Busy Making Memories...

So lifes been crazy and busy as I am sure everyone can imagine! We have been busy making memories... We all survived the first year of quaddlerhood and the babies are now 15 months, Addy is almost done with preschool and on to being a big kindergartener, Liam is a full on walker and Patrick is eagerly studying his every move and trying to follow quickly in his foot steps (pun intended), all of us got to experience Disneyland with 4 quaddlers and an almost 5 year old for the second time (much harder this time around by the way), had the chance to get introduced to the wonderful sickness they call "hand, foot, and mouth disease" accompanied so kindly with a nasty runny nose and cough!!(absolutely horrific by the way....caused my first mommy meltdown...x3 in one 24 period). Now we are fully recovered and I have my cute little happy children back! Love to see all of their personalities interact with each other! I don't think we could have 4 very different looking and acting kids. I say 4 because Reagan is pretty much Addy's little mini-me. Addy is getting soooo tall and this girl has energy that will outlast the energizer bunny...I want her batteries!! I can't believe she is 5 years old. She is the BESTEST big sister ever!! She definitely helps wrangle, grab sippy cups, pick up toys, collect diapers, wipes, desitin, pull one baby off of another in a full on wrestling match (and no...its not just the boys), and of course entertain while we are trying to get whatever of the hundred things that need to be done around here! and BTW she LOVES it...the other night she came home during their second nap and she was SO upset that they were already asleep and she didn't get to see or play with them "today"...luckily for her...it was just a nap...
Reagan is our talker and resident thumb sucker. This girl will talk circles around anyone who will listen and she can give the best spanish speaker a run for their money when it comes to rolling their R's!! She wants to badly to be a big girl like her favorite big sister. Her favorite place to be is in someones arms or jumping on the couch (just like Addy). She has a smile for days and a laugh that would get Scrooge giggling! She is also great at peek-a-boo. She says lots of works like...peek-a-boo, hi, doggy, Addy, Daddy, Toby (my moms dog), and ball. She is also not a huge fan of baths (the only thing she and addy have differing opinions of).
Aubrey is my sweet little angel lover and I am pretty sure my future instigator. This girl will get away with everything. She throws her doe eyes in anyones direction and can melt your heart in an instant (Chris and I are her first victims). She melts into your arms like butter and has the sweetest voice. She complains the least of all the kids and will entertain herself for hours. She loves playing peek-a-boo and moving to some tunes! Aubrey is my water-baby. Fill the tub, water table, kiddie pool, (or just perhaps have someone dump the doggie water bowl) and she is a happy camper.
Liam is our first walker and our most independent. He is right-fully very proud of himself and will shoot the biggest smile when someone new comes to visit and sees him putting one foot in front of the other. The cutest thing ever is that because he can walk he has to have something in one of his hands AT ALL TIMES...I am pretty sure for the sole reason of "just because I can". This child is also our non-sleeper!! Luckily I am pretty sure he has gotten all the others used to his loud and boisterous yelling and laughing during naps and nighttime that they have learned to sleep through it...just when we think the house is finally quiet and everyone is asleep...psych...there's LIAM
Patrick is of course Mr. Moose and we are sure going to be the next to walk (he has already taken a couple steps)! He is the tallest and heaviest and sooooooo incredibly strong. I have to lay a leg over the top half of this kid just to change his diaper...and sometimes that doesn't even hold. He is tough and rowdy on the outside but soft and sensitive on the inside! Patrick also has some rhythm!! Turn on some top 40's and this boy can get his groove on. He by far sets the mood of this family of seven! If he is having a great day so are we. If he is having a bad day... Since June of 2011 and finding out our lives would forever be changed in the greatest way possible, we have learned a lot about family and how being a part of a big family will have its challenges but more important experience some HUGE triumphs! The best thing about life today is...NO BOTTLES...EVER....AGAIN!!! I know it sounds trivial...but...I can't express how I longed for this day... All of my quad mama friends can totally relate...once the bottles have been burned, life just seems so much brighter and easier!! I am very quickly also getting rid of baby items...no more storage...such an exciting feeling...WE HAVE SURVIVED...AND WE ARE ALIVE AND KICKING TO TELL ABOUT IT!!!

