At 7 months the kiddos are expressive, talkative and almost mobile! All of the quints have rolled from their tummies to their backs and only Theo has made it from his back to his stomach. They are all really good at what we call the “sphinx pose,” or more commonly known as the cobra pose for you yogis out there. I have my money on Lily to crawl first.
Their choppers are definitely on their way in so drooling, chewing, and whining are popular past times. Beware; if you get too close you’re bound to get “gummed.” We have employed several tactics to soothe them including:
Nutrition is also a bit different nowadays. The quints have maxed out on their daily milk at 5-6 ounces per feeding, or 24-32 ounces per day, and are now chowing down on solids. Brunch consists of gluten-free oatmeal with banana or apples and Linner is beef or poultry in bone broth or steamed green vegetable with a side of squash or sweet potato. Kali continues to be the best guzzler, but Lily takes the cake (almost literally) when it comes to mowing through her solids, and well everyone’s leftovers, too!
It is amazing how big they are getting. I remember receiving the 6 month sleepers as gifts not believing they would ever be that big. But, now they are almost too big for those same sleepers! There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think back to those days in the NICU and thank God for how far these children have come.
T is for TheoB is for BellaL is for LilyK is for KaliE is for Ellie
They are certainly our pride and joy! We promise you that Theo and Bella are the goofiest of the bunch, but apparently not big fans of impromptu photo shoots before lunch.
Our little peanut is no longer the smallest of the bunch. She is the longest and weighs the 2nd most of the ladies. She is still our little emergency. She can go from zero to 60 in a few seconds. However, she is also our best self-soother. She is our little siren who is able to win over everyone she meets. Ellie is our first to start teething and thus her favorite toy is now her fingers. This little girl also loves her tummy time! She is one of our quieter quints, but if she observes any inefficiencies in her care she is sure to let you know it. This one definitely has a C-suite in her future!
Nicknames: Ellie, ER, Eliie Belly
Birth Length: 16.9 in
Current Length: 23.1 in
Birth Weight: 2.41 lb
Current Weight: 13 lb
Favorite toy: Her fingers
Favorite Past-time: Hanging out with her older brother
This sweet heart has a smile that could melt anyone’s heart. She is known for her little half-smile, smirk and high-pitched screech. Kāli-Mae is also the most expressive of the V-5. Her face cannot lie. We know when she is everything from scared, upset, happy, and even ready to cause trouble. She also is consistently wearing a bib, but simply because she has more drool than a girl can handle. She loves to eat and can down a bottle quicker than her brother. We joke that competitive eating may be in this little one’s future- watch out Joey Chestnut! She also is quite the talker and although we haven’t heard any true words, yet, her babble is getting close.
Nicknames: K-Mae, Monkey
Birth Length: 13 in
Current Length: 22.8 in
Birth Weight: 2.29 lb
Current Weight: 13.3 lb
Favorite toy: Colorful ball and Ziggy the Zebra (Mobile toys)
Favorite Past-time: Chilling in her jungle boppy with a firm grasp on her ball
This little love bug already has a heart made of gold. She is the most sensitive of the quints, and quite empathetic. She loves to smile and hold hands with her siblings in distress. She also is very sensitive to sounds and the smallest sneeze can send her jumping. She has crystal blue eyes and a genuine smile. She’s usually sporting a bib because drinking milk (and keeping it down) is not one of her fortes. But, when it comes to chowing solid foods- she’s the best! Ms. Lillian is now growing with the rest of her siblings and appears to have left the threats of developmental delays in the past.
Nicknames: Lil, Lily Bug
Birth Length: 14.6 in
Current Length: 22.6 in
Birth Weight: 2.69 lb
Current Weight: 11.6 lb
Favorite toy: Stuffed Eeyore
Favorite Past-time: Hanging out with Mommy and Daddy in the kitchen swing
Mr. Theo is 110% boy! This little man is certainly the rough and tumble type equipped with all the loud and smelly bodily functions. His features strongly resemble Frank, including those beautiful blue eyes. He also is growing to be quite strong and can now hold up that 97th percentile noggin with ease. He loves to swing his arms, pound his feet and beat his chest, which can make him quite a threat if left too close to his sisters. But, he also is as sweet as pie and loves to smile, snuggle and hold hands with all of his sisters. He’s already an amazing older brother!
