Happy Easter!

Hope you all had a great Easter! We were up in Duluth again and had some good family time. I'm excited about May coming up because my brother Jon set a date for the premier of his film, "Josephine and the Roach" and I have a plane ticket to LA to attend! We were thinking of making it a whole family vacation but Dan wasn't sure whether he would need to travel for work around that time, so it's just me. Dan's mom is nice enough to watch the girls while Dan is at work.
A couple things I thought were worth mentioning...

*I felt like I made a breakthrough (*hopefully*) with reasoning. A couple nights ago Sofia was up crying. She has had a lot of nights like that lately, but this time I decided to reason with her. I gave her a hug and asked if she needed anything, like water. She stopped and thought, and said "water". I got her water, explained to her I would tuck her in again and she would sleep in her crib, and it was a success- she didn't cry again! It may be a fluke but it could be the girls are getting to that age!

*Josie's new thing she loves to do is picking out a mom, dad, and baby with toys/stuffed animals. It started out with a polar bear (mommy), panda bear (daddy), and little panda bear (baby). This morning she was looking at her fingers and pointed at her pinky and said "baby", then proceeded to point out who would be the mommy and daddy. Then she did the same thing with her toes. So darn cute!

*If you are a mom of multiples, you know what the typical comments are when you are out and about with the kids. Usually someone will say one or two stereotypical comments and you nod and smile or answer the same question for the millionth time. Last week I set a personal record with all the stereotypical comments at Target, but from ONE PERSON (the cashier). Ahhhhh! Let's see if I can remember all of her quotes...
"Are those triplets?"  (with this question if I don't feel like talking, I just say yes, but sometimes I explain that they were quads.)
"They are sooooo cute"  (I really don't mind this one!)
 "Are they identical?"
 "Are you really busy?"
 "You must have been really busy when they were babies"
"Who was born first?" (and second and third- I told her how Madeline and Josephine were basically born at the same time because of their cord entanglement and she said "WOW that must have really hurt!" ummm I had a C-section!)
"Do they all have different personalities?"
" Did you go to the doctor to try to have twins? Like, you know how some people go and try to have twins? With fertility?"  (OH MY goodness- people have to realize you shouldn't ask such personal questions to complete strangers! Not to mention most people who use fertility don't TRY to have multiples but there probably a few crazies out there.)
" Did you breastfeed them?" (Another personal question.)
"Have you ever heard of Octomom?"  (No, I live in a cave.)
"I really want twins, but I want one girl and one boy."  (Maybe you should go see that doctor you were talking about!)
     She was lucky I don't really care all that much with all the questions, but I know of other moms who might not have appreciated the questioning. The girls weren't fussing either, which would have made me a little more impatient. In general, the MOST common comment from the public is "You've got your hands full!"  If you encounter a mom of multiples, assume she has heard that and think of something different to say. :)

Here are some Easter pics and others.

Toddler craziness!

What did the Easter bunny bring?

Dan helping with a new bubble maker.

Madeline with her new cell phone (they get them younger and younger, don't they??)

Josie!

There's Sofia!

Family picture on Easter (M, J, S)

Odin, this is karma for getting on the couch when you're not supposed to!

Playground Season!

Aren't you just loving our "spring"? I have never experienced a spring like this in Minnesota. This spring/summer weather has prompted the commencement of play set building! (Both sets of grandparents chipped in to buy the play set for Christmas.) We have also made many visits to the playground, plus extra walks. I am loving this weather even if I was a little skeptical.  A couple weekends ago we went to Dan's side of the family's cabin. The lake still had ice but we cut it close!

Couple updates...  

*Sofia, Madeline, and Josephine are using more and more sentences lately. Here are some examples: "Where are you, grandpa?" "Where did ___ go?" Etc.

*A couple nights ago, I was giving the girls some of my dinner which had some medium salsa on it and Sofia said "mouth hot! mouth hot!" but then she was excited to keep eating more and more!

