When Joe-the-Aggie is away, Granna and Papa will play. My parents dressed the quads in their alma mater, courtesy of Joann and Don Hall! (Thank you so much! The outfits are PRECIOUS!) Ben, Drew, Savannah, Ethan (gosh, when I don't label these pics right away, it is SOOOO difficult to tell the twins apart!)
However, when I asked the quads if they wanted to be Wildcats instead of Aggies, this is how they responded: (Drew, apparently, is thinking about it)
Man....Savannah can SCREAM!!! ;)
Play time= organized chaos! (Just Kidding, we focus a LOT on sitting with each child individually and reading books and playing one-on-one) Yes, friends are still coming over to help out Monday through Friday. They arrive at 1:00p and leave after the 6:00p feed. It is definitely doable by myself, however, I LOVE the amount of individualized attention each child gets. Sometimes I feel bad when it is just me, trying to make sure each child gets love and individual attention. There is just not enough of ME! So, that is the MAIN reason I still have people coming over...my friends (used to be "volunteers", but are now definitely FRIENDS!) love on these babies like they are their own! What a blessing! (not to mention all the laundry, bottles, cleaning, feeding, playing, and everything else they help with while they are here!)
Ahh yesss....the babies' 1st Easter Pics...didn't go so hot! ;)
These were the best that I could salvage!
Savannah and Drew, smiling and holding hands....love it!
Drew was all smiles! Savannah, Ethan, and Ben. Yes, I know Ethan and Ben do not have shoes on...it wasn't worth the fight! ;)
Savannah was WORN out after her appointment yesterday with the kidney specialist. How cute is this pic??? Kickin shoes...
Quick update on Sav:
sav has two very specific DIFFERENT diagnoses:
1) kidney reflux...which they will usually just watch and treat with antibiotics every day until 5 years of age, hoping she will outgrow, but if she continues to have bladder/kidney infection after infection...they would go ahead with surgery...which is a relatively easy procedure
2) UPJ obstruction causing severe hydronephrosus (her kidneys do NOT LOOK NORMAL AT ALL! they are HUUUUUGE with large knot-looking things all over them and bulging with fluid)...they usually catch this in utero, but since there were four babies smashed in my uterus, dr. pinto said that he was not surprised that it was not detected. this is a GENETIC condition--the boys have a 60% chance of having it. dr. pinto likes to run two renal scans before opting for surgery. she does not have any kidney damage (woo hoo) and her kidneys are draining...just VERRRRY slowly. (so it is not a COMPLETE block! woo hoo) her renal scan was WAAAAY delayed more than normal. she is still SO little and since she was a preemie and is quite young...he's hoping that maybe it will get better by june...if not, surgery will be imminent. usually 2 to 3 days in the hospital and 6 weeks recovery. it is a pretty rough surgical procedure on her kidneys with a scar on her back.
the two surgeries are separate procedures and cannot be performed on the same day b/c they are working on the upper ureter and lower ureter...the middle part would die! yikes.
all in all: good things...but everyone knows that i am not the most patient person in the world. if something is wrong with my baby, i want it FIXED! but, for now, we will wait until june when she gets her second scan. (which JOE will experience while i stay home with the other three!) oh yes...and we will be doing LOTS and LOTS of praying!!! ;)
thanks for your continued prayers! she is all smiles and giggles! you would never know.
Here are some pics from this morning:
A HUUUUUUUGE thanks to Stacey Derrick for this adorable little tutu. It is just TUTU CUUUUUTE!!!!
Don't worry folks...YOU TU, can get your very own tutu for your little girl if you visit Stacey's website: http://sararosetutus.blogspot.com/
AND, she is JUST this sweet: Stacey said that if you mention that you came over from Suz's blog, you will get 10% off your purchase!!! How cool is that!? Please go check out her stuff...she is so talented!
Here are more pics from this morning:
Ethan (he looks funny to me in this pic...maybe its his hair...but sweet nonetheless)
Drew...all smiles!