Nicknames: Theo, Thor “god of thunder,” Nana’s Lil Buddy
Birth Length: 14.5 in
Current Length: 24.8 in
Birth Weight: 2.87 lb
Current Weight: 16.1 lb
Favorite toy: Abigail, the rattling bird who resides in Sherwood Forest and Ziggy the Zebra
Favorite past time: Making noise! Whether it be by knocking a rattle, pounding his fists or making sounds with his sweet mouth
They’re a handful! (Left to Right: Bella, Ellie, Lily, Theo, Kali)
The Vanderwall Five are halfway to a year!
This past Monday the V5 turned 6 months old. It truly was a celebration to see how far these munchkins have come. Each month we review their milestones and continues to see these children hit their mark, despite their gestational age of 3 months. According to the CDC, a 6 month old child can:
Social/Emotional
Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger (Definitely true for Kali! She sounds the Stranger Danger alarm at first site)
Likes to play with others, especially parents (All of them love to play; they are social butterflies)
Responds to other people’s emotions and often seems happy (These monkeys see and do)
Likes to look at self in a mirror (Their look of amazement is priceless)
Language/Communication
Responds to sounds by making sounds (They are all progressing here, but Bella and Kali take the lead)
Strings vowels together when babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”) and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds (We have some chatterboxes on our hands)
Responds to own name (We are still working on this one, but I believe Kali & Lily know their names. I also think Bella knows her name and chooses whether or not she wants to respond…little stinker)
Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure (Definitely!)
Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with “m,” “b”) (Another popular consonant is “g”)
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Looks around at things nearby (They are curious little ones)
Brings things to mouth (Especially their fingers and rubber ball)
Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach (They love to reach and swat at their mobile birds)
Begins to pass things from one hand to the other (They are paci passing pros!)
Movement/Physical Development
Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front) (More work to be done here, but all are getting close)
Begins to sit without support (The bumbo seats have done wonders for their cores)
When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce (Theo and Lily are great at holding their weight)
Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward (Everyone is scooting and spinning. Watch out Manny (the cat) crawling is definitely in sight)
It’s been awhile since we checked in with each quint individually, so we thought we would launch a series beginning with Mr. Theo!
There are several signs that a child is ready to start solids:
At least 4 months old (Check!)
Significant weight gain.
The quints have definitely doubled their birth weights)
Theo is now 14½ lbs.,
Bella is 11lbs,
Lily is our little one at 10½ lbs.,
Kali is 12 lbs., and
Ellie is just shy of 12 lbs.
Able to make chewing motions and loss of “extrusion reflex.”
The extrusion reflex is when an infant uses their tongue to push solids from their mouth. An infant’s mouth develops in sync with their digestive tract. Therefore, if the little one is able to push food to the back of their mouth with their tongue and simultaneously swallow their gut is ready to accept the food.
Able to support their own heads with good neck strength.
In preparation for solid food we began feeding the kids in their bumbo seats. At first this was a disaster! The bumbo is designed to teach little ones to use their core to sit up, so you can imagine what happens when they are all tensing their abs during mealtime. Spit ups and blowouts galore! But, thank goodness this did not last long. A week’s worth of feedings and they got the hang of it.
I attribute the great gains in their neck and head strength to their time in the bumbo seats. Even big brother, Theo, with his 95th percentile noggin can hold that coconut up proudly!
Good appetite and often still hungry after their feeding.
This is definitely the case for Theo, Kali and Lily who often are quite upset to be sucking air at the end of their bottles.
Curious with what Mom and Dad are munching on.
So, needless to say after reviewing the list above, I was confident that the quints were physically ready for solids.
Which foods do you start with?
