(UPDATED) H1N1 – Swine Flu Shots…

UPDATE: There are diverse opinions being shared in the comment section of this post.  Thanks to many of you who are weighing in on this one.  We’ve decided to form a poll to track your decisions regarding the vaccination.  You can continue to share your personal thoughts in the comment forum, and cast your ballot in the poll located on the right sidebar. Unfortunately, there was a homicide that takes precedence over our story running this evening.  We’ll update you when we have a new air time. 

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So Jen and I are in a little dilemma here.  What do we do about this nasty little flu bug known as the Swine Flu?  We were right in the middle of a discussion about this very topic this week when out of the blue, the Fox affiliate here in town contacted us to get our opinion about this very topic.  There are apparently some folks outside the US preying on people who are scared of this illness, selling fake Tamiflu and other flu fighting drugs online.  Fox is doing a story about this problem and what parents are doing about the H1N1 virus.  Jen was out of the house when they called, but I agreed to do an interview and give our perspective on this difficult situation.

On one hand it is scary to think about our boys contracting a virus that has so little history in human beings.  But on the other, the vaccine that has been created to fight this pandemic has had very little testing, and we are a little unsure about letting it enter the family bloodstream.  Then there are the risks associated with the nasal mist vaccine, which we have heard is one of the only options available right now.  There are apparently risks with the mist on people groups who are susceptible to respiratory infections, which our boys would fit into.

This is something we plan to call our doctor to discuss this week.  We really need to cut through the hype and figure out what is best for Isaac, Brooks, Clark, and Henry.  And, for that matter, we also need to figure out what Jen and I will do. 

Please leave Jen and I a comment and let us know what you plan to do. 

Do we get the vaccine at all? 

Are the risks involved with vaccines in general greater than the risk that H1N1 poses?

Do we get the regular flu vaccine AND the H1N1 vaccine at the same time?  Spread them out?

Do we get one and not the other?

Lot’s of scary decisions, please let us know what you think!  Stay tuned, we will let you know what we decided.

~ Quatro Papa

Did I Fail to Mention Our Trip to Walt Disney World is Canceled?

Brad has been working on a “magical” surprise for my 30th birthday, a weekend trip to Walt Disney World to visit with my brother who lives in Orlando, and maybe even a day at the beach.  He revealed it to me a week or so ago, so that I could help him with the details involved in leaving quadruplets for a few days. We were set to leave at 5:00 this morning….until we learned of Brad’s loss of job, in which we were faced with the difficult decision of cancelling our trip last night. 

We were looking forward to sharing some of the memories with you from our weekend, but we know there’s a reason behind this timing, and we’ve been BLOWN AWAY by your support, prayers, and encouragement this morning.  Because many of you have asked, Brad’s background is in technical graphics and civil engineering design.  I’m sure he would be better with describing the details than I. We are truly thankful for our blogging family and for the way God uses you in our lives!

Finding Beauty in the Sunsets and Looking Ahead to New Horizons,

The Reason for the Giant Knot in My Stomach…

After surviving several rounds of cutbacks and layoffs over the past few months, Brad was let go from his job today. It’s disappointing, upsetting, nerve-racking, and extremely sad to say goodbye to a company that has cared for and accommodated our family, and to loose our only source of full-time income.  We know that we are not alone in this financial hardship, and many of you are facing or have faced similar or greater stress.  Our hearts and prayers are with you all tonight, as we pray our own future, and trust God more deeply.  We are thankful that He is intimately involved in the details of our lives, and our future is secure in Him.

Thank you, Brad, for being such a tremendous provider for our family.  You are such a diligent, respectable, and compassionate husband and father.  I’m by your side.  Always.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Happy Daddy Day 2009

Here's a little belated surprise for our favorite Man of the House! I cannot match the words he wrote for my Mother's Day Post or really even begin to describe how blessed four boys are to have such a loving, respectable, father in their lives. "In this crazy life, and through these crazy times" you have displayed gentleness, patience, joy, perseverance, and a sense of humor.  Thank your daily sacrifices to serve our family.

