Four Month Old Waugh-Nuts

Happy Four Months to the Waugh-Nuts!  These once little tiny preemie babies are growing like weeds.

Happy Four Months!

We are still surviving in Waugh-Nut world!  The babies are starting to stay awake so much longer now, so we are doing our best to entertain them all.  They are at a weird stage where they are too small for many of the toys, yet they are awake and want to be entertained.  Right now, they are really loving playing with the toys on their bouncers.  We have these awesome swings where the seat of the swing pops off and turns into a bouncer.  I am all for gadgets that save me space and money!  They also still love to lay and play on their play mats.  We try to do as much tummy time as we can, but it is not a favorite around here.  Sometimes they like it, but most of the time they do not.  Stinkers.  We have had some doctor appointments this month, but not as many.  We did have their big 4 month check up with the pediatrician where each baby had to get 3 shots and one oral medicine for their vaccines.  Talk about a scream fest!  It is pure torture, but the doctor and the nurses are patient with us.  It is still stressful, and I think the stress is harder on the adults than the babies!

Miss Aleah (the other light of my life)

Aleah and her baby =)

SO CUTE! Millie and Owen "noticed" each other and were smiling and talking to each other for the first time at the doctor appointment.

Brothers playing in the morning (they are always the first up- Millie needs her beauty sleep!)

Waiting for the torture of the shots at the doctor =(

The bigs (Jackson and Dylan) are eating between 4.5 to 5.5 ounces each feed.  The littles (Owen and Millie) are eating between 3.5 to 4.5 ounces each feed.  Our schedule looks something like this right now:
1:00am- Feed (no diaper change); back to sleep 5:00am- Feed; back to sleep 6:30am- Babies start waking up.  We bring them down one at a time as they wake. 8:00am- Feed; playtime 9:00am- Nap 11:00am- Wake Up, Play 12:00pm- Feed; playtime 1:00pm- Nap 3:00pm- Wake, Play 4:00pm- Feed 5:30pm- Cat nap 6:15pm- Play (usually bouncers) 8:00pm- Feed; Bedtime
Chris and my mom do the 1:00am feed, and my dad and I do the 5:00am feed.  Also, when I say they are napping, they are very rarely all napping simultaneously.  They are moving toward and morning and an afternoon nap, but, right now, they are still doing some cat naps throughout the day.  They are also still sleeping in their Rock n Plays.  I am hoping to try to transition out of those maybe next weekend to their cribs.  I wanted to try this weekend, but they just got their shots, so probably not the best idea.  We will also probably try to start having them nap in their their cribs or pack n plays instead of the rock n plays or swings, but we will see how it goes!
Jackson
Jackson is still the biggest of the bunch coming in at 12lbs 13oz (HEAVY!).  He smiles, giggles, talks and is overall an extremely happy baby.  When he wants you to pick him up, he will let you know!  He loves to sleep on your chest (think bear hug position), and he is a major cuddle bug.  He has the most hair right now (and the most rolls!).  He is starting to reach for toys that are hanging above him.  He does great on tummy time and raises his chest and head up high.  It is amazing how much bigger he seems than the rest of the bunch, although Dylan is catching up quickly!  Jackson is officially on the growth chart- wahoo!

Ninja Warrior when it comes to getting out of sleep sacks.

Owen
Owen is still our tiny man.  He is 9lbs 3.5oz.  He feels like air compared to Jackson which is hilarious because when Jackson weighed 9lbs we thought he was so heavy.  He has always been our spitter, but over the past 3 weeks, he has all but stopped spitting.  What a relief!  Hopefully he can put on weight a little quicker now.  He is so long and skinny!  Definitely has the Waugh skinny legs.  He has the hugest smile, and it takes up most of his tiny little face.  He also has a dimple on his left cheek in almost the exact same place as Aleah has one- it is so so cute!  He smiles with his whole face.  Owen talks the most, and he will have long conversations with you.  It is absolutely adorable.  He still has the high-pitched squeel of a cry, and he can get going so quickly!

He sprouted this much hair in 3 days....

Here comes the scream....

Dylan
Dylan has changed so much!  He is 12lbs 3oz and getting quite chunky!  So far, he seems the most sensitive.  He easily scares with a loud noise or sudden change of movement.  He also knows when you are walking away from him and either cries or gives you this look like WHY AREN'T YOU HOLDING ME!  Poor little guy, it is so pitiful looking.  He just looks so worried.  He is starting to get just as strong as Jackson is.  Dylan LOVES the bouncer.  He could kick in that thing for hours if we let him.  He doesn't love laying on the floor as much unless someone is right there with him playing with him.  Dylan does not like naps.  It is not unusual for him to be up for most of the day with just a few short little 10 minute naps here and there throughout the day.  Dylan smiles and talks up a storm.  He has the cutest little grin. Dylan is officially on the growth chart- happy day!  He has the most beautiful blue eyes.