                                                                Reagans sweet smile

                          Those eyes are hard to ignore                               

Addy turns 5 years old!!

 

                                          Dumbo was a little overwhelmed with this bunch

                               Easter picture (and very first pic where there is matching outfits)

A new haircut for Mr. Moose - courtesy of ME...can't believe it turned out so good!! Free haircuts for life!! lol


                                                            Liam "the walker" Cruise

A quick moment to myself

With Chris, Addy, and Patrick off the the hardware store for some supplies, I find myself with a few empty minutes of peace! Don't get me wrong...there are dishes in the sink, laundry piled to the ceiling by my side to fold, and dirty bottles calling my name, amongst other chores I have pushed to the bottom of my list! I neeeeeeeeed to blog and journal before I forget all the little memories of the past few weeks!!
Yesterday we happened to brave the California State Fair! My mom was over for her weekly Friday visits (I was supposed to work but got mandatorily called off...which these days is a curse....considering it is my outlet and outside-home social contact)!! Chris initially agreed to stay home with the kids so my mom, Addy, and I could go have some fun. I felt really guilty leaving him home with the 4 babies, so I hesitantly suggested bringing 2 with us and leaving 2 behind. He agreed and then proceeded to suggest we take Reagan and Liam (our 2 hard feeders)...lol! I was on board...it got me out of the house...which I had been dying for since I have had 6 days off and felt like I had been trapped within the 4 walls of my home for an eternity! Everyone did great!!! Addy walked all over the fair and the babies were wonderful!!
The babies are 6 months old and I can't believe how fast time has flown by!! In the moments of the day it feels like time crawls sometimes feels like it just stands still but looking back I feel like I have blinked and here we are 6 months later! Chris and I still have our moments of breaking down (atleast a couple times a week) mostly with feeding battles from our strong-willed little Liam and our extremely independent, yes even at 6 months, Reagan!!! Trust me there are times where I feel like I have to prepare myself mentally and even physically (holding a fighting baby for 30 minutes just to get them to take 1 bottle)! I quickly remind myself that this is"6 months down...only 6 more to go"! Its funny how we used to count down the day using hours and now it has changed to counting by feedings...pretty sure this is a multiples parent thing. Makes the day go by easier...the unfortunate thing is that the last feed is the most challenging. Chris and I constantly joke and bargain if the other will agree to do whole last feed of the day by themselves!!! With all this said, though, we wouldn't change it all for the world! We truely are one blessed family!! Easier to get through the day with humor and carcasm than frustration!!
So for the kids 6 month size up, Patrick is the heavyweight at 18 and a half pounds, Aubrey at 16 pounds, and Liam and Reagan at 14 pounds a piece! We actually even started rice cereal with the 2 BIGS last week, Patrick and Aubrey. Although we have to give more calories to Reagan and even MORE calories than Reagan to Liam (confused yet) they are all healthy and thriving and learning all about the world around them and the family they have been stuck with ;)! To be a fly on the wall in this household would be the most entertaining viewpoint of all!! Chris singing and dancing or pretty much doing whatever he can to get a smile or giggle out of any of the 5 kids is priceless comedy itself! My most favorite activity however, is Addy giving the babes raspberries (I am so tired I just had to google how to spell that) on their tummy and listening to each giggle with their entire body, head to toe! Melts my heart and makes me smile from ear to ear!! This really is the best life anyone could ever live even with all the challenges that we are faced with!!

Addy loving on Aubrey

Liam

Daddy and Aubrey...sporting the shades

Patrick...not really loving his first bites of food...apparently he has tasted better

Aubrey...I swear some made it IN her mouth!

Reagan...our screecher!! Love the noises she makes!