We both want to thank our own fathers in our lives, as well.  Our boys are "4tunate" to be loved by 2 grandpas, who are wonderful examples in their lives.  You influence and touch our lives in many ways. We are truly thankful for you! 

To The Best Momma On The Planet

Even before Jen and I were married, one of the things that always amazed me about her was how great she was with children. Besides her beautiful eyes, smile, and laughter that can light up a room, I always knew that she would make a great mom for my children some day. Jen would walk in a room, and small children that didn't even know her would gravitate to her, and she was so natural in relating to them.

I never realized back then that we, and especially she, would have to work pray so hard to actually have children. Nor did I realize what that would end up looking like. Life never seems to end up going how you think it should, and that has certainly been true for us.

Jen, thank you so much for being so willing to endure so many medical procedures, blood draws, surgeries, needle sticks, disappointments, and heartaches for the sake of our family.

Thank you for being patient with me when we were trying to get pregnant and I didn't totally understand all of the emotions that you were enduring, and I was not always so easy to deal with. We made it through it sweets!

Thank you for being such a trooper during the pregnancy. You seldom complained, always hoped for the best, and most of all, you did everything humanly possible to give our boys the BEST chance at LIFE that you could. God blessed that effort more than we deserve in Henry, Brooks, Clark, and Isaac. We are so blessed Jenny!

Thank you for enduring the TAC surgery at 13 weeks, for being miserable for the following 4-6 weeks during the pregnancy and recovery, so that our sons would have a greater chance at LIFE. You survived it babe!

Thank you for being so willing to follow my leadership during the pregnancy in my suggestion that you voluntarily admit yourself into the hospital to monitor Brooks and Clark. You lived there fairly miserably for 4 weeks so that my sons could be safe......THANK YOU.

Thank you for making yourself nearly sick cramming your body full of protein so that our sons would be well nourished, it paid off sweetheart.

Thank you for being there with me and for me emotionally during those first days after the boys were born. Our sons all survived.

Thank you for fighting for our marriage during those first few months after we brought the boys home from the hospital. Sleep deprivation brought out the worst in me, but you fought for our marriage with me, and I think you would agree that we came out SO much stronger on the other side.

Thank you for always being willing to take a chance and go on an adventure with me and the boys, even when sometimes it seemed like we were taking a foolish gamble. (Example: taking quadruplet infants to Texas Roadhouse for dinner by ourselves) You make life fun Jenny.

Thank you for continuing to fight the cultures pressures to put the kids first, and instead following the Bible and put our marriage first, which is better for the kids anyway. God knows what He is doing, and you willingly submit yourself to Him weekly, making our life so much more blessed.

Thank you for sacrificing so many hours of your life to the difficult, yet worthy cause of rearing our children. You are my princess, but you work much harder than any princess I have ever seen. Thanks baby, you are awesome!

Thank you for being my friend. There is still no one else that I would rather watch a basketball game with, go hang out with, or sit and talk to. You are my best friend.

Thank you for keeping such a good home for us. Despite your workload, you insist on having an organized, clean home. And although we struggle to maintain it ALL the time, you do ALWAYS get caught up, and it makes our home a blessed place to live.

Thank you for respecting me in spite of my many shortcomings. You always come to ME with your problems, pray with ME when you are weak, ask ME to hold you when you are scared, and just generally depend on ME in a way that is so encouraging and uplifting to me as a husband and father.

Happy Mother's Day baby.

You and every other woman out there working so hard to be good mom's deserve so much honor and respect.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

Brad

Thank you, Craigslist

Thanks to Craigslist and to some awesome grandparents for a generous contribution, we now have some fabulous new backyard decor.  A big thanks to our friend Doug also, for his disassembly, loading, and assembly skills!  Can you believe they had this disassembled, made a 2 hour roundtrip drive, and had it fully reassembled in a little over 3 hours?