*Puppies are a lot of work, but their poor mommy, Bristol, had mastitis and is now recovering from a subsequent wound that she scratched. Dan's mom and brother have been really busy tending to both Bristol and puppies. Those poor puppies couldn't nurse and must have missed their mom!

*The girls have such great memories. When we mention Bristol the girls say "Bristol owwie. Bristol sick". So sweet. They will also fill in missing words from their current favorite book, "Go, Dog, Go!"

*We have been spending a lot of time at Pete's house, and the trains that go by are louder than they are at my house and the girls get downright petrified!

Here are some pics!

Josie!

Madeline on a wobbly bridge.

Beautiful day!

Sofia: "Look ma, no hands!"

Madeline pointing out daddy on the ice (yes, I kinda think it's crazy he was still on the ice at that point, but apparently he knows what he's doing!)

 We are all getting really spoiled with puppy time. Soon, the puppies will all have homes, but the majority are staying within Dan's family. Dan's trying to convince me that we should get one but I'm trying to stay strong.

Grandma, Josie, and "Bandit"

Sofia and Peter chasing puppies!

Madeline getting chased by a puppy!

 

Dane, Madeline, and Sofia hanging out on the slide.

STRONG little peanut Sofia (and can even still hold her duck).

Trying to catch Odin!!

Odin finally gave in and let Sofia brush him.

Madeline collecting pine cones.

This weekend is supposed to be beautiful, which is great because the guys are going to try to finish putting up the play set. They started last weekend but it is a big project. Also, my brother Ben is in town. Thanks for reading!

Happy Thursday!

Happy Thursday! Sofia did really well with the surgery this past Tuesday. The surgeon repaired two inguinal hernias. (On the side we first noticed, he described the hernia as "large" and the other side was "moderate".) We had to arrive at the hospital at 9:15 am and the surgery started just before 10:45. I thought not letting her eat breakfast would have been hard but we distracted her enough it didn't matter. The pre-op waiting room had the best toys! Only one of us between Dan and I could be with her in the OR while she was put under, so Dan let me go. They let her bring a lovey in also- which of course for Sofia was the duck. She just breathed in gas for 45 seconds or so (crying the whole time) and she was gone! What a weird thing to watch. The surgery lasted 20 minutes and then we spent an hour and a half after that letting her wake up and cuddling her. She was so tired! Right away when she woke up she was so MAD, yelling "NO!" when we offered her juice or tried to hold her. She especially hated that she had an IV in, so the nurse took it out. (She did NOT even want a band aid.) After some lullabies and Elmo, she was finally cooling off and the first thing she said was "Where's the duck?"

Sofia loving puddles.

Totally worn out!

The rest of the day, she was in a pretty good mood! Total, I only gave her two doses of ibuprofen. When her sisters woke up from their afternoon nap, they all went outside. She ran around like normal and had a blast jumping in puddles. The surgeon had told me I did not need to restrict her at all. We were just amazed how little the surgery affected her. Of course, after the outside time it was starting to hit her just how tired she was. She dozed off while watching Curious George, but her sisters woke her up in time for dinner.

Dan and I are pretty sure we feel a hernia on Josephine also. We haven't brought her in for a consult yet but I'm guessing we will within the next couple of months just so we catch it while it's still small.

The girls lately are testing so many limits with regards to listening and fighting. They get in more spats than before and are still not listening well. I brought them to library story time for the first time in a couple of months today. They used to sit nicely the whole time, but today they couldn't even sit for a whole story, so we had to ditch. There were many more kids in this age group (2-5) than our last (6-23 mo), so I think that played a role. I let them play in the toddler area of the library for awhile, but then they started running every which way. At one point I saw one trying to make an escape for the doors to get outside, one bolting up the stairs, and the other was just wreaking havoc on the book displays. One kindhearted librarian got the one going upstairs for me while I got the other two. I felt like a freak show!

My parents returned the life jackets that we had sent along to Florida. The girls thought it was pretty cool wear them around the house!

How I found Sofia and Madeline...

"Wait, let me in!" Josie didn't really understand how her sisters got there. (hint, they went down, not through!)

