Hannah Lee

Christmas has always been a special holiday for me so to have my due date on Christmas made it even more special (if that was possible). So bringing home our third baby on Christmas was such a huge blessing, which Hannah has been.

Hannah had a relatively "easy" NICU stay, if that is possible. She had no major issues! She would have come home earlier except a cold that kept her there a little longer than Samantha and Makaila. I was so happy to have Hannah home with her sisters but especially her identical, Makaila.

We knew early on (even in utero) that even though they are identicals they are very different especially their personalities. Hannah knows what she wants and gets it. Our house got much louder when she came home. And to this day if she lets loose one of the screams I look around to see if she shattered a window. Her screams, so far, have been out of joy and happiness. We can find out fast if she likes a meal as she shriels when we bring the food to the table. She is a true lover. I started to put my forehead on the girls when I kissed them so we wouldn't head but and hurt each other. She has turned that into her form of affection. She gently head butts with a huge smile. She will even chase down a cat to head butt him. She loves to cuddle. Hannah has been a protector of Makaila. If something is going on with Makaila during PT that Hannah doesn't like she lets everyone know. She has been called the "Chairmen of the Board" as she is the one to check out incoming guests and gives her approval. We think that she will be the talker of group.

Hannah, even though it is a lot louder in our house since you have been home, some of the extra noise is all of us laughing at your humor and jokes. You have been a true gift to Mommy, Daddy and your sisters. It is a joy to have you in our lives and we look forward to the years to come with y0ur affection and comical sense of humor! We love you!

GRANDmas

Have you ever wondered how GRANDmas got their name? Two weeks ago I had a bad fall down the stairs. Luckily, I was coming down from carrying the last one up to nap. Once Josh speed home and called 911, I sat there and wondered what I was going to do with the girls. Fortunately, Friends Lynn, Kristen (a fellow quad mom), Jose, Michelle and their two wonderful boys came without hesitation to watch the girls while we were gone. Thank you all for your frienship and support. After explaining our situation to the ER doctor he said I needed help for two weeks.

As soon as we left the ER Josh and I were on the phone to our Mothers (mine in Washington state and Josh's in Missouri). Within 14 hours my mom was on a plane and Josh's Mom got here the following day. They put everything on hold for us (yet again). They came with their sleeved rolled up and smiles on their faces. The girls have been having a great time playing with their GRANDmas. The love is truly amazing. It kills me not to be able to help my girls but Josh and GRANDmas are who I truly appreciate while I am down. The girls are in great hands and enjoy the extra loving hands.

Here we are two weeks after the fall and the orthopedic surgeon said it would be another four weeks until I can care for the girls. I go for a bone scan on Monday as xrays and MRI's show too much swelling for a diagnosis.

My whole point here is that we know that GRAND comes from the everlasting love and that they will do anything and everything in their power to help their grand children. Being military we don't live near family and have a lot of holidays away from them. However, the girls GRANDma put their lives aside and will be here for Christmas. A true present that only can be wrapped with love.

Thank you Manana and G Ma for being GRANDmas.
And Merry Christmas Eve to each and every one of you!

Makaila

Makaila came home to us on December 12th, 2008. Even though the year has literally flown by, it is difficult to recall a single memory in this house without her. She is such a blessing! Makaila has had her strugglese. She spent 56 days in the NICU, and she suffered from respiratory distress syndrome (which has left her with a mildly hoarse voice) . Once she came home she has had her bouts with reflux (which she still struggles with), and she has taken longer than her sisters to sit, roll, stand, and babble. However, she has stood strong in the face of her adversities!


Makaila gets stronger every day, and she is quickly catching up to her sisters in everything they do! Even though she was the last to crawl, she was the first to crawl upright. Maybe she is just a stickler for form. She is a slower crawler than her sisters, but she doesn't miss out on anything. In fact, yesterday she was only one step behind Hannah during their climb up the stairs for naptime. Makiala's voice has been healing and when she talks everyone (Hannah, Samantha, Sandra, Mom, Dad, and Maxine) listens intently because it is usually a profound statement or an exclamation of joy. Perhaps her most wonderful attribute is her glorious smile! It gleams from ear to ear and shows off her seven beautiful teeth (the most of all the girls)!

We love you Makaila, and Thank You for making our home so Happy!