With a little stain, she'll be as good as new.  I think we'll be enjoying this Rainbow Play Set for years to come!

Where's Waldo the quaddies?  Can you find all 4 boys in this picture?

Just in Case...(Giveaway)

Yesterday evening, I was getting ready to head out for my grocery run.  Brad was working on getting the boys outside for some backyard fun - which involved changing some "stinkies" before putting on their shoes. THANK HEAVENS for a husband who is willing to share the "load" in the diaper department. =) Before gathering my coupons, list, and purse, I decided to help speed up the "getting out the door" process by helping with the boys' shoes.  "Timmy" (name changed to protect the innocent) hopped up onto my lap, in which I quickly discovered there was yet ANOTHER stinky to be changed.  Not to be too descriptive, but it was one of those smells that confirmed that this was going to be a bad one.  I held my breath, finished putting on his shoes, and lifted him off my lap to find out the stinky had not stayed IN the diaper, but rather had gotten all over his backside and my grocery getup. Needless to say, getting out the door, doesn't always go as planned.

At the end of the night, when all was but forgotten, we snuck in to tell our slumbering boys goodnight. We were greeted by this sight:

Isaac must have wanted to have an extra diaper (or 22) handy just in case he had a diaper disaster in the night. Way to be prepared, little buddy! 

I just happen to have a GIVEAWAY to accompany this post perfectly!!!!  It's a Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox, from www.funstuff4babies.com, complete with all the supplies necessary to prepare those dads for the worst. My favorite tools include the tongs, biohazard bag, and the poncho. 

Wouldn't this be a perfect gift for the first-time dad or to give at a Jack and Jill shower? 

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment telling me which tool you think would be the most useful for a diaper-changing-daddy and why.

* Only one entry per person, and make sure you include your email address or a link to your blog as a way to contact you if you are chosen as the random winner!

* I will choose a winner tomorrow night, so act quickly! 

Scenes from an Overdue Date (Part 2)/Weekend Recap

Okay, before I recap on THIS weekend, let me fill you in on our big date snapshots from this post.  Some of you were right on the money with your guesses (especially you fellow Hoosiers).

 

#1 No, we didn't leave on a jet plane, it's a set-up at the new Lucas Oil Stadium (Home of our beloved Colts) that we peaked in at while they were rapping up a convention.  It's definitely a "first class" facility.

#2 This is "Hink" the mascot of my alma mater, Butler University.  Unfortunately, my Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the conference season with us in the stands.  It was quite a disappointment since it's the first game we've been able to attend in 3 years. We'll be rooting for them as we quickly approach the "most wonderful time of the year". (No, No, not Christmas - March Madness!)

 

#3 This picture is in our car as we headed home from our extended date.  It's been quite some time since we've been out past Cinderella's curfew.

Some highlights from THIS weekend include:

• Watching the boys devour their first bowl of popcorn.

  

Watching Fireproof with Brad.  It's a MUST SEE.  I'm begging you - Rent It!

Finishing my enormous task of sorting and boxing up clothes. Tears of joy!   

Moving the boys' cribs upstairs.

Going to Toys R Us for the first time since college.  Oh my goodness!  That place is a two-year old parent's money pit.  I held myself to only "needed" purchases: disposable diaper bags, snack bowls, and an ear thermometer that doesn't work. 

Giving away the HP Photo Printer to Lindsey!  See the review blog for more details!

Gaining 14.7 pounds from a slice of The Cheesecake Factory's 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake. 

Celebrating 28 years of life for my true love.

 

PS I have several posts up my sleeve so check keep checkin' in for more!

Scenes from an Overdue Date (Part 1)

Brad and I were blessed by a LONG date on Sunday. (Muchos Gracias Grandparents, Cindy, and Joan!)  It was a FABULOUS date.  We were able to enjoy uninterrupted conversation, delicious dinner, and renewed joy in our relationship. 