I admit, I would choose this over the first 6-7 months, but things are definitely not easier! When everyone's happy and playing it is so much fun to watch, and the new talking phase is great. They are also sleeping really well at night and during naps. There are highs and lows at each age. I was talking to a friend with 5 year old triplets last night, and she told me age 3 was harder than 2. Oh boy, not what I want to hear!
This is a little altercation between Madeline and Sofia (Sofia is the one closer). I had already missed the first couple minutes of them going back and forth. Most of the videos I post are of happy things. I just am giving you a peak to show you it's not all fun and games (but it is kind of funny in my opinion)! I could put up a temper tantrum too but I really don't want to frighten anyone!

Almost the weekend! It's one of my favorite days of the month- the Moms of Multiples meeting tonight! Woohoo to me time!

Grandpa Peterson

Those of you who don't know what has been going on in my life probably expected to see some Florida pictures. We did not make it to Florida, and for a very sad reason. Dan's grandpa who just turned 80 passed away last Wednesday. Before that he was in the ICU for over a week because of a severe staph infection. The family brought him to the hospital initially because he was in a lot of pain. They sent him home with muscle relaxers. Well, he ended up going back because he wasn't himself and they found the staph- and it really had taken over his body. He had very little chance against this awful bacteria.

80 doesn't sound very young to some people, but Grandpa Peterson (Jim) was a VERY sprightly and active guy. A couple days before the hospital admission, he was lifting weights at a gym. Only a couple of weeks earlier, he and Grandma Peterson (Sue) were in Vegas going to shows! He was still going to the cabin, snowmobiling and fishing. The family is still shocked by this rapid illness. I can kind of compare it to what happened to my uncle Steve who was hit biking by a drunk driver- a maddening fluke.

The funeral was this past Saturday. This man was loved by so many people- the church filled up quickly so some had to stand. Some of the family members shared some lovely memories and tidbits about his personality. There was no chance I could make it without crying- even before our little James was mentioned twice during the service. The girls were in the nursery and had a fun time playing with the new (to them) toys. After, they ran around like crazy people making their mom nervous. (They can navigate through crowds WAY faster than me- not good.) People were quite entertained by them. One tidbit that I need to share- when my sister-in-law and her family were on their way to Grandma Peterson's house after he passed away to see family, 3 1/2 yr old Dane asked his mom, "Are people going to be sad there?" She said, "Yes they will be." He answered, "I'm not! He's fixed now and happy!" Sometimes the littlest ones have the best insight!

Family was the most important aspect of Grandpa Jim Peterson's life. He made it to all the sports games/meets, and other activities. I know he was at a handful of football games when Dan played at St. Olaf. (He was actually IN his deer stand on a morning of one of Dan's football games, when he changed his mind and drove all the way to Northfield instead of hunting.) He made everyone feel loved- and since I lost one grandpa before I was born and the other at age 4, it was nice to have him in my life for almost 9 years. He is the ultimate grandfather you would picture in your head. His other passions included sports (he was a phys ed teacher and football player), fishing (small lakes, Lake Superior, and Florida), hunting (deer and birds, etc),  the cabin (snowmobiling and boating), and I'm sure many more. A lesson all of us have learned is to live life to its fullest.



Here are a couple of pics...

Great-Grandpa Jim with his favorite great-granddaughters.

Florida, 2011

I don't have too many updates right now, but here are a couple that stand out (plus some more pics).

*They are very good at telling us "Nigh-night! Love you!" every night. Melts my heart.

*They are working on singing the ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle, and the Wheels on the Bus. They know a couple key words here and there but kind of mumble most of it. It's so cute! 

*They are way more comfortable at ECFE! They run around and talk as much as they do at home. Everyone was so shocked to see it but I just told them "This is what they're like at home!" Now they know the chaos.

* They got to see 2 puppies being born! The first time I have seen it too! I'll include some grainy pictures from my iPod. 