Samantha

One year ago today, Samantha came home from the hospital after 54 long days in the NICU. She has grown so much in the last year. She has had to go through alot with her arm, heart, audiology and cranial band. Through and through she has been a very happy baby. She wakes up in the morning giggeling and giggles most of the day. The smallest things make her laugh. She has an infectious laugh. I'll have to admit when I need an uplift, I ask her what is under her chin, she immidatley starts to laugh and I tell her that it is "Mommy's". She is so strong and she knows it too. She uses her strength to get things done. She is usually the one to get into things (ex. cabinets) and is so kind to share with her sisters as she hands off the collected loot. She loves affection and attention. Samantha, Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of you and look forward to the years coming with your joy and happiness as you continue to grow!

Animal Lover!

Too cute for a caption!

Great news!

It seems like forever since the last post because so much has gone on here. Let’s get to some great news first. Samantha had her ABR (sedated hearing test) on Wednesday. I am so proud of our children. We constantly are being told how well behaved they are. Alright to the results…she has hearing loss in her left ear but no where near the extent that we first thought. I was so excited I could have done a cart wheel in the hospital. She has pressure behind her ear drum and they want to retest in three months. Makaila, Makaila, Makaila…Since her normal CT Scan she has decided to explore! Yes, she is a crawler, she skipped army crawling and went straight to palm and knee crawling. She is more attentive and interactive with her sisters. It is so great to see. Sandra decided to not scare me any more in regards to her teeth. Coming from the dental field I am on these girls teeth like you would not believe. She skipped getting her front teeth and got her laterals. She looked like a vampire. She got one of her front teeth this week. Yeah Sandra, congrats on scaring Mommy!
Food, food, food and more food! The girls eat as if it is their last meal. It is amazing how much they eat. I am constantly either making a meal or cleaning up after a meal. I am fortunate so far, that they eat whatever I make. I hope this lasts for awhile! And no I am not buying eight gallons of milk because it is on sale, it is because that is how much we go through. Our dishwasher gets ran at least two times a day. And clothes…I did eleven loads in two days? Yes, the bigger the girls get the more chores there are! But at the same time the more fun they are! The laughs and giggles are abundant!
All this and and I am 95% finished with Christmas shopping! And Black Friday has not even come yet!

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Results/Reschedule

The four girls helping in the kitchen! Yeah right!

Success! Now with the cabinet empty Samantha finds a great place to hide from the others!

Samantha and Hannah reading a book!

The four girls chatting about the weird green stuff they are sitting on!

Mommy and the girls (and one boy cat) recoving from a crazy few days!

Wednesday I got a call from the prosthetics to inform me that Samantha and Makaila are progressing well. However Sandra has not grown while in helmets. She may be in hers longer than the others. I was worried since she can not wear hers right now afraid that we’d miss a growth spurt. He said that the body will use it’s energy to fight her dots and not grow right now. Once she is better, her energy will go back to growing! We are still having to keep Benadryl in her system but she is gradually looking better!

Thursday morning I brought a sleep deprived hungry Makaila to the hospital for her sedated CT Scan. While getting her out of the Yukon an ambulance was trying to pass us so I was in a hurry. I tripped holding her and fell on my rear into the street. On the way down Makaila hit her head. It could have been worse but she got a large goose egg on her forehead and I got whip lash. As soon as I got her inside I asked for ice! They informed me that they could not sedate her because of her injury. My girls have tiny veins so it took a few tries to get an IV in. The hard part was seeing her crying but she actually was being a brave girl. She was so exhausted from that she just laid on the CT Scan bed wrapped like a Mummy and strapped down.

Friday we got her results! Her scan was normal EXCEPT inflammation on her forehead! I was so excited but had to chuckle that the goose egg was mentioned in the results. She needs PT to help straighten her neck and stretch the muscles. It was the same doctor that sees Samantha for her hearing loss. Josh explained what had happened on Monday when she did not get her hearing test. The hospital wanted to reschedule for Jan/Feb. The nurse was not happy. Two hours later I got a call to schedule Samantha for Wednesday for a sedated ABR. Yeah! So excited but am shuffling to get it arranged!

Our pedi called and asked if we were staying in this weekend. I told her “Yes” and she said “Good”!

P.S. Good news! I got an early Birthday present today! Josh got me a new camera that will take great pics! I am excited! So after I read the manual on how to use it I will practice on the girls! Great pics are just around the corner!

Polka Dots

Samantha and Hannah telling funny jokes!


Makaila checking out her silly sister Sandra and Samantha under the changing table!



Hannah wondering if Samantha has the best seat in the house!

Day after Halloween all wearing polka dots!