One thing that I treasure most about our marriage is that spending time with one another never gets old. After 6 years and 4 kids, I still LOVE to date my husband. 

See if you figure out what we did on our date based on these pictures. Extra credit if you can name the exact place where each picture was taken. 

#1

#2

#3

Attention Men Who Love Your Wives...

Now is a great time to surprise your bride with an early Valentine's gift.  Take a lesson from my man, who came home with these (and diapers too, of course) this afternoon.  Mark-ups will be astronomical by the end of the week, so why not start the spoiling early?  Hope he doesn't shoot me for spilling his secret, but my Valentine bought these at Costco.  Not one dozen, but TWO for under $15! =) They smell just divine AND I'll get to enjoy them all week long! Genius, that man!

And while we are on the gift topic, I haven't forgotten about the giveaway.  It's coming right up tomorrow and it's B-I-G!  It would be a grrrrrrrrrreat Valentine's present! =)

See you tomorrow!

6 Years in The Books...

Six years ago, I married my Life-Mate.  I cannot believe where life has taken us from December 28, 2002, to now, but I find myself more in love and deeper with respect for you, Brad, than on that day that I stood veiled and vowing my devotion to you.

Here's six "little known" ways that I love you:

1. I love that you eat virtually anything I make, and define me as a "good cook" for following a simple recipe.

2. I love that you allow me to sleep in the mornings. You always set your alarm first, take the first shower, get ready first, etc. so that I can get my zzzz's.

3. I love that we sing together. Silly or Serious. In Tune and Outta Tune.

4. I love hearing the garage door go up every evening and knowing that you are home.

5. I love that you are always ready for a pick up and go adventure. You're extremely flexible and easy going.

6. I love that after six years there's no one who knows me better, makes me laugh more, encourages me more effectively, understands my ramblings, gets my sense of humor...the list could continue all night, but I'm determined to post this before our anniversary is OVER!

I'm so glad I said "I DO!"

 

Keepin' It Real Rewinds 07

Question from readers: "Will you keep writing more REWINDS?" 

Answer: Since you're still reading, I'll keep writing.  After all, there's much more to be told.  I wouldn't leave you hanging forever without closure, now would I?

Before I begin I must get this off my chest... 

I have been completely humbled and blessed by "meeting" many of you who are walking this bumpy, beaten path of infertility.  I am grateful that you have found us and that I have been able to share a piece of my heart with you.  As my Rewinds take a turn from "empty womb" to "maxed out womb", please know that I'm not leaving you behind.  I've kept your emails and comments and I continue to pray for God's grace in your lives. I long for you each to seek God's mercy, guidance, peace, and sovereignty, as you face these uncertain times. Throughout your grief, pain, and hopefully future celebrations, I hope you consider me a friend in your journey. 

Okay on to the "maxed out womb" part...

After the dream-like phone call with our nurse, we were giddy to tell our parents our long awaited news.  We wanted to keep it a bit of a secret between close family until our first ultrasound, since I was at higher risk for miscarriage due to my PCOS. We met my parents halfway for lunch to share the news, and then with Brad's parents the next day. 

We wanted a creative way to tell our parents. We surprised my parents by throwing in a picture of the BFP (Big Fat Positive) test that I had taken hours earlier in with other recent pictures we had taken. Here's a picture outside of good ole Pizza Hut shortly after breaking the news to my parents:

For Brad's parents we took pictures of me "pseudo-pregnant".  (Can you guess the item used to make my fake belly?) Not exactly realistic, but they got the message!

It was sooooo amazing to see our parents faces light up in excitement for us.  A moment not to be forgotten.

Here's what I really looked like on July 21, 2006, wearing clothes that I thought I would be able to wear the entire pregnancy (insert chuckles).  This was my official 4 week belly shot.