*Sadly, everyone is getting a little more strong willed, from Sofia believing she can take any toy no matter who has it and throwing tantrums when I say no, to Josie hoarding a pile of toys and screeching at anyone who gets too close (including me), to Madeline who needs a moose (or dad), like, NOW! PS, do most 2 yr olds differentiate between deer, elk, and moose? They have to be Dan's kids!

*Almost forgot- Sofia is having surgery in one week for a bilateral inguinal hernia repair! She has had a surgery under way more precarious conditions, so we know she will be fine, but surgery is surgery. It's outpatient and the surgeon said most kids are like themselves the next day. Have her in your thoughts!

Puppy! (Sofia)

All the cousins with puppies! Too precious!

All the cousins in one picture. Hard task to do.

Their first snowman! (more like Snowtoddler... L to R Maddie, Sofia, Josie)

Sofia loved the snowtoddler the most.

Sister love! (S and J)

Josie thinks she's pretty cool holding her blankie with an OVEN MITT on!

Madeline could NOT be happier on Dad's shoulders!

Josie's telling us with her eyes, "Don't you dare come near my toys!"

The duck obsession is not limited to Sofia (pictured). Also caught in the picture- the classic Sofia expression that she does with her lips/mouth. She is usually unsure of a situation when she does this.

(sorry you have to turn your neck for this video- still worth it)

Since we canceled our trip to Florida, we have 5 plane tickets that we can transfer. We are thinking of either Scottsdale (and use my late uncle's condo) or LA in May to see my brother's premier. Not sure if LA would be ideal with tots but we'll decide 

Hope everyone's doing well. I think our family is due to have some happy streaks now.

Lots of Love!

Happy Valentine's! Don't look at the card from a year ago- apparently I really like that design...I didn't realize I used the same one last year, haha!  Hope you have a good day.

March for Babies (teeny tiny babies!)

Countdown to Florida begins! We leave in a week from Saturday! I will be bringing entertainment and snacks on the plane to lessen the chances of meltdowns. Once we get there, my parents will be helping us at the condo so we can have some down time too. I can't wait!

Sofia, Madeline, and Josie seem to definitely be on the mend, but I don't think they're quite back to 100% normal. We're still having clingy moments, which I don't mind because I still love cuddling.

Sofia showing me the gorilla

Sweet Madeline

Josie is so serious!

My friends Chelsey and Jess and baby Nolan (Chelsey's baby). Sofia was the only one who would pose with the baby. They did have a fascination with him though :)

Sisterly love! (J on left, S on right)

A friend from my multiples group here in St. Paul started a team called "Multiple Blessings" to raise money for March of Dimes. The walk, called March for Babies, is in April. I joined her team so I'm hoping to raise a couple dimes (or more) to help out with the cause. Here is my shpeal from my
personal site on the March for Babies:

When I found out I was expecting quadruplets (spontaneous- making it quite shocking), I immediately knew March of Dimes would become an important organization to my family. Two of the four were mono-mono twins, so the doctors warned me they wouldn't even let me go more than 32 weeks. I expected to go that long with no doubt, so I was stunned when I went into preterm labor at 27 weeks.

Everyone calls the NICU a "roller-coaster". I hate to overuse a word, but it exactly was a roller-coaster. There were so many ups and downs- a lot of times in one day. Our biggest "down" was our son, James's bilateral grade IV brain bleed. The neurologist called it the "worst brain bleed she had ever seen". We lost him a week later but we remember him everyday. Among the girls, we experienced four surgeries and some infections scaresa. Our biggest "up" was of course seeing our girls wean off the breathing help and ultimately bringing them home with a relatively clean bill of health.

Today, we don't have too many reminders that were born at 27 weeks. Their scars are the obvious reminder, but they are for the most part extremely healthy. We sheltered them the first couple of winters which is one of the reasons their lungs are so strong now.

Neonatology is an amazing field- I was in awe of how preemies are treated. Both the non-life dependent efforts- physical therapy, diligent head placement, the conscientious effort to keep the blood saturation at the perfect level (too high contributes to eye problems) to the life-saving efforts of ventilation, surgeries, and infection-prevention.