Monday Samantha had her sedated echo cardiogram, EKG, Xray and ABR (hearing test) scheduled. I was to bring in a sleep deprived one year old on an empty stomach to the hospital at 7:30 AM. No food was not an issue since she doesn't eat until 8:00. We kept her up two hours past her bedtime and woke her up at 5:00 am (3 hours early). Keeping her awake on the way to the hospital was fun! No really it was! Since I was also sleep deprived the cold weather helped. Once in the car I sang to her and played with her feet the whole time. One hand on the steering wheel and one on her feet in the back seat. After a long day, lots of confusion and dragged from one end of the hospital to the other Samantha was a patient and brave tired girl. Her ABR was not done and she passed all cardio testing. Yeah! She will have one more echo/EKG/Xray one month prior to moving and then she will be cleared from the cardiologist forever!
On Sunday, I dressed the girls in polka dots to continue with the dot theme from Halloween. I guess Sandra decided she like the polka dots because Tuesday morning she woke up screaming and covered with thousands of tiny red pin point dots throughout her entire body. I brought her to the pedi and was told that she had a reaction to her MMR shot a week and a half ago. She is uncomfortable and fussy, who would not be? She is not allowed to wear her cranial helmet until the dots are gone. Thinking that she did not have enough room for more dots she proved me wrong Wednesday morning there were dots on top of dots. She was so miserable that she did not want to eat or drink. Pedi recommended I make a Benydryl/Milk of Magnesium mixture and swab the inside of her mouth. Wouldn't you know, it worked! Remember when she had a allergic reaction to chocolate? Well it was a "Jello" brand. Sunday night I gave her Jello. We now believe that she is allergic to Gelatin. Gelatin is used in vaccines as a stabilizer. So between the Jello and MMR she got a serious rash.
Last week we started to bathe the girls in the big tub without bath seats. I was petrified! But now I just laugh (along with the girls) when they fall in. It is difficult and so much fun. The difficult part is that they are mobile and it is hard to catch one and clean them. Also, if one falls it causes a domino effect and they all fall in. I get in the tub with them and we splash each other. They stand up and crawl around. We used an oatmeal base to help Sandra's rash. But she just would not sit down. So Daddy had her lay down in it and she loved laying down in the water.
The girls are so funny! Samantha has gotten into the kitchen cabinets. She will drag out a kitchen appliance play with it and then hand it off to someone else to play with it. It is so fun to watch her empty my cabinets and share with her sisters. Hannah learned that if she hits her head on the feeding table the other three will laugh at her. Where do they come up with this stuff? Hannah has a high pitched shriek that she does that causes the others to laugh at her. So Mommy does the shriek and all four laugh and giggle. Oh the fun we have!
Baby proofing...I have been pro active in regards to baby proofing. However, we are constantly being showed ever so nicely by the girls what needs to be baby proofed. Here is a perfect example...The feeding table legs are made of metal. The girls would knock their heads into them and after a LARGE goose egg on Hannah's head I came up with the ingenious idea to cover the legs with swimming pool noodles. We put a slit in the noodles and wrapped them around the legs with lovely duct tape. So today, Makaila was in the kitchen with me and she starts to choke. I hadn't given her anything to eat so it boggled the mind. I did the quick finger swipe of her mouth and out comes some blue foam. It took me a minute to realize where it came from....she has been eating the pool noodles. So the point is; I baby proofed the table to prevent head injury but added another hazard in the quad house!
Tomorrow Makaila is scheduled for her sedated Cat Scan. Again I need to bring her hungry and sleep deprived! I am a bit worried because if she wants to sleep, she will! Due to recent concerns the pedi wants the results tomorrow. So, I am hoping that we get some answers and not have to sit on pins and needles waiting. Some good news is that she is showing signs of trying to developmentally grow. This is huge for her. She can get around a little better now. She will traditionally crawl a few steps and then sit up and repeat until she gets to where she wants to go. She is trying to stand up by pulling herself up. It takes her more attempts than the other three girls until she accomplishes tasks but in time she gets the job done. I am so proud of her!
We are having technical difficulties in regards to the camera and computer. So, not a lot of pictures lately!

Little Lady Bugs!

We hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! The girls (all five including Maxine) had a great day! They had a good time playing with their pumpkins and having treats! Yes, they did go trick-or-treating! But I do what to know who decided that Day Light Savings and Halloween be on the same night. Our original plan was to keep the girls up later to compensate for the time change. They were so tired and ready for bed the plan did not work out! So it should be an interesting morning (an hour late for them)!

Makaila checking to see if Hanna got any new teeth! No really, they are all constantly checking each other out now and touching each other. It is so cute to watch!


Maxine getting ready for Trick-or-Treating!



Makaila, Hannah, Samantha and Sandra being cute as a bug (a lady bug that is)!

Aww so sweet!

Yes, Mommy, Daddy and Maxine were part of the entourage!

Big changes all at once!

