorious" - David Crowder Band

~Where do you get a feeding table like you have? (-Stacy, Auntiem)

You can find out more details here, but we researched and found it for the best price (plus free shipping) at http://www.justmultiples.com/ It's our all-round favorite "multiple" product! Yep, Suz, original seats + still room to grow!

~Where did you get your plastic bibs? (- The Donovans)

Baby Bjorn. Love 'em! Rinse 'em off and they're good to go for the next feeding. Best part: no extra laundry!

~Are Brooks and Isaac "the twins"? (-Joan's Musings)

Trust me, I get the "which ones are the twins" question a TON! I'm always tempted to say "they all are!", because truly they are ALL either fraternal or identical twins or to say, "none of them, they're quads!"....but I get it, you want to know who's identical: Brooks and Clark are the 2 peas in 1 pod!

~What color are my kitchen walls? (-Karen)

Glad you like them, but I have trouble remembering the last time I brushed my teeth. I can't recall the paint color from 3 years ago. Sorry. We got it from Porter Paints - hope that narrows it down to a few thousand.

What would you recommend for a Hospital Bed Rest Kit? (-Amanda)

Hmmm...I think I'm better at NICU Kits...maybe my quad sistas could chime in with some great suggestions for this one....Anything homemade is appreciated when your "institutionalized", toe polish, lotion, music, sudoku, a visit????

~Which hospital did we deliver at? (-Dawn)

St. Vincent's Women's. Can't say enough great things about the NICU care we received. Check out the commercial we were featured in on their behalf if you haven't already.....

~How's come our kiddos didn't have to wear cranial bands like Suz's? How did you get them in shape post-birth without them? (-The ever so popular Anonymous)

Without getting too "medi-techno"....Although the boys' heads were quite a mess at birth due to being soooooo cramped inside me, somehow our kids' heads have shaped up remarkably well on their own. (They did use a Halo Pillow in the NICU for Henry's preemie head) However, this does not mean I did or didn't do something right. Simply, our little guys heads were more pliable/soft and more symmetrical. Congrats to the Steece Quads for escaping theirs so quickly!

~How do we tell our boys apart? Do we use bracelets, etc.? (-You guessed it!)

We just know. I wish I could tell you the secret, but I can't really describe it. They seem so distinct to me....Brooks and Clark are the trickiest, but once you're around them for a while you begin to pick up on the little things. Their personalities are all sooooo different as well.

NICU Survival Kit Headed to The Big "D"

Well past my bedtime last night, I was putting together a NICU Survival Kit for Casey Gerwer who just delivered quadruplets yesterday at 29 weeks in Dallas, TX! You can find the stats on Reid, Cameron, Trey, and Brady on their blog. Please keep them in your prayers especially over these next few weeks as their babies transition from womb to the real world where they are expected to do all the full-term tasks (breathing, feeding, maintaining their body temp., and yes, pooping!) 11 weeks early. Congratulations, especially goes out to Casey as she fought so hard for these babies and did so well to make it to 29 weeks! Way to go quad mama, welcome to the club!

Can I tell you how much I love putting these kits together?!!! I find myself praying for the family as I pack the contents of the kit. I pray for the mom's recovery, strength for dad, the babies to be little fighters, the doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapist that are so vital to the baby's survival......and then I'm overwhelmed with gratefulness as I reflect on our NICU days and how blessed we are with 4 healthy babies!

Especially this little guy (Clark) who really made our NICU nurses work for their money

Our super-sitter (well, she's free so I guess she's not really a sitter), Tami, is on her way with some hand-made preemie blankets for the kit. So soft and sweet! Many of you have emailed about the blankets so I want to give you some "specs". Tami's are 12 x 12 (some a little bigger or more rectangle), and I could also use some 20 x 20's.

Lastly, an enormous thank you to my friend Melissa, who donated a sack full of really nice lotion from Bath and Body Works for the kits. I'm telling ya, your hands get so sore and dry from scrubbing up that lotion just melts in your hands. This will be wonderful, Melissa!