Sweet Ben
No teeth yet, but we are working on them...SHEESH! and I mean...SHEEEEEEEEESH! It is so sad to see/hear all four of them crying and there is very little you can do! Any pointers would be appreciated! Especially you, Gen and Jen...how did you do it?!?!
74 comments:
Lovin' that pic of Sav with Joe...so sweet! I watched that video of you guys going on a walk...HILARIOUS...that neighbor's laugh was crackin' me up. I still am in awe of the fact you have FOUR! You would think after 7 months I would get over it:) Each one of them are seriously adorable! You are doing an awesome job! Miss you!!!
Wow! I've been following along for some time now and I can't believe how big they are getting! And their little personalities are starting to show. They are toooooo cute! :)
the pic of sav and drew is just too adorable! one of my favorites of all time! and the one of sav and her daddy is absolutely precious...words can't describe. you are admired suz for all you do!
I love love LOVE the tutu!!! So sorry to hear about Savannah's kidneys, that sounds so HORRIBLE! But I am so happy that there is no damage. We will keep praying for you all!
I love reading your updates. The babies are getting so big. Adorable.
We are praying for Savannah. You know girls just have to be dramatic. I love that she is outscreaming the boys! Sounds about right. LOL.
BTW... seriously send me some of your volunteers. I need help, LOL!! :) I am so happy you have been blessed with such caring people around you.
Your babies are absolutely SWEET!
Suz...You know you just DO IT - just like everything else. This too shall pass (and then return again) and you'll survive it too!
~We tried the natural teething tablets (Walmart) and I sometimes thought they helped, but it was just so hard to tell
~Tylenol or Advil but only if they weren't sleeping through the night
~Any sort of distractions - walks, toys, etc.
~Frozen washcloths, and my favorite teether FROZEN WAFFLES! Some genius told me to try it and it was great! It's a good snack too as they get ready for finger foods.
Hope these help ease the gums...
-Jen and The Crew
PS Gen, looks like we have to send a tutu in order to get linked! HAHAHAAA! =) J/K Suzers!
I 'm in love with those precious faces! I loved hearing a little about what your days are like. I wish I could be one of the people coming over to give lots of extra lovin'! Hurry up and get here!!! I'm so read to love on them!
Cute pics. Glad that things aren't worse case scenarios with Savannah and her kidneys. Hopefully they will be healed up by June.
As for teething (and my oh my I didn't have 4, only one at time twice) teething tablets, tylenol/motrin, and cold (not frozen) washcloths, or ice pops (you make them with a teeny bit of apple juice to get them to suck on them) but I'd stay away from those liquid filled teethers, both of my kids busted them in their mouths. Oh yeah, and biter bisquits are amazing! (however incredibly messy)
Oh my gosh, your kids are so cute! I am so glad that you are enjoying the tutu. She looks darling in it.
:)
Love the tutu! All of the pictures are precious and they have the sweetest smiles.
As far as the crying goes, when my son Mason cries, I try to sing to him. Sometimes it works and he will laugh or just look at me, and other times he will cry louder.
LOVE the long update and all the pics!!! They are just adorable! Love Sav in the tutu. So cute.
I can't imagine how you could do eveyrthing on your own! I bet your friends coming over are lifesavers!!
Ethan and Drew look soo much alike. They are cuties. They seem to have longer, thinner faces. And Savannah and Ben have rounder faces. Soo cute.
I hope the next scan for Savannah goes better. And I hope the boys don't have the same problems.
You know those were fake cries...they really do want to be Wildcats!! I love the pictures. Poor Sav! Savannah is being prayed for right now!
I have been reading you blog for quite some time now. I love watching the kids grow. They are so adorable. You are still in our prayers!
~Jessica in Arkansas
You have some gorgeous babies! Every time I see pictures I just can't help but smile back at them :)
The Tutu is so cute! I think Sav likes being the only girl! The picture with her sleeping is SO cute!
Cold wash cloths and popsicles are great for teething. Also let them nosh on those teething rings.
It has been awhile since we dealt with teething, (my daughter is 10 now) but I work in the nursery at church some and I have found that putting the babies in front of the mirror when they cry often distracts them and stops the crying. Hope it helps.