There is a bit of a debate on which food is best to start with. Currently, there is no strong evidence to support a specific sequence of introduction. Nutritionally, the best foods to start with are those that are highest in iron. This is because around 4-6 months of age a child’s iron stores are becoming depleted. This is especially true for premature infants because their time to accrue these stores was cut-short. Additionally, foods high in zinc and vitamin D are especially important because these nutrients are traditionally low in breast milk.
Traditionally, people start with iron fortified rice cereal. However, from my research this appears to be merely a generational tradition and in fact meat is a much better first food. This article from Dr. Greer, one of the quints’ physicians at the Madison NICU, offers a great explanation! Rice cereal is very easy to digest and has a very low allergy risk, but the iron from the food is not as easily absorbed and this food is high calories and low in nutrition. Plant-based iron (non-heme iron) is not used by the body as easily as that from an animal source (heme iron). Additionally, meat is a great source of zinc. I believe that chicken is a fantastic first food, followed by beef.
The quint’s sequence will be as follows, with a new food every three days:
I chose butternut squash and sweet potatoes because they are fairly high in vitamin C. The body uses vitamin C to help the absorption and use of iron. Zucchini was next as their first dark green vegetable because it is easy to digest and a low allergy risk. Their first grain will be gluten-free oatmeal because it is naturally high in iron and B-vitamins.
This delicious faire will be homemade with an awesome Baby Bullet, courtesy of a fellow quint mom. I puree the vegetables using breast milk and the meats using bone broth. Both are fantastic sources of vitamins and minerals and freeze very well! In just one hour, I had a month’s worth of food for the kiddos.
Let the games begin!
Frank and I thought we would catch this monumental meal on film. This video illustrates why it is important to feed your little one their bottle before trying solids. Can you guess which quints had eaten first?
If you guessed Theo and Lily you were right! They were cool and calm during their trial. Ellie and Bella were quite the opposite and approached meltdown mode. Kali, well, Kali enjoys mealtime in whatever order it is presented.
The other very important reason to offer solids after their milk is because breast milk should remain the primary source of nutrition for infants until at least 1 year of age, and thus you don’t want to ruin a feeding with an unfortunate food trial. I do promise you that Theo, Ellie and Bella all recovered from this feeding experience.
So, at the conclusion of food trial #1, all of the quints tolerated chicken. I would say that Lily, Ellie and Kali even liked it. I believe Bella will come around to liking it, too. As for Mr. Theo…I’m pretty sure he just wants a butter burger and some crinkle cut fries.
The Vanderwall quints have started the New Year with a celebration!
Grandpa Brett, Nana B and the V7
This past Saturday we dedicated our children to God at Blackhawk Church here in Madison. It was an amazing experience to gather with family and friends. I have to admit it was difficult to take in the service as I was surveying our children and trying to keep track on when it was our turn. But, as I sit and write this post I am reflecting on the “village” that was present to support our family in this intentional dedication, and what dedication truly means. I- again- am overwhelmed by how God’s love and provision continues to wash over are family.
On stage with Grandpa Turzy, Grandpa Brett, Nana, their Godparents (Alex & Danielle) at Blackhawk Church’s Child Dedication.
Overall, the day went very well. The kids looked adorable in their outfits, they did great in church, and we were able to celebrate this faith-filled moment alongside the people that mean the most to us: their grandpa’s, grandma (Nana), God-parents (Alex and Danielle), and very close friends.
The Whitakers and the V-7
The dedication concluded with a personal blessing for our children, read by Alex, and a prayer from the youth pastor.
Our personal blessing reads:
Dearest Theo, “God’s Gift” to us, Isabella, who we “Devote to God,” Lillian and Kali, our “Pure ones,” and Elliott, who reminds us “Jehovah is God.”
May the Lord always walk with you on your journey in life, and sprinkle you with His love and light.
May you learn to love with kindness and grace, and know within your soul: Truth, courage and faith.
You will be wrapped in the warmth of family and friends, and our love for you will never end.
Today, we present you to God, your Holy Father, and commit you to Him for His glory and no other.
We also chose a life verse for each one.