Makaila cuddling with Maxine. Maxine puts up with so much from the girls but loves all the extra love and attention!


Wadding pool in the Summer, ball pit in the Winter. The girls love climbing in and out and playing. It is not uncommon for Sandra to be completely covered. If she is ever missing I know where to look first.


The last four bottles in the Duggan household!


It is getting more and more difficult to get a picture of all four. They are always on the move and want to explore! (Hannah, Makaila, Sandra and Samantha)


It took dozens of tries to get this picture (Makaila, Hannah, Samantha and Sandra)

Warning, plug your ears, we have mayhem in our house! If you were hearing excessive loud screaming lately it is coming from the Duggan girls! We are no longer heating their milk, switched to whole milk and got rid of bottles. Yes, is big changes all at once for them but I’d rather do it all at once then drag it out for weeks. We used to give them their bottle and then their meal. We switched it up on them and feed them first prior to sippy cups which made a big difference. Now, 6 days into the big change the girls are doing really good. They have excepted the milk change and are doing better and better each day with the cups. I still have to help them (esp. at the table) by holding the cup up for them. I keep a cup of water on the floor and they race to it sometimes. It is so cute!

The girls had their 12 month appointment last week. The doctor is pleased with their growth. We got the go ahead on all foods, just be careful still on the foods that can choke them. For example, I still cut up their grapes. Saturday, was the first time ever, the six (seven if you include Maxine) of us had breakfast together and ate the same foods. It was a good feeling to have our first family meal! Now, they eat mostly what Josh and I eat except on salad night. The girls know that when I am preparing their meals I will sneak them treats if they are in the kitchen with me. They also love to have food off of our plates.

The girls are so funny! They make me laugh every day! Sandra loves music and dances all the time. Even if she hears a 10 second song on a toy that she likes the beat she will start dancing and clapping her hands. Samantha is starting to trust herself and let go of furniture and stand for a couple seconds. It is so cute watching her contemplate whether to let go or not. Makaila about a week and a half ago started to be able to get to sitting position by herself. Now she maneuvers a short distance by getting up and down from a sitting position to a laying down position. Hannah is a funny girl! She has gestures, looks, noises that just get me rolling. Hannah is such a love too. One minute she is making you laugh and the next she wants hugs and kisses!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!

Dearest Makaila, Hannah, Samantha and Sandra,

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful girls I have ever laid my eyes on. You four have come so far and have accomplished and reached milestones that far excedes Mommy and Daddy's expectations. We are so proud of you and love you more than we ever imagined possible. We can't wait to see your four happy smiley faces each morning and we sneak up into your room so we can get one more kiss or one more peak at your beautiful faces. We can't wait to see what the future brings!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

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Guessng Game

Alright, time to play a game! You are to guess what the girls are going to be for Halloween! Hannah is wearing a hint! I will post the results on Halloween with a picture! Come on and guess by leaving a comment.

In regards to Makaila, she saw the ENT. According to x ray the size should be paltatable and he does not feel any lumps. Anyways, he did scope her in office. There is vocal cord irrtation and thickening. He said to stop reflux medicie and thinks that vocal cords will repair itself and her voice will get better in time. He does want a sedated C T Scan. It is not an emergency and they will call to schedule. With her being so young she has to be under general anesthetic. So we are still playing the waiting game.

Please Think of Makaila Tomorrow

On Friday, after further review of Makaila's xrays and report they believe it is either an abscess or a tumor in her neck. She does not have any symptoms of abscess, no fever and a good appetite. So her appointment for Friday was moved up to tomorrow. Even though this is a very busy week with several appointments and a birthday (or four) this weekend, I am glad it was changed. But on the other hand, very worried. I have been having a difficult time sleeping. I keep telling myself not to worry but it is not working. So please keep Makaila in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow.

4 American Girls

No this is not a late 4th of July picture. However, it is the first picture of all four sitting together. Not the first time just the first time I took a picture. The stars and stripes are because they are 4 American girls and proud of it. When we see a big sale we buy as much as we can in bigger sizes. These are from the after 4th of July sale. I can't pass up a good sale on clearance items. This last weekend I found shirts for $1.74 so I bought a bunch all the way up to size 6. It'll be awhile (several years) but I saved a ton of cash. After Valentines day I found jeans for 25 cents because they had hearts on them. For our family love and American pride is every day not just February 14th and July 4th!

Pain in my neck!