Such sweet pics! Get some of the mesh feeders... they are great for the babes to suck on. Especially if you put frozen banana or ice chips in them... they feel great to little teefers. :)
I'd cry too if someone put me in ACU clothes! JK - They just missed being marooned out!
We'll be praying for Sav...
Our little one had/has a hard time with teething as well. Two things worked wonders for us. The teething tablets (not sure of the brand but drop a message on my blog if you're interested and I'll dig them out). Also, those mesh bags with the handle to put food in for the little ones worked really well with frozen grapes. The cold really helped with the pain, and then he had a sweet treat at the end...and that boy can suck every ounce of juice out of a grape! Frozen melon is fave, too. Hope this helps....good luck!
Love, love, love the ACU gear. Go Wildcats!!!
Being that my alma mater is ACU, I decided to go ahead and comment since I've been reading your blog since WAY before the birth. :) They look precious in their onesies! :)
We used the Hyland's teething pills too. They worked great!
Hylands Teething tablets! They went from screaming & crying to laughing and drooling in seconds.
Great pics of all the kids! Thanks for the tooth update! I have been dying of curiosity! I think we did Tylenol or Motrin at night with our duo and single. During the day - all the things mentioned above worked at various times. The biter biscuits are super duper messy - but the kids do love them and they do seem to sooth the tender gums. If you try them - I recommend doing so in diapers only! But do what works for you. LOL!
Take care!
Jamie
They are so sweet! I love your posts!Such a good job for a mom with 4 babies!!!I have a question:
DO you have to delete ALOT of comments from your readers?? I noticed you had 3 on here you deleted.It makes me sad that people would say anything inappropriate that you would even need to delete!! So, on behalf of you readers, I am SORRY! Keep up the good work.We are praying for you in Indiana!!:)
What a great post! All kinds of cute pics! Thanks for sharing Savs update with us...she is still in my prayers! They are so dang cute! They have the BEST smiles! (I wonder where they get that from!?!?!?!?!)
So many adorable pics! OMG they are just adorable! :)
Sorry that you have to wait til June for little Sav. I will continue to pray for her & pray that the boys won't have the same disorder. (when will they be tested?)
Also, with my twins & teething- we actually found that tylenol & whiskey on a qtip worked a thousand times better than any teething meds.
OK! I LOVE this post!!! They are really starting to look like little kids and less like babies! Bittersweet, I am sure!
The picture of Savannah and Joe might be the cutest picture EVER and just melts my heart. The Tutu pictures are great too!
About ACU, they are crying because they know their Dad does not want them to go there not because they don't want to. Don't worry babies, I can help you out. There will be many more ACU shirts in your future. J/K Joe! (well kinda)You know I have to get them more ACU gear now!!!
Hugs and Kisses,
LIZ
As an ACU grad married to a Longhorn, I have just decided that the kiddos were faking those cries!! You know they LOVE the Wildcat gear!!! I know I do!!! Great post... love all the pics. I'm saying special prayers for sweet Savannah... ;)
Been following your blog since the Quads arrived, such a fan!!! and admirer for your patience and love for your children. We went through mild fertility, never worked...we adopted our son as an infant and then conceived our daughter when he was 2-1/2 years old. I love God's miracle stories, and you are definately one of His special projects!!
My son had 13 teeth by the time he turned one....I understand "sheeeeeesh"!!! He hated the teething gel, would fight me every time. Teething tabs was definately the way to go. Walgreens, pop a couple in his mouth every so often (they dissolve immediately--no choking, he had acid reflux too, so choking was a big thing for me, but it was never a problem.), stopped crying immediately!!! Try it, you'll like it too. Best of wishes and prayers!
Love the crying video! The Easter pictures are good and the tutu is adorable. My friend who has triplets used the teething pills and she also would use frozen bagels to let them chew on. They loved it.
Praying for Savannah constantly and for you guys.
LOVE the pics and the awesome quad update! I will surely keep you guys in my prayers.
BTW, I love Hyland's Teething Tablets. They work wonders!!
