You're a Grand Ole Flag

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

I'll post soon about our fun memorable day of parades and festivities AND some one WALKED across the room tonight!!!

Any guesses???

I'll leave you hangin' until tomorrow.....

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?)

Murray "Crew-Cut" Numero Dos

Nice observation, Kate! Yes, the munchkins were overdue for a "Crew-Cut", so they WE suffered through it a week or so ago. We were much to "involved" to get pictures this time, but they're still fresh cut in this picture.

How do we look, blog readers?

(EDIT: Sorry I forgot to label them! I sometimes take for granted that not everyone can tell who's who since you're not with them 24/7. Left to Right we have Clark, Isaac, Brooks, and Henry)

Related Post: 1st Haircuts

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

Say What????

Words We Say....

hi

wow

all gone

thank you

please*

more*

mama

dada

al

uh-oh

bye*

go, go

'nana

what's that

that

all done*

* Notes signed word

I wonder what the next vocabulary word will turn out to be? Any predictions?

Moving Forward....

We made the switch to forward facing car seats. I think the little munchkins are pleased with the results....

Isaac: "Mom, I can definitely do my backseat driving better from this position."

Clark: "Mom, do these windows have UV protection for my pasty white legs?"

Brooks: "Mom, a book about cookies?, this is SWEET!"

Henry: "Mom, was that my duck making that noise or was it a surprise waiting for you? Better roll down the windows!"

15 MONTHS TOMORROW!!!! I feel like my life is in fast "forward".

Olympic Hopefuls 2008....

Ready for one of my all time favorite video posts? Turn up the volume, gather around the monitor and laugh out loud with us! (Note: If you are a chiropractor, you might wanna pass!)

Wombmates Remain Cribmates

Unbelievable. Yep, it's true. The Wombmates are still Cribmates. 14 Months Old Today and Clark and Brooks are still sharing their crib. (Isaac and Henry each sleep in their own cribs.) It just gets cuter all the time. Take a look:

14 Months is the longest we've ever heard of anyone co-bedding so we'll be giving Guinness a call to see if we can get in! (Kidding) Someday when you're flipping through the pages, looking at world records for the longest eyebrow hair, the most weddings attended by a best man, most coconuts smashed in one minute, or the world's tallest parsley plant there they'll be precious as precious can be....

If not the award for world's longest co-bedders perhaps the world's sweetest?????

To see our history of co-bedding quads go here.

TGIF

It's been a FULL week and I don't know about you, but I'm sooooo glad it's FRIDAY! Even better, it's Easter weekend. An incredible reason to celebrate the sacrifice of the cross, the miracle of the tomb, and the redemption of our sins. TGIF!

Here's some of my favorite highlights of this week:
(One highlight I'm saving for it's very own post, cuz it's just that good!)

~ Brooks - Our first toilet swimming. I turned my back to find him with both hands in the water, splashing away.
~ Isaac - Cruising all over the place. So proud of him!
~ Henry- Locking himself in the playroom when everyone else was outside the gate.
~ Clark - Saying, "Go, Go!"

Unfortunately, the changing table shelf got the best of Brooks yesterday while practicing his walking skills. I think he looks adorable even with a goose on his head. It's kind of a rite of passage for a little boy. He's amazingly tough - he was back to smiling 2 minutes later! I sooooooo would have cried harder and longer over a bump that big!

And for these reasons, my friends, we've invested in our trusty baby gate.

Through good times....

And the not so good times....

Keeping babies safe, one day at a time. TGIF!

Celebrating Completion.....

Today we celebrate the day we all became a family. One year ago today Clark joined us at home after a 40 day NICU stay and we were reunited under one roof. The days of trading off turns to stay with the boys at home and visit Clark in the NICU seem like a distant memory and being home together with our 4 healthy boys has been a year of many blessings, joy, and laughter.

If you'd like to look back with us on one year ago, these posts we'll take you there:

Our Family of 6 is Complete

Homecoming Pictures

Thank you for sharing in this journey of adventures with us!

Small Steps...And Giant Leaps!

This week has been quite the "leap" for our crew. In the spirit of leap year, Isaac started pulling up on everything, Henry is climbing to the top of the slide by himself, Clark is getting more stable at cruising, and Brooks has taken several steps! Everyday is quite the adventure!

(Don't mind Henry's noggin' trying to steal the show in the video.)

Keeping with the astronaut theme check out Brad and I being goofs over the weekend. "Houston I think we need a larger helmet."