March of Dimes is a very special organization to me and I know they are responsible for many of the advances in public awareness- from pushing folic acid and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, plus the money they give towards neonatal research is so important. Please donate whatever is comfortable! Also, visit my blog to see how healthy my three surviving quads are.

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Sofia, born at 1lb 11 oz

Madeline, born at 1 lb 14 oz

Josephine, born at 1 lbs 13 oz

James, born at 2 lbs 8 oz

My three surviving quads all snuggled together (when they were sick). Sofia, Josephine, Madeline

Uncle Steve

The last couple weeks have been very rough in many ways. The most tragic was an accident my uncle Steve was in while in Scottsdale. Three weeks ago this Friday, my uncle was riding his bicycle and was hit by a drunk driver in an SUV. Steve was NOT wearing a helmet- actually he had promised his friend that he would the night before. Sadly, he was a stubborn guy. This drunk driver was at a BAC of .18 in the early afternoon crash. It sickens me to think of such a senseless act. The court system in Arizona is maddening also... this guy won't even see the court room for another 2 years because everything is so backed up. He gets to just keep hanging out like normal until then.
   Enough ranting about the drunk driver, sorry. My uncle was in a deep, deep coma right away. The prognosis even at the start was bad and he kept getting either worse or the same. All the scans showed no brain activity. He ended up passing away this past Thursday, January 26th. We are all devastated by this accident. My parents were down in AZ as soon as they heard about the accident and just got back this past Monday. They did all the logistical work, which was so draining in itself.
   Steve was a great, fun guy. My brother, Andy, started a memory blog post about him if you want to see our memories. Another memory I didn't add to my brother's blog was when I was younger, he used to take me to Best Buy when he was in town. He drove a sparkly corvette and I just felt so cool in it, and any chance to look at the newest music was a treat (especially before internet and iTunes were the main sources for music). We always kidded around with each other and when I started drinking coffee we even had a couple coffee outings at Caribou. Talk about a cool uncle. We didn't see him too often, but when James died he made a point to come to the funeral. He was pretty invested in the quads even if most of the time from afar. He hadn't met the girls yet, but he was probably going to this summer when he was back in Minnesota. When he was younger, he was a bit of a wild child- the complete opposite of his brother, my dad. He was living a really happy life as of his accident. He had just bought a condo in Scottsdale for winters and was biking all the time.  Here's his official obituary from the Willmar and Scottsdale newspapers.

Steve in Scottsdale, probably at a coffee shop

    To top off the emotional turmoil, our family was hit with a stomach bug. I don't have to give you the details- I'm sure it would be TMI. Let's just say we had three mornings in a row of walking into their room with a surprise. Josie started with a fever only Jan 22, and we only just now can say we are healthy (as of yesterday). I only had a fever for one day, so I was spared. We really didn't get out of the house and everyone was just tired, sick, and crabby. Elmo was on TV a lot. When I think of my uncle's accident, we really shouldn't complain of a little virus.
  Minnesota is in Spring-time mode and it's only February 1st! I'll include some pictures from a walk yesterday. Even getting out of the house for walks these past couple weeks was a big relief and refreshing. Today, since they have been healthy, we made it to ECFE. The girls had fun and didn't care when I left for the parent discussion time. I was told that they don't usually stick together while playing. I wish I could spy on them and see what they do!

Josie: slow and steady wins the race! (she walked for the longest)

Madeline off-roading it

Madeline

Sofia found my hat! Someone graciously left it on a bench after I lost it yesterday! Thanks, whoever you are!

Sofia is way in the distance! Run, Sofia!!

Even though we can't walk as long, I really love when the girls can run free instead of being cooped up in the stroller. I always feel a little bad when they just sit there for a half an hour walk! I don't have any other fun pics this post...just wasn't in a camera happy type of mood! Anyways, hope you all are avoiding the winter bugs, but if you aren't,  "this too, shall pass!" Thanks for reading.