No I did not enjoy that bath.

Mean Muggin.

Millie
Last but not least, little Miss Millie.  Millie girl is 9lbs 6oz, but she is starting to get some rolls on her legs (adorable).  Millie does big old smiles and giggles, and she talks a lot, too.  She is still the most content of the bunch and the best sleeper, too.  She might sleep 8 hours at night if we let her (we are still getting them up to feed in the night), but we need her to grow a bit more!  Millie's strawberry hemangioma on her lip is looking much better with the topical medicine we are putting on it.  She has the most petite and cute little face and features.  She looks like such a little tiny doll baby!  Millie is still Aleah's favorite; she always checks for Millie first when she comes over.  Girls have to stick together!  Millie is doing better with her feeds now that we have learned her tricks!  We have to go straight through on her bottles without burping her to get her to take more.  If you stop to burp, she won't drink any more after the burp (stinker!).  Millie has really expressive hands, and really long fingers.

As always, thank you all for your support!  We would love to have you support us in our March for Babies walk in April (or join our team!).  You can donate and find more info at: http://www.marchforbabies.org/waugh-nut-quads

Hope you enjoyed our post!! (Sorry for any typos- I did not have time to go back through!)

3 Months Old!!

Happy 3 months to our beautiful baby Waugh-Nuts!! They are growing so fast and changing every day.  We are so proud of all of their accomplishments so far, and we feel so lucky to be their parents.  While things can get stressful at times, we are having so much fun with these babies!

                                       

So, I wanted to start off by giving you all the answer to the "Who am I?" question at the end of the last blog post: Top Left: Dylan Top Right: Millie Bottom Left: Jackson Bottom Right: Owen

Most everyone got Jackson right, but it was a bit iffy after that!  Most confused Owen and Millie.  Don't worry- I won't tell them who you were when they get older!
The past month is kind of a blur!  All of the days seem to run together because things are so repetitive.  I know we have done lots of feedings, lots of baths, lots of diapers, and lots of snuggling!  The snuggling is my favorite.  The babies have also got to meet a few family members that we had to have come help us out when my mom got sick.  Now I am sick which is why I have time to write this blog post.  Here is a short update about each of the bambinos:
Jackson
Jackson continues to be the chunker of the group.  He is getting so big!  He holds his head up extremely well, and loves to look at the light.  He has started to give us some sporadic smiles, and loves to listen to you talk to him.  He eats about 4 ounces every 3-4 hours.  USUALLY, he is a pretty good sleeper overnight, but he will let you know when he is hungry (and he wants his food RIGHT THEN).  Jackson loves to snuggle, and prefers if you hold him belly down against your chest (he gives giant bear hugs).  He still sleeps with his mouth open most of the time (he gets that honestly from me!).  He has moved into 3 months clothes and has rolls on his legs and arms (not to mention the double chin).  He spends time in the bouncer looking outside and likes to kick on his play mats.  He is the most "sturdy" of the group, so I love to play with him and carry him around in my ring sling (he loves to snuggle in the ring sling, too).  Jackson weighs 11lbs 2oz.

He was the first to go in this carrier because he was the first to reach 8 pounds! He loves it.

I mean really?

While Uncle Nick was home, the only one he agreed to help feed was Jackson (his namesake).

First time in the bouncer

Cuddle Bug

Owen
Mr. O is still our smallest, but he is getting the eating thing down much better!  We were having troubles with him spitting up a lot at the end of his feeds (he would spit a majority of the feed), and this hindered him gaining weight.  Over the past week or so, he has not been spitting nearly as often!  We are so happy about this and hope it continues.  Owen is extremely alert.  He will just stare into your eyes while you talk to him like he understands every word.  Owen is very photogenic and often seems to pose for the camera, so we have lots of cute pictures of him!  Owen LOVES his binki.  He has the lamb wubbanub, and if it falls out of his mouth, he will let you know immediately with his high-pitched screeching cry!  I need to get a video of it before he outgrows it because it is hilarious!  Owen is still a little fiesty during the night- it is hit or miss right now.  Owen loves to play on the play mats, and he is continuously moving the entire time he is down there.  He moves a mile a minute!  He currently eats about 3 ounces every 3-4 hours.  Owen weighs 8lbs 2oz.

Bath time is a love/hate relationship with all the babies.  They love it until it is time to start actually washing.

What a doll!  He still loves to cross his feet.

Snuggle bug still loves to lay on his side.

He is constantly cuddling with his lamb wubbanub which is adorable.

Have you ever seen something so cute?