Makaila has had a stiff neck and head tilt for a couple months. She had physical therapy scheduled to help with her torticollis (stiff neck). But mother instinct kicked in. I have been concerned about her neck for a while now. We were told she had torticollis and not to worry. At home, we would position her in places so she had to turn her head to the left to help stretch the tight muscles. I brought her to the pediatrician (who hadn’t diagnosed or seen her about it yet) yesterday with my concerns. Our pedi knows by now that we do not call or go in very often and for small issues. The pedi thought that it was toricollis, vision issues or neck problems. Since we have an appointment for the eye doctor in a few weeks and physical therapy lined up she wanted x rays of Makaila’s neck.

I then brought her to the imaging place for her four x rays. I felt so bad for her. She had to have her head pulled, pushed, tugged and stretched for the x rays. But she was a strong and brave little girl. I was told the doctor would call in 1 to 2 days with results. Wouldn’t you know, that 1 to 2 hours later we got a call from the pedi. Fortunatley there is nothing wrong skeletally. But there seems to be soft tissue issues. The pedi said not to do PT on her neck and she wanted a sedated Cat Scan of her neck. We were referred to ENT (the same doctor that sees Samantha for her hearing loss). I am so glad that they are able to see Makaila next Friday.

Yes, next Friday is the day before her Birthday. But wouldn’t it be a great Birthday present for her to start to get this resolved and get her out of pain.

Growing up too fast!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My babies are growing up too fast! They have sprouted in the last couple weeks. They have decided that they no longer are babies! I beg to differ! They will ALWAYS be our babies. They will NOT eat baby food any more and want to feed themselves. They will NOT wear a bib. So their diet has completely changed. For breakfast they get a grain (toast, waffle, English muffin, cheerios, Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes) fruit (banana, pear, strawberries, peach, apple sauce). For lunch a meat (ham, turkey) dairy (cheese, yogurt) grain (crackers) and sometimes a cookie, fruit (pineapple, avocado, melon, cherries, blue berries, apricot) and dinner a meat (chicken tenders, rotisserie chicken, boiled chicken, meatballs, hamburger) veggies (all) and a starch (tator tots, baked potato)and sometimes dessert (ice cream, pudding). It takes more time and thought now to prepare their meals. But they love it! They love to feed themselves! Oh and I can’t forget the occasional dog food if we forget to pick it up while they are down stairs.

Hannah, Samantha and Sandra are all getting faster and better at getting around. Samantha has turned into a climber. She has climbed in the dishwasher, refrigerator, cabinets, onto the shelf of the changing table, onto the couch (via a basket) and even on top of the dog and her sisters. Samantha and Sandra are (listen closely) taking steps while we hold their hands. Samantha has stepped around things while holding onto a toy or something also. They prefer to be upright now! Makaila, on the other hand, needs work. She just had a physical therapy eval. The good news is that she is capable but doesn’t have the will or the strength. She is much weaker in leg muscle tone and also needs stretching exercises for her neck. She needs one on one work. Very difficult considering when I sit to work with her I literally get attacked by the others. Samantha and Hannah fight over me and get jealous. However, they work as a team to accomplish something.

It is so fun to watch their personalities grow. Sandra will caress her sister if one is upset. She wants to know where we are but doesn’t mind playing by herself. She is funny and loves to laugh. She is petite in frame but is mighty STRONG! Samantha is definitely a people person. She does explore but loves to be around us. She is built strong and sturdy and isn’t afraid to use it. She loves to giggle and please us. She adores to be congratulated. Hannah; when I think of Hannah I laugh. She is very comical! She loves to make us laugh. If we find it funny she will continue it. However, do not mess with her world. She will let us know if she is upset (at the top of her lungs). Makaila is quiet, subdued and loves to just take it easy. But, she does watch every move everyone makes. She surprises us when we think she can’t do something, she all of a sudden do it. She learns a lot by watching not doing. All four love to be loved. They adore attention, kisses (and even give kisses), hugs (will reach out for hugs) and have a lot of fun with each other.

Feeling Better, Helmets and More

Some additional pics that didn't fit on montage...Enjoy!

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What have we been up to? Oh so much! Makaila, Samantha and Sandra received their cranial helmets on the Thursday the 3rd. They are the smelliest things ever. The girls hated them at first and it caused for a noisy house. Heck, when isn’t our house noisy? They have adjusted well to them now though!

Two of my fears since I found out we were pregnant with four came down on us on the same day. Last Saturday we went to the store to purchase their next stage of car seats. After months and months of research we chose one that best fit us (we thought that is). They didn’t fit in our Yukon. So, we ended up purchasing a different one. And to be honest four don’t fit rear facing. So Sandra who hasn’t grown out of the infant seat will be in that until the other girls can forward face. It was a good thing that we bought them because that same day they came down with a bug. They all had to sleep (cried and tried to breath) in them for several nights. By Monday night (Labor Day) we decided to take Makaila to the ER. She received a breathing treatment and medicine. Here a week later they are much better but still have runny noses. Josh and I slept (yeah right) in the nursery while they were sick. We sucked snot more than slept. One night Makaila was so congested that she could only rest on my chest in a recliner. I am so glad they feel better now!

