This past weekend, my dad and his wife came in town to visit and help with the babies as I continue my recovery from surgery. It was perfect timing since it was just the extra hands the husband needed to be sure the quads stayed content and got plenty of lovin' and that some household to-do's also got done.
The grandparents arrived Friday evening so Saturday morning started with plenty of smiles and well-rested babies. This was a relief. About three weeks ago, Kailey decided she didn't like going to bed very well. She would start screaming bloody murder just minutes after we put her in the crib every night. We would go back in to pat her (meanwhile, the other babies were going to sleep just fine) and she seemed to fall asleep after about 10 minutes of this and we'd leave again. About 10 minutes later, the cycle would repeat. And repeat. Until it'd been about an hour of this before she was truly asleep and she
still might wake up once or twice throughout the night and cry and whimper for a few minutes.
So a few nights ago, after ruling out issues with the crib, the dark, indigestion and the list goes on, the husband and I knew we needed to just let her cry it out. Whenever we'd pick her up in the past, she'd grin and coo and act just fine. Clearly, this is one smart little baby we're dealing with. She always knows
just how to get what she wants. She's the most energetic and vocal of the bunch, as well. It was a bit perplexing, though, because we'd already gone through those stages where we ended night feeds and, later, sleep training. Not one of the babies, including Kailey, screamed and protested like this. I consulted with some other quad mommas and it did indeed sound like she'd gotten older and wiser and knew how to get the individual attention post-bedtime that she wanted! The first night she cried for 45 minutes. And by cry, I mean
scream and wail like she was dying. We did NOT go in there. At last she went to sleep and didn't make a single peep all night.
The second and third nights she went down without a single word of complaint. The fourth night, when the husband's mom arrived to replace my dad and his wife, Kailey screeched and hollered for about 15 minutes then went to sleep. Hopefully we're rounding the bed and can soon put this behavior behind us! All aside, at least it doesn't bother the other kiddos. They sleep through it. How they do this, I know not.
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Kailey (left) and Trystan ready for the day! |
The babies are slowly getting more and more mobile, and we've noticed a definitive love of books. They really enjoy looking at them!
My dad got right to work on some home improvement projects the husband had been hoping to get done before long. The most important included replacing the lights in my kitchen as well as the plastic cover beneath them. The last one was the home's original and it was yellowed and gross. I HATED the yellow light in my kitchen! Now the space is lit like the sun and it's awesome. Not so much for cleaning, though, as I can now see every speck of dirt formerly hidden in the shadows.
There were plenty of feedings to go around! I loved watching their faces mimic the babies, trying to get them to eat. Ha!
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Notice the husband has his mouth open willing the babies to open theirs, ha! |
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Food fight? |
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Bananas and avocados are Harrison's FAVE. |
I was able to take a break and rest a little during parts of the day, since my dad and his wife were able to help with feedings and moving the babies around. My swelling seems to have increased a bit so I'm taking that as a sign to back off a little and not be quite so active when I can help it. Otherwise I'm still feeling good and improving every week!
Harrison got a little extra loving, too, since he is cutting his first tooth! It's on the bottom gums and is just below the surface. I'm desperately hoping it breaks through soon, though he's handled it very well. For the most part, he's pretty happy. And since he never whines or cries unless something's wrong, we know he's in pain when he does. He gets Hyland Teething Tablets and Infant Advil as needed, which seems to be working great. Frozen teethers are also a favorite with our crew. I can't believe we'll have four teething babies soon, here we go!
We also got 95 ounces of baby food made, all butternut squash and apples. They also washed and prepped some fresh green beans so they were ready for me to steam and puree the following day. I love making all my baby food for the quadlings, it tastes so good and fresh and they gobble it up!
We all watched a movie Sunday afternoon in between feedings and baby food making. It was Clint Eastwood in Trouble With the Curve, can't believe he is still making good movies! Then my dad and Cynthia bid their goodbyes and the husband and I got the babies ready for bed, with his mom showing up just before they went down in their cribs with mashed potatoes, chicken strips and corn nuggets from Chicken Express. The perfect ending to any weekend in my book. :)