Oh yeah, one more thing...then I have to get some lunch while I have the chance! There's been a lot of chatter about Adsense lately (Suz added it to her site too). While we can't tell you how we get money from the ads due to "contractual obligation"- you can easily look this up on our friend google to find out if your curiousity is killing or check out problogger for more....or try monetizing out for yourself (you can sign up here by clicking on the link in the left column under the ads)!

.....Seacrest, OUT

The Diaper Diaries

For those of you scared to read any further fearing this is a descriptive post about a diaper blowout, breath easy (literally)! Perhaps another time....(kidding, mom!!!!)

I just wanted to post about our car payment diaper budget. When we first started telling people we were expecting quadruplets, diapers almost always became the next topic of conversation. At the beginning we estimated diapers alone (@ 40 per day) would cost $20.00 a day!!! That's $600 a month, basically a mortgage payment!!!!! Yikes!

However, thanks to many of you: our family at The Bible Church of Brownsburg, staff at Brown Elementary, Publicis, members of Pittsboro PHI BETA PSI, Reynolds United Methodist, and countless individuals who donated a pack or two - 2007 was a FREE Diaper Year for the Murray Crew!!!!! What a GINORMOUS blessing this has been!

So now that our diaper surplus is "drying" up I'm out to find the the biggest "load" for my money! I'll be carefully reading Baby Cheapskate's Top Diaper Deals of the Week and staying on the look out for the best diaper coupons....If only we could find a coupon for Pampers like the one we found for Gerber baby food!

On another diaper note....have you noticed that people are more passionate about their favorite diaper brand than they are about politics? Seriously, people divide friendships over Huggies! So you want my opinion????? (I do consider myself a diaper connoisseur) ....I'm a Pampers Girl if money isn't an issue, but Luvs for value. However, Pampers Swadlers are worth every penny in the beginning! Store-brands seem to cost more in the long run, because you end up changing more often, because they don't hold the um, ....elements! We're bumping up to size 4's this week!

I'll look forward to your comments on how much you agree or beg to differ with me....Better yet, where I can find the steal of the week on diapers! =) =) =) =)

Top 5 Christmas Traditions to Be Shared

Welcome back!!! Many of you are buried up to your elbows in tissue paper, 13 lbs heavier, and contemplating what to do with the life-size stuffed pony that Aunt Beth thought would be so appropriate for your little cowboy - but we're glad you're back to checking out the Murray Crew!!!

In all seriousness, I hope this post-Christmas you aren't experiencing the blues, but you are filled with a renewed love for Christ and His goodness. It's so common to try to satisfy ourselves with things during this season, but things leave us empty. I read a great quote on my dear friend Gretchen's blog a few weeks ago that I find appropriate today,

"Take the Christmas season, for instance. Every holiday I can be drawn to all things Christmassy--the shopping, buying gifts, wrapping presents, decorating the tree, baking holiday treats, attending parties and celebrations. Of course these things are not wrong in and of themselves. They can be delightful gifts from God. But I can be tempted to desire them more than the most important thing--regardless of the season: sitting at the Lord’s feet (Luke 10:38-41). And then I wonder why my heart feels so dull come December 26th. This holiday I don’t want my soul stuffed only with decorations, shopping, and Christmas cookies. I want to make every effort to drink deeply of God’s presence so my soul will be truly satisfied." -Carolyn Mahaney

I encourage you to take some time to reflect on your Christmas and how you were able to celebrate the birth of our Savior. That's why I saved my traditions post (well, that AND because it took me so long to narrow down my favorites). It's not too early to plan for next year and it's not too late to continue celebrating!!!!!

Here's my Top 5 Favorite Christmas Traditions that YOU Shared!!!

1. I've heard others recommend only giving 3 presents to represent the 3 gifts brought to Jesus by the magi, but ahenfelters had a great way of giving this idea even more meaning

Gold - a gift that is truly desired

Frankincense - a gift for the body (lotion, clothing, jewelry, etc.)

Myrrh - something to improve your spiritual walk

2. Jo suggests after you've put the tree and decorations away for the year to leave out the basket of Christmas cards and pick a card each night to pray over the individual or family who sent the card.