We started bathing them all at once in our big tub. They love it! They have so much fun splashing, kicking their feet (and each others feet) and playing with bath toys. It is hard back breaking work but pushed into a smaller amount of time, rather than bathing one at a time. So it works for us! They are getting really good at finger foods. But we I have to vacuum after each snack as they get crumbs every where. I also have to let Maxine outside when they get a snack. I tried giving them a cracker in their jumperoos and exersaucers but they actually put their hands out and feed the dog.

Samantha is starting to try to pull herself up on us and anything around. The car seats came in cool big “L” shaped boxes. The girls loved trying to climb on them and hold on to them and bounce up and down. My Mom bought them a Lady Bug tent and they love to go in and play in it. We have had to remove the glass doors from our entertainment center so we put toys in there and they pull them out and climb inside. Oh what a wonderful life we are living!

Sick, Sick, Sick, Sick

Three of the girls received their cranial helmets on Thursday. And five of us are sick. We have tons of updates and pictures. When things (snot) settle down and we get some sleep we will post more. Please remember to wash and sanitize as we are in the beginning of a huge flu season.

On the move!

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Boy what a difference a week makes in quadville. The girls are doing so awesome. We are so proud of them. We now have three crawlers! Samantha strickly crawls now, Sandra crawls and rolls to get places and Hannah rolls and crawls backwards. Makaila has done great this week also with rolling more and holding all bottles. Actually, I wonder what happened because we haven’t used props in awhile now. Yeah girls! We have tried them with sippy cups. Sandra did the best but just couldn’t figure out how to get the last bit. So with the new crawlers in town it takes more energy to follow or return a baby back to the flock. We were going to baby gate the kitchen when they started crawling but have decided that since we still have a pallet full of foam mats (yes, we did the math way wrong on the second order) to cover the kitchen too. Other than that, the kitchen is baby proofed.

We have been trying to get the girls to want to hand feed themselves. Samantha still loves her Cheerios but they are just too small for the other three to grab. One night we gave them biter biscuits. Yes, I said one night, and it will only be that one night. They are the messiest things, it took awhile to clean up that mess. They have eaten small pieces of bananas and avacodos. They love vanilla pudding so we decided to try chocolate/vanilla pudding. And would you believe it, we think Sandra might be allergic to chocolate. How could a daughter of mine be allergic to chocolate? Let’s put it this way, I had Josh buy ME a triple chocolate cake this week to curve a craving. Sandra got a small rash on her precious face after eating a few bites. Luckily, she did not inherit the NEED for chocolate.

Even though the girls require more attention and time right now it is so much fun! It is so awesome to see them interact with each other, the dog, cats and us. They each have their own games and personalities! They each have a certain trait to make us laugh and they do it to see us laugh! And they laugh with us! It is so darn cute! We are so blessed!

Alright, alright, I know it’s been over a week since you have heard from us! Let’s get to the nitty gritty! Hmmm! Where to start? Let’s start with tooth count…teeth are coming in causing for a little bit more noise around here. Samantha has four teeth, Sandra two (working on two more) Hannah and Makaila each have one (working on another). Foods…we have been trying new foods and textures. They recently had mac and cheese, sliced cheese, pudding, jello, beef, baked potato, pasta and tomato sauce. Oh it’s been messy at times but oh so fun. They still love their fresh fruit and yogurt. Development…The girls turned 10 months on Monday! Makaila, Hannah and Samantha are sitting by themselves and can pick up toys to play with. Sandra is just too wiggly to sit still. She does do an amazing trick; she can lay on the ground and arch her back that only the top of her head and her tippy toes touch. It is so weird to see. I am so afraid that she is going to hurt her neck. They each have their own game they like to play and love to make us laugh.

Josh and I have been trying to have a date night for several months. Anytime we plan one something comes up and we have to reschedule. We had three this week. The first was on Monday. I was having a bad day and couldn’t drive so he took me to my doctors appointment. Thank you Lynn again for a last minute notice of helping Deb with the girls while I was gone. Tuesday Josh called me and said he had bad news. He was unable to go in reverse in the car. So, we had a date to the auto shop (for a new clutch and battery) and stopped for ice cream. Finally last night we had enough and wanted a real date night. We went to the Astro’s baseball game. We had a good time and it was nice to be together and not at a doctors office. Thank you G-Ma for watching the girls so we could finally get out.