Uncanny Milestone!

(Hey all, this is Brad)

To the average eye, the can above probably looks like your everyday, run of the mill formula can.

But, this can represents something much more exciting than that, this is Enfamil formula can number 440! It is very hard to believe that I will no longer be devoting 20-30 minutes per evening shaking bottles for the next day. If my calculations are correct, (probably off a bit)this can of formula made our 7,596th bottle since the boys came home from the hospital! I don't think I had any idea when I carried the first stack of 40 cans in that I still had 400 to go. I will not miss you my little pink labeled friend, but I will miss my little baby boys who are growing up so fast.

I remember reading Gen McNulty's blog many months ago when they quit making formula bottles and thinking that this day would never come. There are plenty of new chores to fill in the gaps as the boys grow older, but it is nice to have this one out of the way.

Stay tuned, we had our one year appointment yesterday. I am sure Jen will be back soon with the statistics from the office visit. Also, we should be getting the rest of our professional photography pictures back very soon and will post those as well.

-The Crew

Our Journey of 1 Year with 4 Miracles....

Dust off your computer screen, turn up the volume, grab a tissue or two, gather around your co-workers, family, and pets and watch My Favorite Post EVER!

Murray "Crew-Cuts"

You are in for a great post....The Murray Crew's 1st Haircuts! I can't get over how handsome and grown-up they look! I'm sitting here chuckling as I post this, because it truly has the appearance of Extreme Makeover, Hair Club for Men, or something along those lines.....

Warning: If you are a grandparent, aunt, future attendee of the birthday party, etc. and you want to be see the haircuts in person on their birthday- EXIT NOW!!!

Ready or not...Here's their amazing Before and After Transformations! (Before on the left; After on the Right in case you needed a clue)

Henry

Brooks

Clark

Isaac

I love how they even look happier their "after" pictures. Classic!

Here's some pictures of the "work in progress".......

Clark -fascinated by the fish on his cape

Henry - Would have loved to figure out how to spray the water bottle

Isaac - Sad to see the mullet go

Brooks - Give me my hands back!

Don't you think Phyllis did an amazing job? I think they were the best-behaved quads she's ever cut! (Well, maybe the only ones too!)

Do you think they look ready to party?

I'm Officially a Mom to Little Boys...

I'm a proud mama to Little Boys. It's bittersweet. I can't believe how much it changed their little looks.....they look like the most handsome little men, though.....

Can I boast just a bit and tell you how good they were for their haircuts? They sat there so sweet and were so patient and played with their special fish cape, while our dear friend Phyllis snipped away!

Before and After Pictures will be posted soon. I was proud of myself for remembering to take video and pictures of each of them. It's a challenge to remember ALL 4 during milestone moments!

I'm off to my Physical Therapy appointment. Yep, PT for me......(that's a blog post in its self), but I hope to find some "blog time" when I return to show off my little handsome fellas.

Holding Back My Tears,

Jen

PS Feeding Table = Great 1st Haircut Chairs!

PSS Quadruplets = LOTS of hair clean-up!!!!!

Almost ONE Year "Behind" Us....

5 Days until B-DAY! I'm in partial denial. Seriously - where did my preemies go????

We have an eventful week ahead:
~1st Haircuts (Tuesday)
~1st Year Pictures (Thursday)
~1st Year BIRTHDAY and gathering with family (Saturday)
~1st CAKE!!!

So many firsts in one year! Can't believe what's behind us, looking forward to what God has for us in the year to come.....

The Click Theory....

I'm becoming more convinced in our "Click Theory". Brad and I have had countless conversations and witnessings of our new psychological philosophy. Watch out, we're going deep here! This just may put us in the history books someday, people......

"Regardless of one's encouragement, practice, and modeling of a new skill in which you desire for your infant to obtain or even subject to their own desire, initiative, and rehearsal of the technique, often there exists an overnight phenomenon, in which the skill suddenly becomes mastered in a highly accelerated fashion. This profound progression is defined as the Click Theory." -copyright Murray 2008

Impressive? Exhibit A: Isaac. The boy could care less about crawling a few weeks a go. My chunk-o-love was perfectly content watching the other rascals move about and playing with the toys within his reach. This progressed into rocking on all fours in his crib about a month ago and using his rolling skills to reach things beyond his reach, but no scooting, army crawl, etc. So then last weekend he suddenly gets tired of sitting the bench and decides it's time to move, but poor guy just couldn't get anywhere but frustrated. Keep in mind it does take some serious effort to move 25+ lbs (all muscle, of course). It broke my heart to see him put so much energy in to going no where, but there wasn't really anything I could do....

