Visiting The Ducks

Mike has been wanting to take the kids to this park for quite awhile. I kept putting it off because I thought it was far away. It wasn't far away and it was so much fun. The park has a pond and a walkway around the pond. The pond was full of ducks and turtles. I saw around 20 red-eared slider turtles swimming around. The kids loved those!

Holding hands

Anthony, Jaileigh, Daddy, Michael, and Jakob

They were in awe of all the ducks!

Jake

Maybe they were a little overwhelmed.

Anthony, Jaileigh, and Michael

Jaileigh is cutting 3 of her two year old molars but I don't think that is why she is chewing on her finger

Finally a grin from Michael

Michael and Anthony

Chasing the pigeons around

Jake and Anthony

Jake going up the hill

and Jake going down the hill.

This kid ran, and ran, and ran, and ran! He made me tired watching him.

Jaileigh going up

and coming down.

Michael going up after the birdy

and Michael coming down. The poor kid looks so goofy in his enormous shoes and shorts!

Jake running some more

Jaileigh and the soldier. There was a little monument area for the soldiers.

Anthony and the remote to his car. He HAD to bring it.

Jaileigh

Annie got to play too.

Annie feeling so big.

Michael

Anthony and Jake chasing the ducks

Anthony

Jaileigh even started chasing them

They thought the big rock at the end was so cool. Michael fell off and scraped his knee.

We took them to McDonalds after and they ate 40 chicken nuggets! I think all that running tired them out and made them hungry!

Brother and Sister

I was watching these two play together and it was so cute. Both of them were not napping and were enjoying the extra attention and free time without their other two quad siblings. I think the pictures are priceless and really don't need explanations.

Anthony and Jaileigh

HUGE Blessings, SMALL Sacrifices

When I delivered the quadruplets 31 months ago I took a medical leave from teaching. I was granted 36 months leave. As this time is ending I have been pondering the choice I made. Of course I have NO regrets but I do think about my previous life. I was a career woman, we made more than double the money we make now. I went to work each day, dressed professionally, and was oh so important. haha! Seriously though. I loved teaching. I loved the connections I made with my co-workers and with my students. I loved the stimulus. Having children changes people and priorities.

Your priorities change. For me life really began. My needs no longer were important. Mike and I's life now center around our children and our family. We have made so many sacrifices. We lost two dream homes, I gave up a career I loved. Mike was layed off several times and is now working in a career that he doesn't love but it pays the bills and has fantastic insurance. He would really love to teach school and coach again. He is an awesome coach. I know that his talents are on the shelf for now but someday when the kids are grown he will start using them again and loving it even more because he will be working with his kids.

The sacrifices that we have made seem so meaningless and trivial when you look at the big picture. We have five beautiful miracle babies! What could be more important and more eternal than that! I treasure every minute spent with these five amazing lives. They are my joy and make every sacrifice worth it!

Michael LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He is glued to it. In the background you can see Jake climbing.

Jake caught in the act. He is the lead mischief maker.

My beautiful little Annie girl. She and Jaileigh had on their matching Grandmas angels outfits. Thank you to the Duggan quadruplets for the adorable clothes!

Anthony and Annie

He is so happy!

Jaileigh with her remote.

Mickey Mouse must be over.

Michael rewarding me with one of his beautiful smiles.

My sweet Anthony

Jake had to climb the shelf to get this book. He loves puzzles and is amazing at them.

Annie trying out the puzzle book

Anthony tickling Annie

Annie had a horrible diaper rash from the antibiotic she has been on. She doesn't have a diaper on because I was airing her bum out.

A Wicked Curve Spoon

YEP, that is blood running down the side of his head.

The poor kid didn't even know he was bleeding until I showed him the picture.

He'll survive. He's all smiles now.

So here is the story. Michael for some reason decided to pitch a wicked curve ball (spoon) that whacked Anthony right in the side of the head. Somehow that spoon cut his head right open. Thank goodness that kid has a hard head. He only cried for a few seconds. Neither one of us knew it was bleeding until Michael told us. He was saying and signing sorry over and over and pointing to Anthony's head with huge eyes. The poor kid was more traumatized then Anthony was.

Farmers Market

I have never been to a Farmer's Markets so my friend, Mandi, decided to take us to one. We went to the local Temecula one. The kids and I loved it. Hopefully we will be frequent visitors. This was also our first venture out since being sick and it couldn't have been a more perfect one. The weather was perfect (78 degrees). In fact my kids perked right up and were happier then they had been in days.
 