Long time...No post

The month of May was definitely one for the books...A book I would like to burn, stomp on, and forget all together to be honest! As sickness filled this house, all I wanted to do was run and scream...literally!! Addy came home with a cold...and trying to keep a very helpful big sister away from four very cute babies is completely impossible. So began the journey of the plague in our house. Next was me, then Addy was getting better, and then just when we though we were in the clear...moved onto the babies!! ugh!...We had been battling eating habits with Reagan and Liam (for Liam...unfortunately nothing new) and had switched formulas around and then when the colds hit all hell broke loose! There was no way we were getting enough food into those 4 sick mouths!! So sad (and frustrating...but I will spare you those details)!! So after they started getting better (Thank God) Chris came down with the cold/flu. Just as we thought he was getting better he turns a corner for the worst and ends up with pneumonia! I mean REALLY?? Quads, a sneezing snotty 4 year old, a congested and exhausted, pumping mommy, 4 battling to eat babies, and now a daddy with pneumonia!! Whats a girl to do? Call her daddy!! And thats exactly what I did!! He came to the rescue and helped for almost a whole week straight! We had such great help it was amazing. My wonderful mother-in-law was here with dinners nightly, people calling to help with Addy, and coming over to help keep this house afloat!! NO WAY I could have done it all on my own (without totally giving up!) So...here we are...HEALTHY!!!! Middle of June....FINALLY sunny and warm...and enjoying every minute!! Life is back to normal...well...our "normal"!
We got a new car since our Tahoe was a joke trying to load!! After a trip to great-grandmas with 4 loungers, 5 carseats, diapers, bottles, seats for the 2 double strollers, bumbos, playmats, and 2 double strollers attached to the back of the car in our carrier.....we decided a bigger car was NEEDED BADLY!!! So we got a Ford Expedition EL!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! We went out yesteray for fathers day with all 5 of the kids...by ourselves and it took 15 minutes to load everyone including strollers in the car!!!! WOOOOOHOOOO!! This is our new found FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!!!
We have been snapping away pictures of our 5 pack and here are a few of my favorites over the last few months....so cool to see how different but similar features all 5 have to each other!!

Cartoon Mornings

Addy playing ring around the rosy

As a friend said "Addy you can never be too safe"...lol

Reagan

Aubrey

Liam

Patrick

30ish!!

April is an incredibly crazy month in our house. Chris and I have our anniversary, my birthday, and Addy's birthday are all celebrated in April! We started out with our anniversary and went up to North Tahoe and took Addy with us. I know, not the most romantic thing to bring your child along with you on your anniversary! We needed to have one on one time with her though and honestly, we all had a BLAST! Addy had so much fun she wanted to stay at the hotel and never go home...hmmm...wonder why?
Then it was time to celebrate my birthday. It was a BIG one!! I turned 30!!! Whoa...that sounds old...and my body is feeling it man! There isn't a day I don't get out of bed and have something aching or reminding of me of my aging body!! Thank goodness we stockpile Advil like its Y2K! I celebrated BIG!! Chris surprised me with a plane trip to Vegas! He stayed home with the kids....YES!! all 5 of them by himself. In case you were wondering...UHUH....I am married to SUPERMAN!! I was soooo surprised! The best part of the whole trip is my mom got to come with me and party like a celebrity...and boy did we!! Thanks to my close friend Nicole and her best friend Drea, we had an incredible time!!
Most exciting of all, Addy turns 4 this month!! I can't believe my baby has been in our lives for 4 years!! I swore I blinked and now here we are! We are so proud of that Little Miss...this age is sooooo much fun!! She wanted to have her birthday party this year at Chuck E Cheeses (which Chris likes to refer to as "Hell on Earth"...I happen to agree...but this is her day!!...oh what we will do to see that amazing smile)!
The babies are doing great...still sleeping at night (I think it is safe to say that we have gotten over the waking up in the middle of the night hurdle)!! We have established a routine for eating, playing, sleeping, and tummy time! All thanks to my wonderful hubby. They all talk and smile...although Liam still holds out on us most of the time...payback for us making him "cry it out"! OH...and my latest talent that seems to amaze family and friends...I can tell who is crying or squawking even if I am downstairs doing dishes! They each sound VERY different!!
On another note, I am asking for prayers for a very close friend and her family. Her mom joined the angels in heaven this week and her family will need lots of well wishes and prayers to make it through what seems like too soon of a passing! I feel like I am too young to have a friend my age, mom pass. She was an incredible woman and she was an even more amazing mother and wife!! She will be missed so so much!! Thanks in advance!