3. A few of you suggested acting out the nativity or having your own Christmas Eve service if you can't make it to your local church service. I think this is one we'll have to incorporate in the near future - 6 people could make up a pretty good cast of sheperds, donkeys, wisemen, etc.

(and 2 other "delightful gifts".....)

4. Many of you know how much I LOVE children's books. Lori's idea is to collect 24 Christmas/winter books from rummage sales,your local library, or your own collection to use as a nightly reading countdown for December.

5. Amy R made a tree skirt and puts her kids handprints on it each year, so they can look back each year and see how tiny their hands used to be. (Evidently Amy R is much more crafty than I, but it's a great idea!)

Need more ideas? Check out the comments from this post or these great reads: The Miracle of Christmas by John MacArther, Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel and John Piper, and Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas: Ideas from A-Z by Sharon Jaynes.

PUBLISHED!

Back in June (a lifetime ago) my friend Michelle Harrod gave me this great site, Babycheapskate, and it's been saving me money ever since. It was featured in the July issue of Parents Magazine and has earned a great reputation for saving money on everything baby. Many of you will recall this site from our post in August, "God Always Provides...Sometimes through Coupons", where Brad and I (and a few comrades) were able to buy 513 jars of baby food for just over $10 (unbelievable)! Well, Angie, the Babycheapskate herself asked me to write a guest post on saving money with multiples. I was honored! Anyway, I know many of you already frequent her site, but I had to plug my little article! (You may need to scroll down, because she posts frequent updates on the best deals!)

RSV = Rotten Stinky Virus

Well, I've shed some tears today after being DENIED our Synagis shots for RSV. For those of you unfamiliar with RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) let me do my best to explain.....
___________________________________
Update: Great news!! After being denied by our secondary insurance, which we were assured was the best route to take for approval, I was informed this morning that our primary health network does not make the final decision on these matters, and it appears we may get these shots covered afterall!! It will still cost us over $2,000 for the year, but this is much better than $38,000. Please keep praying, we are not declaring victory yet, but it appears we may get these covered. Thank you for praying and for all the helpful suggestions, we love you all!!

___________________________________

Like the flu or common cold, RSV is a seasonal virus. It starts NOW and continues into about April. It's common and easily spread infecting nearly all children by the age of 2.

Most kids (born at full-term) develop moderate - severe cold like symptoms, but due to preemies fragile, less developed lungs and lower immune system they are at increased risk for developing severe RSV infection leading to severe lung infection (ie: pneumonia), life-threatening breathing problems, hospitalization, etc.

Let's take a look at the risk factors.....

• Premature birth (35 wks or less) - CHECK


• Heart disease - NOPE


• Lung Issues - Clark had respiratory distress and Isaac was ventalated as well


• Being Around Other Children - It's nearly impossible to find help without kids, but we are trying


• Family History of Asthma - Don't think so...


• Exposure to tobacco smoke - NOPE


• Low Birth weight (less than 5.5 lbs) - CHECK, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK


• Multiple Births - Ah, YEAH

So obviously we meet plenty of risk factors, yet we are being denied because we don't smoke, don't take our kids to daycare, and our kids are "too healthy". I'm thrilled that they are healthy, but we'd like to think that having the Synagis shot has had something to do with that!

Synagis is the only approved medicine to protect from the severity of RSV, which is the #1 cause of hospitalization in babies under one year. However, if we paid for the shots on our own it would cost us $6400 dollars per month for a grand total of over $38,000. Yes, 38 GRAND! This just isn't possible for our income. We are still working the system to see if we can get approved, but it's not looking too promising at this time. If anyone reading has any advise, or info. we gain from similar experiences or connections, please let us know through a comment or email.

What does this mean for us if we don't get approved? More isolation - which has been a blow today, just to be honest. After months of bedrest, hospitalization, then the NICU, then staying home to protect the little guys, and staying away from church, family gatherings, holidays, etc. it's hard to think about being cooped up for the next 6-7 months. I'm more than ready to have a more "normal" life. However, I know that God is sovereign in ALL things and I can bank on that.