Last Wednesday Deb and I brought all four girls to the prosthetics for head scans and “official” measurements. He told us that he wished they were in helmets a few months ago for best results. Oh well! Anyway, the girls of course did fabulous even though they had to wear a ridiculous sock over their head. Because we are getting three and having to pay cash they are giving us a nice discount. They will help us fight our insurance but we can’t wait since we already missed big growths. The girls will be in helmets for atleast 4 months. After that if they show sings of growth they may wear it another month. They go back Sept. 2nd for fitting and will actually start to wear them the following week.

Josh finished another semester of school, only two more to go. And as if you were curious he still has a 4.0. How he does it amazes us all. Good Job Daddy. He is VERY busy at work right now. And he starts teaching two classes on Tuesday and taking three classes himself. It is going to be a difficult semester for him so please keep him in your thoughts.

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Teeth, Ice Cream, Cheerios, Big Cups

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Alright, I hate starting posts like this but we have been so busy lately. Every time I think we had a busy week the next one is crazier. First, I’ll start off with some good news. I started to see a new doctor. It took me 45 minutes to get there and over an hour to get home. However, the drive is worth it. I felt that she listened to me and was whole heartedly concerned about my situation. She said that I had brought in enough reports and results to confirm IC but she has a totally different treatment plan. She is going to be more aggressive is trying to get me out of the severe spasm that I have been in since January. Instead of shock treatments which are not proved to be effective I will be getting a “cocktail” put in my bladder weekly for 8 weeks. People get immediate results (two hours up to a week). She now has me on five different meds. To be honest, I feel less spasms in the morning now. By the afternoon I am bad again which means I need to increase my meds. It is all gradual though. The side effects are less except the dropping to my knee migraines which should lessen in two weeks. So I am hopeful and actually see a difference in my whole self.

Josh will be going out of town on Wednesday for work. And something came up at his work recently that will keep him very busy for the next several months. So it is a good thing that G Ma is actually flying in right now to help out. The girls and I have several appointments and the extra hands are needed. Whenever G Ma flies in to help I have a list a mile long of chores that need to be done while she is here. Josh has 4 projects (they are big projects) on his list (or the list I wrote for him). I am happy to say that we are getting some rain right now. Oh I hope it is enough, not too much to cause flooding but enough to get us out of this drought.

The girls are so amazing! We love them so much it is insane. They are so fun to play with and watch them learn. The other night Josh was throwing a ring and making it spin when it landed (it was a cool trick). Samantha thought she’d give it a try and now drops the ring and giggles if it rolls. Samantha and Sandra are about to get their top two teeth. If I look after nap time they may have cut them. Samantha just takes it in her stride while Sandra is a little fussier.

We have changed their dinner time to 4:45 working up to 5:00. I wanted them to be in their feeding tables while Josh and I ate dinner. So I try to have dinner ready by the time they get up and just heat it up while cleaning them up after they eat. That way they watch us eat and if there is something on our plate they can have they can try it. They recently have drank water from our glasses and have ice cream with us. We put the ice cream on a spoon and they feed themselves. Speaking of feeding themselves they now are getting Cheerios. Samantha is the best at feeding herself, she loves it! Makaila is great at picking them but instead puts her thumb in her mouth with the Cheerios in her fist. Any one have ideas on getting a infant to stop sucking her thumb I am all ears. Hannah is constantly coming up with new noises, she is so comical. Samantha and Sandra are really close to Maxine and roll/scoot over to hang out with her. They love their kisses from her and play with her.

Ten minutes after G Ma arrived she finds two teeth in Hannah. Now you don’t understand I have not found the “first” teeth. I am constantly sticking my finger in someone’s mouth to check for teeth and she is here ten minutes and finds them. So, I had a long talk with Makaila and told her to pull through for me and wouldn’t you know it; she did. Thank you Makaila! I found a tooth on her right before I put her to bed.

p.s. Sorry about all the red eyes in the video. Something you just got to deal with four blue eyed girls and a blue eyed Daddy!

Oh money tree, oh money tree!

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Oh money tree, oh money tree; where are you? The girls went to the plastic surgeon today. Yes, they were supposed to go last week and after changing their schedule and loading them up the appointment it was canceled due to the doctor in emergency surgery. At first I was so mad then felt guilty since a poor family was awaiting the results of their sweet angel in surgery. Ok so back to todays appointment. Josh had a meeting to attend and was unable to be home to help. Today I conquered something that I have feared (since my medical issues) for a long time. I got all four girls fed, dressed, ready and the hard part loaded for the appointment. It is very difficult to get two of them in the third seat of our Yukon. Anyways I did it! Sandra, Makaila and Samantha need cranial helmets. Ok not a surprise to us. The surprise comes in when we find out that our insurance does not cover them. I was quoted over the phone $2800 per helmet today. We will make things work but I am going to look darn hard for that money tree. It is a good thing that I can load the girls by myself as I will be probably doing it more often now since they will be seen weekly for six weeks. I just need to find strength in order to load and unload the stroller.