11weeks old today

Sorry to those who are confused about the move. I was having trouble with the other website and this one is much easier to work with.

Our littles are 11 weeks old today and I can't begin to explain how much our lives have changed...FOR THE BESTEST!! We are truly blessed with the and incredibly beautiful family!! Life can't get much better than this...in the last 11 weeks we have had our struggles but we have also learned how to make life with 5 kids work! Addy has been incredible! She is so in love with all her little brothers and sisters. Chris has been so amazing! He is ON IT!! He is even the one who has gotten them to sleep 7 to 8 hours at night....YES PEOPLE...they sleep through the night (well minus Liam at times...he just likes to make his presence known at about 3am some mornings...just in case we were thinking that WE were the ones in control!) They each have their own individual personalities and it is so wonderful to see them shine through!
Reagan: Our Addy look-a-like! We also think she looks a lot like my mom's baby pictures. She is a big eyed beauty and very interested in the world around her. When we first brought her home she was very quiet and would sleep ALL THE TIME! She was also the hardest to get to eat...she would want to stop half way through her bottle and be done! Now, though, she makes sure her voice is HEARD!! If she is unhappy about something - diaper, hungry, tired, etc...she isn't afraid to letcha know! She also is a big talker...cooing and smiling after feeds...who doesn't love a full belly right?
Patrick: My MOOSE and Chris's minime!! Talk about our future linebacker! This chunker weighs about 2lbs more than the others (almost 13lbs)...and HE is the one with the reflux...go figure. Poor guy came home grunting and so uncomfortable we thought he needed a little help from the prune gods...but we quickly figured out he was having reflux issues. After some trial and errors with medicine we finally have it figured out and the littleBIG man is doing great. He is our most social butterfly (or should I say something more masculine like dragonfly??...lol...whatever I tried...I have to get used to being a boy mommy as well....think bugs, trains, dirt mama). I love how his eyes get so wide and expressive after he eats...and he carrys on a conversation, smiling, gooing, and cooing! I LOVE IT!!
Liam: Holy opinions. This monkey has them all. He is his fathers son but his looks are identicle to my baby pics. This sweet boy is my biggest cuddler. He wants to be held the most! Unfortunately for him, he is unaware of the fact he is 1 of 5! He was our smallest little peanut and now he is almost 11lbs (along with his sissys)! He isn't much of a talker yet but he has a great set of lungs...let me tell you! He is very alert and will watch you like a hawk...and when he smiles the whole room lights up! He lets out a coo or a goo every once in awhile but you have to give him all of your attention for him to even think about performing! And this little man is SOOOOOOO incredibly hard to burp, in the 7 years I have been a NICU nurse...leave it up to MY child to be the hardest burper I have ever come across!!
Aubrey: Oh my CHEEKS!! If you have seen pictures it is the first thing you spot! I love her little cheekers!! My Aubrey is a Grandma Cruise and Aunt Holly lookalike! Funny story is Grandma Cruise said from the get go that baby D (Aubrey) looked just like her...as a joke...and low and behold...its no joke!! Miss Aubrey is the easiest baby EVER!! The first to come home, the fastest eater, one of the best burpers (this is an incredibly wonderful attribute to have with 4 babies by the way!!), and the best sleeper!! If you want an easy baby...just put in the order for one like Aubrey from the fertility gods!! She is very expressive and she "smeyeses" (when your eyes smile)...for those America Next Top Model watchers out there (yes...I was on bedrest for 13 weeks and THAT was on my DVR...I admit it).
I love this life and our family couldn't be doing any better!! We are one blessed bunch! We have help coming a couple times a week through friends and family! We wouldn't be able to make it work if it wasn't for all of you. Love and blessings to everyone!
The montage on the last blog post was a gift I gave to Chris for our anniversary last friday...if you are interested in seeing it...has pics of the babies up until last week.

