Moms of Multiples – Page 3 – Fuel to Flourish™

The V-5 “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right”

Published on March 10, 2014 by onesource4wellness3 Comments

The V-5 definitely “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.” As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) I couldn’t miss the opportunity of featuring my beautiful children during National Nutrition Month®!

Eating well is a pillar in the pursuit of overall wellness, especially if you are/were a premature infant. I attribute my children’s well-being to their healthcare team’s (which includes Mommy & Daddy) dedication to feeding them well from day one.

I have bragged on and on about breast milk in past posts, including Mommy Nutrition and 2 Simple Acts, so the following will feature the best solid foods for infants, or Baby’s Super Foods. These also happen to be super foods for the oldest of children- aka adults. I selected the following foods based on their nutrient density, ease of digestion and preparation and friendliness to the young palate.

Grass-fed Beef & Organic Poultry

Meat and poultry are great first foods due to their iron content. Baby’s stores of iron begin to fade around 6 months so, a food rich in iron is important. Additionally, iron from animal sources (heme-iron) is much easier to absorb and use by the body. Meat also is loaded with B-vitamins and zinc. If you opt for grass-fed over grain-fed cattle, you will also get meat with more healthy omega-3 fats, vitamins A and E, and less of the unhealthy saturated fats, hormones and antibiotics. Organic poultry is ideal for the same reasons; basically more time and attention are directed towards the birds living quarters and nutrition creating a better quality end product.

Lentils

Lentils may be small but they are mighty. They are loaded with protein, fiber, iron, zinc and a host of B-vitamins. They are also a good source of copper, potassium and molybdenum. These legumes are quick and easy to prepare and generally more tender than other types of dried beans.

Bone Broth

This nutritional powerhouse can be made by boiling chicken or beef bones in water and a touch of vinegar. It is a significant source of GAGs, or glycosaminoglycans, chondroitin sulfate, keratan sulfate and hyaluronic acid, which are all “ingredients” for cartilage. Additionally, the red marrow has myeloid stem cells, which supports red blood cell development and the immune system. This broth also is a great source of glycine and proline, which are the building blocks for other amino acids (protein). Glycine and proline are also used by the body to aid digestion, promote healing, and create healthy plasma. Logically, bone broth also provides a good source of minerals found in bone: calcium, phosphorus and magnesium to aid in bone development and maintenance.

Avocado

This fatty fruit is a good source of fiber, vitamins K, E and C, a few B-vitamins, as well as, potassium, and copper. Avocadoes provide a host of anti-inflammatory phytochemicals (antioxidants from plants) and can help with absorption of other nutrients, like carotenoids (orange, yellow and red phytochemicals). Besides aiding in blood sugar regulation and heart health, they also make a great beauty product.

Butternut Squash

This orange, winter squash may require some extra prep work but the sweet flavor and benefits are well worth it. Although squash are a starchy vegetable, their carbohydrate is much different than a potato; it has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The orange color gives away that it is a great source of vitamin A, but it is also loaded with vitamins C, B6 and several minerals.

Gluten-free Oatmeal

This hardy cereal is a great first food for infants. My vote goes to oats over rice for an infant cereal because it is rich in iron, zinc, phosphorus, fiber and protein, as well as, several other vitamins and minerals. It also comes without the worry of arsenic toxicity.

Why gluten-free? Well, gluten is a very inflammatory agent that is found in wheat, rye, barley and some oats and can be difficult to digest. Often times, traditional oats can also be “contaminated” with wheat due to shared processing equipment. I feel it is best for babies to be wheat-free until their first birthdays when they dive into that cake! Overall, I opt for gluten-free because it is much nicer to the kiddos’ digestive tract.

Banana

I had to include at least one common fruit. Bananas are a great first fruit because they are a good source of vitamins C, B6, B2 and of course, potassium. They also provide bone-building minerals, including magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. Besides the benefit of being very convenient to prepare, they are also known as nature’s antacid because they contain a substance that can help the stomach and intestines produce the mucus lining.

Another bonus of the foods mentioned above is that when they are pureed they contain at least 20 calories per Tablespoon, which is equivalent to the average amount of calories in one-ounce of breast milk. When you have picky bottle-feeders who love solids this can be a huge lifesaver!

Whether these foods are old favorites or perhaps news ones to try, I encourage children of all ages to serve up these super foods and “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right!”

ABC, 123 (45), Cute as Can Be!

Published on March 4, 2014March 4, 2014 by onesource4wellness2 Comments

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:

Cold, wet wash clothes,
Frozen pacifiers,
Cold teething rings,
Baltic Amber stone necklaces, and
Yes, the occasional dose of Tylenol.

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.

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.

Kali Mae is 6 Months Old

Published on February 11, 2014February 8, 2014 by onesource4wellness

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

Isabella Marie is 6 Months Old

Published on February 9, 2014February 8, 2014 by onesource4wellness

This pretty princess is still our Sleeping Beauty, or Bella addormentata in Italian who is known to catch some zzz’s mid-feeding, or while snuggled up on Daddy’s shoulder. She’s also a bit of a drama queen who tends to exaggerate most activities, and has come to love blowing raspberries. She also is our most active quint and loves to run with flash-like speed. With such a love for action, she grows bored quite easily and often let’s out her characteristic Bella sigh when she has had enough. She is going to be a beautiful older sister full of energy and attitude.