Not to leave the father out, here's a picture of my man posing with a book from a section of Barnes and Noble that we could finally check out: "Parenting and Family":

But this, my friends, was only the beginning....

Quad Dad = Computer Repairman

Who knew that having quadruplets could sharpen your resume experience?  I'll let Brad explain the story behind this picture moment.....(Take a close look.)

 

There are so many joys and challenging moments when it comes to being a dad of quadruplets.  So many situations come up that I would have never expected as a daddy.  Recently, thanks to my little buddy Brooks, one such moment presented itself. 

"Daddy, did you know these keys come right off when you rip your fingers across them?

Pretty awesome!"

Jen was fixing dinner and had asked me to keep an eye on the boys while she did so.  I was pretty proud of myself, I had managed to get 3/4 of them interested in one of our favorite books, Inside Freight Train by Donald Crews.   Brooks was playing by himself on the other side of the room and all was going well.  Suddenly, Jen asks, "Where's Brooks?" In about 2 minutes, Brooks had slipped from the room without detection, climbed onto the chair, then up onto the table, placed his knees firmly on top of the laptop, and proceeded to rip a dozen keys or so from their sockets.  I'm proud to say that I'm now fully capable of replacing an entire keyboard of a laptop.

Although Brooks endured some much deserved discipline for his actions, we couldn’t resist laughing to ourselves a bit.  This the beginning of many destroyed items, I am sure.

Brad
Quad Dad, Computer Repairman

Backyard Barber

Clippers have proven to be a wise investment for our family.  This being the 4th haircut (the 2nd do-it-ourself version), I think the boys have officially inherited the thick hair gene (esp. Brooks and Clark).  Brad did a fantastic job turning them into little men...they grow before my eyes as the hair falls off.  The backyard makes a perfect barber shop and keeps me from cleaning up millions of fine little hairs for DAYS! Some little birdie is making a mansion of a nest outta these boys' locks!

 

Henry checkin' out the equipment before "going under the clippers"

Isaac telling Daddy how to he likes his "do"

 

Brooks sittin' sweet with Clark supervising

 

Clark getting a lot off the top

 

You'll have to wait for the next post to get the "after" look.  I have some great videos that I cannot wait to share!!!! 

 

Buddyin' Up

First off, thanks to my best buddy, Brad for his love letter post to me. Babes, you can take over the blog ANYTIME!  (It was yours to begin with, afterall!) I know you all must wonder if he's "for real", but he truly is genuine. He treats and loves me in a way that is truly honoring.  Sometimes I honestly wonder "why me?"...I am blessed beyond measure!

The last few weeks we've been able to experience our boys really becoming buddies.  I'm hoping this is the start of a beautiful friendship for life!  As their mama, it brings me such joy to watch them entertaining and loving one another. Sure there are countless incidents of fighting, intense squeals, begs for attention, stealing toys (you get the picture), but to witness the positive side of all this "togetherness" has been more than precious.

(Pictures used in this post were not "posed", but instead captured as the events transpired)

Here's a few recent buddyin' examples:

• Back Rubs When a Brother is Crying

• Spontaneous Kisses

• Sharing a Toy with a "Here y'go" (This is MAJOR!)

• Playing at the Table with their Farm Animals

• Pulling each other down the Slide 

• Singing

• Reading Books Together

 

Who can resist 4 brothers showin' some brotherly love? Philadelphia, you aint got nothin' on the Murray Boys!

 

Happy Da-Da Day!

Dear Daddy,

It doesn't seem long ago when we ALL fit in your lap...

but now we're growing up into little men who can't wait to be just like our daddy...

but we're not too big to hold your hand....

or to follow your lead....

or jump in your arms...

or rub noses....

or to cuddle with...

AND We Will NEVER be too big to LOVE!

Happy DA-DA Day! We Adore YOU!

~Henry, Brooks, Clark, and Isaac

Related Post: 1st Father's Day Post 2007