Would you join us in praying for a few things?

1. Ultimately, that we would be approved for the Synagis shots
   
2. For wisdom in deciding how much isolation is sufficient
   
3. Contentment in all circumstances and outcomes
   
4. That God would continue to protect our boys and that we would trust Him over and over again with their lives. They are yours, Lord

Sorry that this was not my typical light-hearted post. Just keepin' it real.....I am overwhelmingly grateful for 4 healthy boys and all that God has provided thus far. Blogging helps remind me of this much is true!

Illustations and data taken from www.synagis.com

What Fall Means To Us....

Henry likin' the yellow leaves

Our 1st trip to the Pumpkin Patch


Hiking in the Runabout at Eagle Creek

Brooks and Clark in the trees

Isaac overlooking Eagle Creek Reservoir

The last few weekends we've been able to soak up God's creation and enjoy an Indiana Fall. A photography blog I enjoy recently posted pictures from readers on "What Fall Means To You". You can see some beautiful pictures (including our family in picture "F") by clicking on the link.

Go to her blog and vote on your favorite picture!

http://noemiphotography.com/blog/2007/10/31/photo-contest-picturesdrum-roll-please/

With all the Christmas decorations going up in a Wal-mart near you, I wanted to post this to show how we are celebrating this season. Fall takes a new meaning for us this year - enjoying some of the traditional along with new joys.

Here's some things of fall that we have grown (or are growing) to love. Please post a comment on What Fall Means to YOU!

• Warm Apple Cider
• 4 Little Pumpkins on our Front Walk
• Soup of the Week
• Bundling up 6 of us for an evening walk
• Squash (in processed form!)
• Colt's Football with the whole Blue Crew

Why St. Vincent's? (Exclusive Birth Video!)

(5 minutes after the Murray crew was born)

When St. Vincent's Hospital approached us about doing a commercial about our NICU experience, Jen and I were suprised to say the least. We quickly decided that we wanted to do the spot, despite the fact that it was going to be a really hectic day. We had, so far, avoided most media attention, and had kind of decided that we liked it that way.

So, for you local moms, here is our answer to the question, why St. Vincent's?

During our NICU stay, we watched as many babies were transported there, shortly after birth, from around the state. I remember thinking how much better off these babies would have been, had they been born there to start with.

Then, when the unthinkable happens, and your baby comes early or has unexpected complications, this wonderful NICU staff is right down the hall. You cannot tell me that a baby who needs intensive care, but has to be transported from 30 minutes or 3 hours away, has as good a chance at survival as one who can be rushed down the hall and into the NICU in 2 minutes or less from birth.

I am sure that all of our local hospitals in the area have wonderful facilities for your typical birth. And, most of the time, that is all you need. Unfortunately, many babies are born everyday who are expected to do well and thrive, yet for various reasons, need serious medical attention in order to survive. Why wouldnt you plan to have your baby at a hosptial with the highest level of NICU care availiable? This is why we decided to promote this wonderful NICU. (Ok, I will get off my soapbox now!)

As I sit here and type, Jen is working on our new project that we are anxious to annouce later this week. We are so excited to tell you about how much revenue you have all helped to generate just by coming to our blog over the past few months, and how we plan to spend it on this new, NICU related project.

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

(PS More NICU and birth video is coming soon, stay tuned!!)

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!

Adventures in the Venture

This past weekend Jen and I decided we would head for our hometown, Covington, IN. Every year on the weekend around Jen’s birthday, Covington has an Apple Festival on the square downtown. Covington is a very small town, and since we both grew up there, we were hoping to catch up with lots of people that we have not seen in a long time.

The night before, Jen spent a lot of time getting things ready such as bottles, diapers, clothes changes in case of blowouts, toys, and all of the other stuff that it to get away with four 8 month olds for the day. While she was getting that stuff ready, I was busy trying to find a way to get our quad stroller in the van so that we could take one stroller instead of two. I was able to remove the rear tires, the front tire, and the handle, which allowed me to fit it in the cargo space in the back of the van. (Quite an accomplishment!) I assured Jen that it would take me less than 5 minutes to reassemble the stroller once we got there.