Love the blog, I'm a big fan! I'm having the same teething discomforts with my 6 month old baby girl. One of my fav RNs at our pedi's office told me to wet one of their baby washclotes, ring it out all the way, then freeze still in the 'rung' position. :) My baby likes that. She also said to give her a half a frozen bagel. I also heard from the guy working the Kiehl's counter at Neimans to rub a little bit of vanilla extract on their gums. It won't hurt them b/c it doesn't have any sugar on it but will give them some sort of relief. Baby Tylenol was suggested however not any orajel type substance babies will only swallow it and run the risk of numbing their throats. Yikes! Anyway, good luck to you!
TEETHING TABLETS. you can find them anywhere. they worked wonders for my daughter. baby orajel didn't do it, but the teething tablets were so great. they dissolve in their mouth.
i would also let her chew on a cold washcloth. get it wet and put it in the freezer for just a few minutes.
The kids are getting to be so big and are still so adorable!!
For teething, I recommend wetting a wash cloth then freezing it. Then just let them go to town and chew on it. It worked for my daughter oh and tylenol. The docs always say that fever isn't caused by teething, but I would like to beg to differ. Good luck, I'm sure it won't be fun with 4 of them at the same time!!
The babies are all so cute. Drew seems to be especially happy. What a precious little guy. He just steals my heart.
I'll be praying for Savannah...you and Joe as well. I'm sure the waiting is the hardest part. Thank goodness Spring is here. That in itself can lift our spirits just a little bit!!!
Laura
(a friend from Ohio)
I second (I mean quadruple) the teething tablets. That's really all we ever needed. I think the waffle thing sounds interesting...but biter biscuits? Save yourself for a HUGE mess and don't use those! Yikes! :)
Tylenol never hurts a kid...
Best Wishes...
Will pray for Sav.
Lovin the pix!! They are so cute! I am serious - we want one of your boys for Ash!! She needs a good Christian man one day!
For the teething: Teething tablets - they are in the baby section at stores. Works wonders for Ash and they are made with all natural ingredients.
OH...Love the pics, love the smiles, don't love the ACU outfits (he he) but it looks like they still want to be Aggies! Yay!
They look incredibe, Suzanne, and you and Joe are doing SUCH an amazing job. Those are four blessed bambinos!
I'll keep Sav in my prayers!!
Love and hugs!!
I have a daughter who is a month and a half younger than your four and she has recently started teething as well. The Hylands teething tablets work really well. Better than tylenol I think. On Sunday we were making a long drive and she was very fussy in the car but I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I finally tried the teething tablets and she settled down immediately and went to sleep five minutes later.
Those pictures are terrific!
I have to introduce myself. My name is Rachel and I got your link from Jennisa's page. She did mine as well. Anyhow, I've been following your story for quite some time and am amazed at what y'all are doing and how you do it. It's phenomenal.
Funny part, the other day, I saw a family at Target and thought....wow, quads....there aren't that many quads in this world. And those babies sure look like the Steece's. DUH. It was you and another lady with the babies.
I should have not been so "duh" and said something to you. Oh well, you might have been spooked had I done that.
Well, anyway, stop over to my blog if you get a chance, so you will know I'm not a weird stalker in your city. I admire how you are raising your beautiful children. You certainly looked more refreshed at Target than I did...and I only have one!!!
Precious pictures and update! I'll keep you all in my prayers and especially for Savannah! Wow the twins are really looking like their daddy in these last two pictures! Keep up the good work! Your friend in East Texas, Pam.
WHAT!? That wasn't YOU? So, there are more quads than I thought. You have to be kidding me! Now I'm on a search for her blog. Glad I didn't stop her and say "hey - I know you!"
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Oh, and by the way....I chose to have all subsequent comments emailed to me, just in case you commented there...and, well, I have gotten more emails in the last ten minutes because your readers...well, there are just so many of them!!!!!!
huserachel@gmail.com
Try Hyland's homeopathic teething gel and tablets. They have been an absolute blessing for my now 21 month old girl!! You can get them at most any health food store or Whole Foods, or actually Amazon. They aren't too pricey and they cannot hurt them since they are homeopathic. In fact, anything by that brand is wonderful. I also use their C plus cold tablets too. The tablets dissolve instantly, so no choking worries.