Sunday, I went through the girls clothes and realized we had 82 pairs of shorts and two tee shirts. So, we took the girls to Target to buy some tee shirts. While there I noticed that Samantha had scratched her left eye. So Monday morning I had to take her to the pedi’s office to get some ointment. The scratch was small but irritated her, as she kept rubbing her eye, she poor girl. Another project I did was down load 1702 pictures to cds since my aunt and mother in law recently lost everything on their computers. I would have cried for a month if I had lost all the pictures since 10-17-18.

I am excited that tomorrow is my appointment with the new urologist. I hope that they are able to continue my bladder shocking treatment with little or no break. I am doubtful but also hope that they have more answers for me. The next couple months will be busy for us with lots of appointments. But, if it ain’t busy around here something’s wrong!

Babe, you won't believe this!

"Babe, you wont believe this!" is not something you want to wake up to. The girls refrigerator/freezer died AGAIN! I am so angry. We have lost so much food in the last couple months. I buy the girls fruit in bulk and freeze. I also buy a TON of meat cook and freeze. This in the 4th time in the last few months that the frig has died. Last time the store was kind enough to give us store credit for a new one. We bought one that was twice as expensive and a different brand. Oh my! I can't believe how mad I am right now. So today, I had set a side to go through the girls clothes, an all day event, and can't. Instead, I need to go though and rearrange food. I am going to go through the inside refirg/freezer and put food that I won't need this week in a neighbors freezer and put the girls food in the inside freezer. Each time this happens the company promises to reinburse our food (once not 4 times). But I have not gotten the form to fill out. The company is not a small one either. It is a big company! I WILL NEVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN. I WOULD ADVICE THE SAME OF YOU! DO NOT BUY FROM CONN'S APPLIANCE!

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79 days until the girls first birthday. I know that seems way down the road but time flies when you are having fun. Seriously, weeks fly by when you are so darn busy. So we have started to plan for the big day. Josh and I decided not to celebrate their birthday per say. Instead, we are having an appreciation party for the family, friends and support that have helped with their first year. We know that in the future we are going to get tired of princess parties and/or character themed parties. So, we are having a Texas Luau. I am so excited that my parents and all siblings will be flying in for the luau. It has been 10 years since we were all in one place. So, it is going to be amazing. I have a sister in Alaska, a brother and sister in Oregon and my parents live in Washington state. Don’t get me wrong the girls are going to have their first birthday cake but birthday is not going to be the focus, appreciation is. Or should we call it, “Thank God we survived!”?

OK onto current info. Sandra got in her second bottom tooth not long after the first one. She now can stand (holding onto furniture) for about 30 seconds. She is so strong! One big achievement for her lately is that she has decided that she likes to cuddle. I used to say that if she were a singleton I would feel deprived of cuddle time. She is so active it was like holding (corralling) a wolverine. She now just loves to be held and cuddled. Sandra has also graduated from Occupational Therapy. However, Makaila was added to development and occupational therapy. She is so attached to her thumb that she is getting behind. She constantly has her thumb in her mouth. That is not an exaggeration either. She is so content with laying around and sucking her thumb that she doesn’t explore. I tried putting a pacifier in her month and she just stuck her thumb through it. So she was sucking her pacifier and her thumb. I’d appreciate any ideas or info!

Samantha is so close to crawling! She gets up on her knees and arms, lifts her head and moves her feet forward. She just needs to move her arms and she will be crawling. She gets frustrated and ends up rolling over. But she continues to try.

We added a third meal. They get three meals and a bedtime bottle now. Breakfast is cereal and a fruit, lunch is more fruit with/without a diary and dinner is a meat and veggies. They have decided to accept chicken. They are starting to understand puffs, and Samantha is doing the best with that.

Other than that, Josh and I have been bowling almost every day. I bolwed a 278 the other day. Alright, it was on the wii but I think it's still impressive. We took the girls to the mall on Saturday, since I had some shopping to do. I don't think I will ever get used to the public attention. At least this time there were no rude comments, they were all pleasant. However, one lady wanted to take their piture and Josh told her not to. It is just exhausting answering all the questions and comments after already being tired from loading them up and all that goes with it. But as always the girls did awesome.