Fast forward a couple days.... I open the gate to let the monkeys out to put them in bed for their nap. Out comes Henry, Brooks, and Clark in usual fashion and I tuck them one by one in their cribs. I go back to pick up Isaac and just kinda squat in front of him and he takes 5 paces towards me! WHAT???!!!! Unbelievable! I started crying - I was so proud of him.

In less than a weeks time he's become a master crawler, like he's been doing it for months! There's a whole new world for him to explore and he's loving it! When he discovers something for the first time (like the door stop) he squeals, kicks his legs, and gives me this proud smile. This morning he was pulling up on his knees to the exersaucer, so I believe even more "clicks" (and trouble) are in his near future.

Here's some footage for you to enjoy:

It's the end of an era...all my babies are mobile. What a year! They've come SO far!

I RESOLVE....

....to take higher quality pictures in 2008!

I have a real love for photography, but really haven't vested the time or energy into improving my novice skills. Thanks to an anniversary present, I'm hopeful to capture some great shots of the kiddos in 2008.

So here's the dilemma....pay BIG $$$$ for 1st bday professional pictures or take my own shots?????? Will I regret not having the real prints someday - or is it too much stress to try and get shots of 4 mobile babies at a studio or maybe it's too crazy to try at home? Plus, we'd have to leave the Casa de la Quarantine and risk the germs....ahhhhhh - decisions!!!

I've got about a month to practice, if I go for home shots- so I'd love some tips/critics/advise from you, my readers!

29 Days Until Birthday Numero Uno (Holy Moly!)

Brooks (gotta love those eyes)

Isaac (the smile that lights up the room)

Henry (such a sweet little mouth)

Clark (cheeks that are beggin' to be kissed)

Farewell 2007

Farewell, 2007. What a year you've been!!!!!!

From an extreme high-risk, high-mortality pregnancy to a relatively short NICU stay and bringing 4 healthy babies home
From sleepless nights with 4 INFANTS to sleeping 12 hours at night
From swimming in preemie clothes to size 12 and sometimes 18 month clothes
From helplessly laying on their bellies to sitting up, rolling, pulling up, crawling, and exploring
From 40 ml to 8 oz bottles, cereal, veggies, fruit, and a new favorite -cheerios!
From 1 crib to 2 cribs, and then to 3 cribs (surely there will be 4 in 2008)
From toothless to 21 teeth (combined)
From crying like a goat/lamb/monkey to an infectious giggle
From Blessings to More Blessings!

Here's some of our favorite posts from 2007 (Hint: Just click on the link to view):

Quad Day: 02-02-07
Homecoming - All 4 boys Home!
Brooks Skips Out of a Surgery
Our 1st Photo Shoot
Bath Time with Quads
500 Jars of Gerber Baby Food
NICU Reunion Picnic
Our TV Commercial
Jen's Birthday Video
Halloweiners
1st Christmas Card

Look, Kids, No Hands!

One of the great things about the adventure of quads is getting to see them each achieve a new skill almost daily. Isaac starts clapping one day, Clark is the next; Henry pulls off his pants one day, Brooks pulls off his a few days later! Well, our latest and greatest accomplishment has been BOTTLE HOLDING! Let me explain to all you "normal" people that had one baby at a time (conventional, I know) how HUGE this is! Basically it means that mommy can feed 4 babies at one time! (Before I would feed 2 at a time.) So here's the new routine....

Brooks left Clark right

Change diaper for baby A, pull out boppie, hand bottle
Change diaper for baby B, pull out 2nd Boppie, hand over bottle
Baby A is usually finished at this point (especially if I have stinkys to change) - Sit him up to burp.
Place changed Baby C on A's boppy w/ bottle.
Change D, swap out or get new boppy with B (if finished)and sit up to burp
Baby patrol for the 2 finished and hold bottles for the rascals who decide not to cooperate
Carry Out to Feeding Table 1 by 1 to start Part 2 - Cereal and Baby Food!

Henry left, Isaac right

Simple right??? Yep, easy as pie! Well, not always..... (I've got little mobile critters that can escape quickly if they are distracted), but it's major progress. I've cut my morning feeding time on average by about 30 minutes!

Here's some video proof....Look Kids, No Hands!

Impressed?