By the way, I have commented one other time and I really enjoy reading your blog. I have been praying for you since you were pregnant and I don't even know you! Anyway, hope this helps with the teething. It was hard with 1; I cannot imagine it with 4!
I am an identical twin, and my parents started putting my sister and I on the same side (in the same order) for every picture they could to make it easier to identify later! Even with slight differences in babies it is a challenge!
As far as teething...not sure if this truly helped with my daughter or not, but we use some stuff called "teething tablets". Over the counter at a pharmacy. It is homeopathic, and may have helped some...
This is my first post to your blog, but I'm a loyal reader and LOVE all the pictures and updates of your family.
My husband and I are ACU grads...go wildcats! We have four kids too (no multiples) and paying for 4 private university degrees is going to be interesting.
Thanks for sharing your life with all of us! God Bless you!!
I love how on the video 3 babies are screaming and kicking and little Drew doesn't seem to be phased by the all the comotion! Your babies are PRECIOUS!
Love the pics of your precious ones...They are so cute!! The smiles are warming my heart! Praying for Sav...Speaking from someone that has had lifelong kidney issues, it will get better!!
The picture of Savannah with Joe is precious!!
love the pics! how can they be so incredibly cute? and your captions are always so funny. i cannot make any more excuses for not having time to take pics when you have four the same age and always taking pics! i have to look at the outfits she's wearing to even figure out what age she was! i will be thinking of little sav and praying that things continue to go well. love that tutu girl!
Hi Suz;
I have been lurking on your blog for over a year (sorry I haven't posted until now) Long story short, HU alum, BSN '94, married mom of 2. SOOOOO, my reason for posting is this; I see Aggie wear, Wildcat wear....WHERE is the BISON wear??? Show some BISON pride girl!! :P By the way, they are too cute!
Suzanne Barbiea
Shepherdsville, Kentucky
I found your blog through Jennisa's designs and have read alot of it. Wow 4 babies... at one time! I too have 4 but of course they are spread out from 15yrs to 4 yrs. Congrats on a great job Mom! I love the new make over too! Praying for Sav with her kidneys.
Hyland's are really great...just be wary because they are not FDA regulated.
I totally feel ya on the waiting game to fix your sweet Sav. My 2 year old has Aortic Stenosis, and he had his first repair (valvuloplasty) when he was 5 months. From birth we just kept watching his numbers getting worse and worse, but they wanted him to be as big as possible...on the other hand, they didn't want to wait too long either. The date finally came, but Caden got a cold, so they postponed him for another month...it was pure torture!!! It is so hard to know that there is something wrong with your baby, and I will definitely be praying for you!!
Hi! I am the mommy of twin girlies and a little guy, I just love reading your blog! Your children are so cute! About your teething issues, what worked best for my twins was teething tablets, you can get them at your local drugstore, they are these little tablets that disolve in their mouths and they are all natural, they worked great for us! Good luck teething is no fun especially times 4!
OMGoodness!! When Drew smiles he literally just lights up the entire world! What a charmer!!
~M
Adore the photos of those cuties!
How sweet!!!! Sweet Little AGGIES!!!!
Teething-we used the tylenol too! We also found tiny teethers at BRU that had nubs and were easy for little hands to hold to be useful. My cousin used what looked like a toothbrush-it was long like one but had a round plastic head with different textures-it helped baby get to the teeth that hurt. Jacob is almost one and when he is teething, we give him his baby Oral B toothbrush (first to brush the little ones he has and then to teeth with while I watch).
BTW, this is a weird question, but where did you get your couch or what brand is it? It looks exactly like ours, that's why.