The next morning, we got the boys up an hour early (8am) so that we could feed them their bottles and cereal and hit the road. Everything went really well and we were on the road by 9am or so. On our way out of town, the van lurched and the steering wheel locked up on the way around the corner and started making some crazy sounds. Fortunately, we were going slow enough that this did not cause any major problems.

I pulled into the nearest gas station to ponder what to do next. The van seemed to be running fine, and had quit making the noises. I was instantly upset that we might not make it to Covington, we were really looking forward to getting out for the day. Plus, so much planning and preparation had gone into this trip, that I was actually tempted to pull back onto the road and see how things went. But, in better judgement, I decided to get out and take a look. When I opened the hood I was greeted by a cloud of steam and spraying fluid. Obviously, I knew our plans were shot at this point.

I took Jen and the boys home immediately and headed for Big O Tire (who we always trust with our break-down crisis') in Brownsburg. They did their best to get me in, but the repairs would not be completed until Monday. God truly protected my family this past weekend. The van could have easily broken down on the way to Covington on the interstate, but He protected us from this. Our van has over 125k miles on it, so I expect it to break down from time to time, but I trust that God will take care of us. Ever seen a tow truck with room for 4 baby seats? We would certainly have to find someone to come pick us up (in a bus!) if this ever happened. I wish our van had lower mileage on it, but I am not willing to go into debt for a van with all of the other expenses we have going. I just trust that God will protect us from bad circumstances, and show us the way out when they are unavoidable.

God did bring some good out of the van problems though. Our friends Mark and Susie let us borrow their van for the weekend while ours was in the shop. (Which we ended up loving for the ability to fit 3 carseats across the back and JEN was able to load them all herself! Usually we have to hoist the boys carseats up and over the 1st row of back seats and this takes some serious strength from Mr. Gladiator.) This allowed us to go to Calvary Baptist Church in Danville, IL where Jen grew up and we were married. Calvary not only blessed us with a TON of baby items and other material goods, but they were so faithful to pray for our boys and keep updated during Jen's pregnancy. Their pastor allowed us to go up front with the boys and thank the church formally, we were blessed to be there! Thank you Calvary Baptist Church, we love you all!!

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

Caring is Sharing

What nice, well-mannered boys we have! Quads who play together, stay together. Alright, so I know this picture captures a brief moment in our boys lives, where there is no understanding of the "MINE" mentality. I've been "preparing" myself by reading other multiple blogs who's kids are a step above our boys to get a picture of what I have in store in the future. Here's an excerpt from fellow quad mama, Gen McNulty of her typical 5 minute "conversation" with her toddlers:

"Russ, stop biting Biddie! Libby, stop whacking Molly with that block! Molly, give that toy back to Ally! Ally, stop taking off Bubba's diaper! Ally, stop taking off your own diaper! Libby, don't bite Russ! Molly, DO NOT STICK YOUR FINGER IN HIS MOUTH IF YOU DON'T WANT HIM TO BITE YOU!!!! Libby, that's Ally's bunny, where is your monkey?! Molly, give Libby back her Monkey! Molly, give Ally back her bunny! Ally, don't bite Molly! Molly, stop biting Ally!Libby, stop biting Russ! Russ, stop biting Libby! Ally, stop climbing that gate! Bubba, get out of that basket! Libby, don't take that book from Russ, please give it back! Bubba, STOP biting Libby! Libby, don't let him bite you! Molly, use your words, you don't need to scream! Ally, get off your brother's head.. he can't breath! Bubba, on your bottom, if your going to climb onto the couch I would appreciate it if you didn't dive off head first! Ally, set a good example, on your bottom! Russ, stop biting Ally! ....etc. "

And I think I'M exhausted at the end of the day! I can't imagine the amount of energy that it's going to take for these little guys! Bring on the prayers!

How to Effciently Feed Four Babies

I have lots to update you on, but first I HAVE to tell you about our feeding table! You know you've ordered something LARGE when a semi-truck shows up at your house. I had to snap a picture for proof!