Nicknames: Bella, Bella Bean, Bells, Sarge

Birth Length: 15.7 in

Current Length: 23 in

Birth Weight: 2.49 lb

Current Weight: 12.4 lb

Favorite toy: Musical Sea horse, it’s her Kryptonite

Favorite past time: Running and knocking birds in the Forest Play Mat, fondly known as “Sherwood Forest”

Halfway to a Year

Published on February 5, 2014February 5, 2014 by onesource4wellness

Their a handful! — 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!

Let the Games Begin!

Published on January 24, 2014 by onesource4wellness1 Comment

At 5 ½ months the quints are starting solids!

How do you know when to start solids?

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 95^th 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:

Chicken
Butternut Squash
Beef
Sweet Potatoes
Zucchini
Oatmeal

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.

Dedication Celebration

Published on January 12, 2014 by onesource4wellness4 Comments

The Vanderwall quints have started the New Year with a celebration!

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. — 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 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— ⁴but 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.”

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Published on January 5, 2014 by onesource4wellness4 Comments

All we wanted for Christmas was a Silent Night, and we got it!

DSC_1128Vin

At the conclusion of the holiday season, we celebrate not only the kids sleeping through the night but the passing of a memorable year. It certainly is a time of recollection; I ask myself: where have we been and where are we going?

It is hard to believe that at this time last year we were not even pregnant. We were amidst the emotional journey of trying to conceive. After years of trying, we found out in March, 2013 that we were going to have a family all at once.

The news that we were going to have quintuplets definitely took a few weeks to digest, and even longer to wrap our minds around. As many know, the emotional journey did not stop at conception but rolled on. With discussions about multi-fetal reduction and attempting to navigate the best possible perinatal care, our pregnancy was a trying journey. In May, I said goodbye to Frank, family and friends in Madison and hello to Mesa. Arizona brought new friends and the best doctor I have ever worked with. It truly seems like just yesterday that we hopped on a plane, praying that we would not be too late to have our urgent surgery. I also cannot believe that Frank and I were apart for almost 3 ½ months. Despite the miles that separated us, our marriage grew greatly during that time.

Then during the early afternoon on August 3, a nurse came into my hospital room and shared that were going to have babies in a few hours. With a bang we had a beautiful family. Many know the trials and tribulations that followed; the life of a NICU parent.

I sit amazed. I am truly awestruck at how God’s hand has cared for us every step of the way, His provision through His strength, Spirit and people never left us and continue to be ever present.

One of the many ornaments and generous gifts that we received from from our family at the Community Christian Church (Lincolnshire, IL). Many thanks!

I look at my beautiful children, each a unique blessing, and am overwhelmed by His handiwork. The quints are now 5 months old. They are happy, healthy and developing right on schedule.

Kali is not so sure about this Santa character.

What else could we ask for? Where are we going?

Instead of choosing a self-improvement goal, I resolve to soul-improvement and to continue to be present with my family and to truly seek what the Lord desires for our family and I. On January 11^th, we will dedicate our children to God at Blackhawk Church. I am excited to commit each one of our miracles to their heavenly Father for His will and His purpose.

I close with a prayer from Billy Graham,

“Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need. May our constant prayer be that of the ancient Psalmist: “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end” (Psalm 119:33).

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

Bring our divided nation together, and give us a greater vision of what You would have us to be. Your Word reminds us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come. Amen.” © 2008 Saturday Evening Post Society.

A Day in the Life

Published on December 10, 2013 by onesource4wellness3 Comments

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.

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.

About a month ago we consolidated the evening so, there was only one evening shift: 1am, 5am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm.

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 p;oct-meal zzz's — 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.

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!

It Takes a Village

Published on November 18, 2013 by onesource4wellness5 Comments

The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” is holding true for the V-5. It simply takes more than one person to not only teach a child the ways of life, but to care for their physical needs. Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if a child is unable to satisfy the lower needs, physiological & safety, then it will be that much more difficult to achieve the more advanced needs of love, belonging and esteem.

In the last few weeks, we have been blessed by our own village of family and friends who have paid the quints a visit and helped Mom and Dad not only care for the kiddos, but care for themselves, too! It has been such a blessing to have regular volunteers. Now, the majority of the quints care times have someone here to offer another hand. I must admit I do cherish my one-on-one time with the kiddos. Sometimes it is nice when we get to have cares with just them and I. Yes, it does get a little crazy at times, but I have found if I turn on oldies and sing and dance with them; they love it! A fave is “Baby, I’m Yours” by none other than Mama Cass!

Many, many thanks to our family who has made the trek up from Northern IL many times to help and visit.

Uncle JD with Ellie & Kali — Uncle JD with Ellie & Bella

Thank you to our church family who have come over at all hours of the day, including 3am, and at the drop of a hat to help us. Thank you to the Madison Area Mom’s of Multiples for yummy meals and snacks. Thank you to our new friends and co-workers who have also been there for us in the last month.

We truly could not do it without you!