I just realized I arrived on your blogspot. I am busted!! I love your babies and keeping up with your family. I was just tellig my friend about Miss Savannah and her kidney problems. I am an oncology nurse from Tennessee whose been keeping up with your blog for several months. Your whole family is beautiful and I am so thankful that you share your little miracles. Lots of Tennessee Volunteer fans are praying for your babies!! Thanks, TIffany
topaljones.blogspot.com
Hi Suz! I found your blog through>Amy's Brat Pack>The Shepperson Saga>3BoysandMe(my sister-in-law). Anyhow, I love reading your blog and thought I would comment on this small world of ours!
My little one, Kylie, was diagnosed with Grade III-IV VUR when she was 6-8 weeks old. I can totally feel your pain with all of the torturous testing they have to do. The VCUG is the absolute worst! I had to have my son tested, too and he was clean. Get this, our pedi urologist is Dr. McQuiston, she's in Dr. Pinto's office. They're fabulous!
We had our most recent VCUG and U/S in November and after being on Primsol(anti-biotic) for 15 months, she has completely grown out of it. Amazing babies! Believe me, the testing is a little easier to bear as they get older. We still have to have her checked annually, but so far so good and no more anti-biotics. YAY!!
Melissa at www.2babybumblebees.blogspot.com
P.S. I saw an article in one of the parenting mags I get that mentioned VUR and prophylactic treatments saying that studies have shown it to be ineffective and could cause resistance later. You being an RN probably already know, but I distinctly remember worrying about this at the beginning of treatment and asking incessantly, and now after we're all done with them, this info comes out! Arghh!!!
Suz, your kiddos get cuter every day! I wanted to ask you if you knew of something that I could give as a gift to a new mom in our church expecting multiples. She is only 20yrs old and I know the babies would be in the NICU for 3 weeks or so. Any suggestions?
the natural teething tablets from walmart in the vitamin section worked wonders for us! We will never have another baby without them! good luck! Praying for sav!
Your babies are getting so big! Where do you get all the adorable head bands for your daughter? Do you make them? Do tell :)
I also used the Hyland's teething tablets. They worked most of the time. I tried to avoid giving them too much Tylenol or Motrin, but I did use it on particularly bad nights. Good luck!
Love Sav's shoes...kickin' is right! Those ACU outfits are adorable too. I will keep Sav and her kidney problem in my prayers and for God to give you guys the strength to get through whatever she needs done - He always does.
Cute pictures. I really enjoy reading your blog and seeing the pictures. Sav doesn't even look like she has any problems. She is (they all are) sooooo sweet!!! I'll keep her in my prayers.
Mommy of five
Don't want to lurk. I think I've commented before. And, I think we have a connection through the Paris Spencer family. Three of my four kids went to Harding in the 1999-2007 era.
Your babies are so very precious. I always leave your blog smiling! Just wanted you to know that I am praying for Savannah's medical issues.
My sister told me about your blog. You have amazing tenacity and FAITH; when I have a tough time keeping up with my one 9-month-old, your blog encourages and lifts me up! Thanks for sharing with the blogger world! BTW, I'm sure I'll be ordering a tutu soon - TOO cute!
Hi,
I ran across your blog from a friends blog. I didn't want to send you a huge email. I know you get lots. I just wanted to let you know my daughter has bilateral versicoureteral reflux. She had grade IV and had surgery to correct it when she was around 11mos old. She saw Dr Vordermark and also Dr Pinto for a second opinion. She is now almost 12 and not one infection since. If you have any questions or even concerns I will be glad to talk to you. I was terrified. You can email me at smccandless@dunaway-assoc.com.
Thank you
Sheri
I looked at this the other day but can't remember if I got a chance to comment or not. Now I am back and just have to say (even if I am being repetitive) that I LOVE those babies!! They are absolutely adorable in their ACU gear (even though we need to get them HU ones as well), eater outfits, and in their play things! My heart crushes when I see sweet Savanah's tiny tennis shoes! Oh she is just so heavenly!!
have to say I love the tutu!! I went and got one for my little girl. so super cute!!!
Hey Suz, just catching up on your blog; I can't believe how long it's been since I've read up! It was awesome to see you guys in Brackett. We are always praying for you guys, and are sending extra prayers for little Sav. Love the pics, go Wildcats!! :D
Post a Comment