5 years and 5 kids! Happy Anniversary!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our Family of Seven FINALLY under one roof!

WOOOOHOOOO!! We have made it! We are all home. No more driving back and forth from the hospital and home. Chris has been saying since the day they were born "Things will get much easier once they were all home". I know, I know...I rolled my eyes too at that statement....many times! BUT....he was soooo right! We finally have a schedule figured out and it is totally working (knock on wood)! Reagan and Liam came home on Sunday and all 7 of us were there as a family to pick up and drive home together (with the help of grandma and papa too). That was a surreal car ride. Especially after it took about a couple of hours trying to figure out how we were going to fit 4 baby carseats and a toddler carseat into a Chevy Tahoe. There was little room for anything else. We had a second car to haul the stroller with! So Sunday we arrived home and one by one they all entered the house! Honestly....I can't really remember how the rest of that day went...we were exhausted. I had a wonderful baby shower earlier that day and after it was over immediately drove home to prepare for 2 more extra bodies in what seemed like our own "babiesrus" store...complete with a butt load of baby gear! We arrived home to our first feeding of many with all 4 kiddos. That was by far the hardest feeding we have had! Trying to figure out how to feed 4 babies with 2 people at the same time was a huge learning experience...even with my 7 years of NICU nurse experience, I was having a hard time figuring it out (sleep deprivation was not helping either). We, however, have figured it out!! All 4 kids eat at the same time and we get feedings done within an hour (including burping and changing!). We have also gotten them to a 4 hour schedule. So they eat at 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm, and 2am. The boys would much rather wake up every 3 hours it seems a lot of the time but they are eating close to 4 ounces a piece and it is so much easier to keep everyone on the same schedule! Chris has been able to work mostly from home since the kids have been home which has been wonderful! My mom has also been able to take a couple weeks of leave off of work to stay and help with the babies too! I feel so incredibly blessed that things are going well. Addy has finally gotten into the groove of our new life as well. The first couple weeks were rough...as anyone would expect with even 1 new baby in the mix. Throw 4 into an only childs world and yes there will be a rebellion! All of us have finally figured out that a routine is key and Addy being able to predict how the day is going to go helps her out a lot! Thank God she still naps too!! We have also been able to take time one on one with her which is so needed not only for her but for us as well! Soooooo we are all adjusting well and enjoying our new life as a family of 7! Sleep is definitely lost but it is a sacrifice well worth it! There are always cat naps!
We had an article written in our local paper that was lots of fun to do. It will be something for all the kids to enjoy when they get a bit older too! Here is the link: http://rosevillept.com/detail/171886.html
I can't believe these wonderful little miracles are already 5 weeks old! Time is flying by and I am trying so hard to take every moment bit by bit! We will never get this time back and I am so enjoying the newborn stage. Baby cuddles are my all time favorite thing ever!
For those of you who have offered help we have again set up a website to sign up to bring meals. Please do not feel obligated...this is only for those that have asked and would like to help out in some way. That is definitely where the help is needed right now! As far as feedings go we will be needing help once my mom goes back to work and Chris begins his busy time at work. We are limiting the "feeding" help to family and our NICU resources. This helps keep the routine consistent and limits the amount of germs coming into contact with us and the babies! Thank you everyone for your continued support and prayers! We certainly owe a lot to the power of prayer and continue to thank God every day for our blessed life! You are all greatly appreciated!
To sign up for meals cut and paste the link, input your information (you won't get any weird email stuff by signing up....promise..its just so we can track who has signed up for what days). Thanks you so much in advance! http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/310675