Mandi has triplets and an older daughter, Ali. She has a choo-choo with four seats so Jaileigh sat in her 4th seat so that Annie could sit in our choo-choo. Annie thought that was neatest thing ever.

Anthony/purple, Annie/green, Michael/orange, Jakob/orange

2nd row of choo-choos- Audrina/red, Aiden/blue, Andrew/Orange, Jaileigh/orange and Ali standing

Annie loving the local organic honey. YUM! No, I didn't let her have any. I am aware that babies are not allowed to have honey because of the risk of botulism. She loved playing with the sealed bottle though

Michael

Annie eating an apple. I made her wear a hat because I was worried about her ears. We went to our AWESOME Dr. the following day and he said her ears were BEAUTIFUL! He said that she was not a candidate for tubes and not to worry. Thank you for all of your prayers and a beautiful blessing from her daddy.

Jaileigh, Audrina, Aiden, and Andrew eating their yummmmmmy apples

Jakey eating a giant strawberry and Annie showing off her apple.

The triplets

Annie and Michael

Anthony

Michael

Attention To Detail

Jaileigh is the culprit today. She disappeared and was very quiet for a little while. She was helping me decorate the house.

Just call her Jaileigh Van Gogh

Thank goodness for washable markers. Is there any other kind to have in a house full of toddlers?

Happy 9 Month Birthday Annie Girl

She is cruising- she cruises around everything, baskets, couches, stairs, toys, pillows
She stands alone
Her favorite move right now-she stands up, lets go of the couch, pats her chest, throws her arms in the air and yells.
She claps,
yells,
jabbers like crazy,
loves to eat rice cereal,
does not like baby food,
wants to eat what the "big" kids are eating,
likes apples, potatoes and rice and carrots,
goes up the stairs,
climbs all over the couch,
plays with her siblings like she is one of them,
still nurses, will only drink water from a bottle,
has her favorite toys that she carries around with her, (fish, frog, baby)
clicks her tongue,
says mama and dadda.
She has 2 bottom teeth.
She can drink from a cup, sippy cup, and a straw
She LOVES Jakob right now, she follows him all over.
She still naps 3 times a day. Around 9:00, 11:00 am, and 4:00 pm. The first and last naps are only 20-45 minutes long. The middle nap is usually 2-3 hours long
Goes to bed at 7:00 pm with the quads.

At her last check-up she weighed 22 lbs and was 29 inches long
She wears 12-18 month clothes, no shoes.

Her new signature smile- she crinkles her face up, squints her eyes, and grins as big as she can showing off her two new teeth.

Anthony and Annie were the first ones up from the naps so they played together.

Kisses

Anndalyn Grace

For her 9 month birthday, her Grandpa built her a new chair so she could be like the quads.

Thank you Grandpa!



60 seconds Is All It Takes

Jakob dumped the over filled kitchen garbage over.
Jaileigh pulled the grate off the fireplace because she saw a toy behind it.
Anthony and Michael cat fighting, don't know why. Luckily I stopped it before the biting began.
Annie sleeping soundly on the rocking chair.
Mommy on the phone with daddy for 2 seconds (ok 60 seconds)

Sucker Time

Mike and I had to speak in church on Sunday so Bill and Gina came down from Rancho to watch the kids for us. We were going to bring them to church but they were sick so everyone stayed home. Mike and I waited until the last minute to write our talks. I was up until midnight the night before and I think Mike wrote his an hour before. It didn't help that the kids were sick all week. Excuses, excuses, I know.

We survived the talks and I hope we now have immunity for the next five years. Personally, I was surprised they asked us because we have so many kids. Gina, the sweetheart, made Sunday dinner for us and when we got home from church we were welcomed by the yummy smell of roast in the oven. She also brought the kids suckers! She knows the way to those babies hearts! I gave them the suckers after the brutal doctor appointment yesterday. This is how I bribed them back to the car. I told them we were going to go home and eat suckers. I didn't have a stroller or the choo choo so they were all walking and were not cooperating. Once they heard the words "Gina" and "suckers" they headed straight to the car.

You can see how excited Anthony is. He is truly my sweets kid.
Michael, Jakob, Jaileigh, and Anthony

Jake enjoyed the sucker too! Thanks GINA!

Jaileigh somehow ended up with two. Don't know how that happened.

Anthony was soooooo excited!

The doctor wore Annie out.

Happy 9 Months Anndalyn Grace!