Dylan
Dylan has grown so so much during the last two weeks!  He is quickly catching up to Jackson- it really is amazing!  He is consistently our best eater, so I suppose that is why he is growing so quickly.  He is also growing hair on his head like a crazy man.  He has just changed so much over the past week, it is crazy.  He loves the bouncer and looking outside.  He is definitely the most fiesty, and the one that cries most frequently.  If he gets going, the only way to calm him down is to stand up and walk around while he has his binki and he is cuddled against your chest. Little booger!  When he cries, he just looks so pittiful and stares up at you like you are just torturing him- it is so sad!  He really gets his bottom lip quivering, too.  He is a little pip!  He seems to be the worst one overnight as far as staying asleep goes.  He is almost always the first one to wake ready to eat.  He has also moved into 3 month clothes, and he is eating about 4 ounces every 3-4 hours.  Dylan weighs 10lbs 5oz.

Milk Coma!

Big time snuggles with his monkey wubbanub

First time in the bouncer looking out the back window

Millie
Our little Millie girl is just so sweet.  For the most part, she is still the most calm and even-tempered.  She is definitely the most patient, especially at feed time.  She almost always gets fed last because the boys are always screaming like banshees to eat first.  Millie just looks at them like they are insane.  I have a feeling she will be doing that a lot throughout the coming years!  Millie loves tummy time, especially if you let her do it on your chest.  Her little features are just so cute and dainty, and I think you can definitely tell she is the girl of the bunch.  Millie has some issues with feeding, and we are working to get her to take more with each feed.  She is currently taking between 2-3 ounces every 3-4 hours.  Of course, Millie is Aleah's favorite, and that is who Aleah is always asking about and who Aleah wants to help with the most.  Girls have to stick together!  Millie girl has the greasiest skin (she gets it from her dad), but she has just the cutest ears ever- they are just perfect.  Millie weighs 8lbs 5oz.

Quality time with her Papa

Major Mommy snuggle time

So so cute!

Naked and waiting her turn at the Doctor's office!

Strawberry on her buns =)

We love coming up with nicknames for the babies, and they change almost daily.  Here are a couple: Miss Millie, Downtown Jackson Brown, Mr. O, Dill Pickle, O Pickle, Jacko, Pretty Girl, Love Bug, The Big D, and so many more I can't even remember. 

Papa with the two little ones 

Daddy with Dylan and Millie

Daddy time.  Can you name the babies?

Play time in their outfits from Alyson

Owen smiling up at mommy

When its time for a feeding and the babies are a little fiesty, we often change two at once, and it keeps them much happier!

We haven't had quite so many doctor appointments since my last post.  We did have our 2 month check up which included vaccines- that was rough!  We also had a nurse come out to the house to give the babies their Synagis vaccine which they have to get every month during the winter months to help prevent RSV (a cold) which can be very dangerous for them as preemies.  We have more appointments coming up.  We have an appointment with Millie and Owen at the hemangioma clinic this week.  Millie has a hemangioma on her back and on her lip and Owen has one on his toe.  They will go away eventually, but these are ones that we need to get checked.  Jackson and Dylan also have very small pinpoint hemangiomas, but theirs are so small they do not need to be seen.  We also have an appointment coming up for all four babies to get hip ultrasounds- that should be interesting!

Our shipment of Synagis- so exciting to see!  It took a lot of work to get insurance to approve them for the vaccine.

All four babies at the Pediatrician's office

Besides the normal baby stuff, there are lots of other things happening in our lives!  I started back to work this week.  I am starting at two days a week and will work up to four days a week over the next couple of months.  The attorney is back in town!! =)  We hired a nanny who will watch the babies (along with my mom) while I am at work.  We put an offer in on a house that (unfortunately, we are very disappointed) we did not end up getting.  BUT we will continue to look for the home that will be perfect for our family in the coming years.  
The March of Dimes March for Babies walk is coming up on April 26 this year at COSI downtown.  As you can imagine, this is a cause close to our heart!  This walk helps raise funds to support babies that are born prematurely or that are born with a birth defect of some sort.  Without the research this organization has done, our babies may not have been able to do as well as they did.  Our family has definitely benefited from this organization as I was born with a soft spot that closed too soon, my niece was born a month early, and the Waugh-Nuts were born two months early and had extensive NICU time.  So, we have created a team to participate in this yearly walk and fundraising effort.  We would LOVE for you to join our team!  You can go to http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/waughnutquads to join our team. We hope you will join us in this walk.  Once people sign up, we will be ordering t-shirts for the team.  Weather permitting, I am hoping the babies can also join us for the event.  If you are unable to join our team, please help support our team by donating at http://www.marchforbabies.org/waugh-nut-quads (my personal page).  We thank you in advance for helping support us, the Waugh-Nuts, and such a great cause!
Thank you all for reading this long-winded post.  Your support for us has been fantastic, and we cannot thank you enough.  Until next time, I will leave you with this cuteness: