The Klopp Quads: 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.