For Theo, Corinthians 16:13-14. “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.Be strong. And do everything with love.”
For Bella, 1 Peter 3:3-4 “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”
For Lily, Ephesians 2:8-10. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand,that we should walk in them.”
For Kali, Philippians 4:8-9. “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
For Ellie, Psalm 139:13-14. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
Mr. Theodore and Mrs. Bella Clause and their cute lil’ elves want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
The V-7 wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas!Mr. and Mrs. Clause in the midst of a marital dispute.It looks like they made up!Ellie the elf is pooped from her long night building toys and spreading cheer!It looks like Lily is all tuckered out, too.Kali is hitting that high C in every carol she sings!
Several people inquire about what life is like for one of the Vanderwall quints. Many have come to visit and have peered into the world of the V-5. Some are surprised at their cool, calm and collected nature. Others have witnessed the choir of screeching alley cats (aka all 5 crying at once), which is enough to scare anyone into abstinence. All have to take a moment to allow reality to settle in that there truly are five.
When I was pregnant I was searching long and hard for example schedules and routines for high order multiples. I found suggestions but nothing clear and concise, so I thought I would share with the world what a day in the life of the Vanderwall quints looks like.
The life of an infant is fairly plain and simple; it consists of eating, sleeping and pooping. But, as a child ages the time allocated to these changes.
Kali Mae is ready for lunch!
When the kiddos first arrived home at 2 ½ months, or a gestational age of 40 weeks, they ate every 3 hours and slept for the majority of the 3 hours between feedings. We inherited their care time schedule from the hospital, which was 12am, 3am, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm.
Aunt Cindy feeding Kali
About a month ago we consolidated the evening so, there was only one evening shift: 1am, 5am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm.
Cousin Guy feeding EllieGrandpa George burping Ellie
More recently, we decided to challenge the quints to sleep through the night and. they did it! According to the research literature, “sleeping through the night” is 5 hours, however most, including any sleep-deprived parent or caregiver, would agree that that simply is not enough. However, it’s a start. The quints care times are now 5-6am, 9am, 12pm, 4pm, 7pm, and 10pm. It continues to amaze me at how adaptable they truly are. We are very grateful!
Those who have visited know the in’s and out’s of the quint’s cares, but I’ll give you the rundown for those of you watching from home. The sequence of care times mimics that of the hospital. We tried to maintain patterns that the kids knew.
“Cares” begin with whoever is awake, which is typically Ellie and Theo, but on some occasions everyone wakes up at the same time. Most of the time half of them wake up on the hour and then 2-3 wake up at the half hour. This works out perfectly for our feeding sequence. We start by changing their diapers and then feed them one-by-one. It will be a glorious day when they can hold their own bottles, but for right now each one takes 8-45 minutes to feed depending on how cooperative they’re feeling. That means that one “care” session can last 45 minutes to over 2 hours. When I’m running this ship solo, the average care session takes 90 minutes, but Frank and I can cut that time in half.
Lily catching some post-meal zzz’s
After everyone is fed, they lay back down for a nap, some quiet-alert time, or play-time. We try to rotate their positions from lying on their back, to tummy time, to sitting upright in the swing or bouncy seat, or to a slight incline in a boppy.
Kali & Theo relaxing
We believe its important to vary the positions and locations of the room.
In between care sessions, we spend time documenting their “I’s & O’s” or “In’s & Out’s,” making bottles, and doing the laundry. It is important for us to track their care sessions because when we go to the doctor they always ask how many “voids” and “stools” they have each day, and there’s no way I could recall that for each one without writing it down. A sample of our tracker is below:
Date:
Care Time
Feeding (mL)
Void
Spit-up
Stool
Percent of Daily Goal
Total mL
So, a day in the life of the V-5 consists of 6 feedings, 90 ounces of breast milk, about 6 scoops of Neosure, 18 teaspoons of rice cereal, at least 50 diapers, an abundance of boogers, drool, stinky butts and spit-up, and a whole lot of love!
Bump 2 Bab[y]ies 