9 Months Old

Last week we had our 9 month old check up. Is it as hard to read as it is to type/say 9 months old? I can't believe it's been 9 months since I laid on that operating table with unexplainable emotions of fear, excitement, joy, uncertainty and the repeated question to my dear surgeon, "Have you tied my tubes yet?" (Yes, I did just pull myself out of a post that was getting mushy right back into a fun one!) I can't even explain to you how much our lives changed in those 5 minutes. Gunner, of course, the Big Guy, took two minutes to come out versus the minute between the rest of them! Did I just call 3 pounds, 1 ounce the Big Guy?
Matt and I often talk about what our lives were like this time last year. 2008 or "that summer" has become a block of time all to itself. It's kind of like how down on the coast everything is based "before Katrina" or "after Katrina." We always say, well, "that summer." This time last year we didn't have this amazing blog, I didn't have my amazing Quad Mamma support nor the support of all of you who have kept me going when the going gets tough and TRUST me it gets tough! We had just purchased a mini van (oh, how I dreaded that day, but now love The Ole' Mini.) We knew that the babies were 2 boys and 2 girls although Baby B and Baby D were still nameless. We had Cannon and Lauren ready from the start! We didn't know how we were going to survive financially, emotionally, mentally or physically, we just knew for the sake of our family we had to!! Now, a year later, 9 months after their birth, we're still surviving. 99 percent of the emotional, mental and physical part are from help fro Pae-Pae (whom we couldn't and still can't live without), grandparents, friends, family and the support from our church. I sometimes look back on the first 3 months of their lives and think, Holy Cow, how did we do it? Then we remember their struggles in and out of the NICU and think, Holy Cow, how did they do it? We've all shown the fighter in us over the last year. Okay, okay, must move on.... it's not normal to be up at 4:15 with all my children sound asleep, but it's also not normal for me to be the one crying at 4:15 in the morning!!
Our schedule has changed drastically over the last 9 months. We originally had a bottle feed every 3 hours. Oh, how I'm glad that's over with!!! The babies now wake up around 8 am and have breakfast and a bottle. Around 11 they have a veggie and sometimes a fruit too and then another bottle and they settle in for a long nap!! They stay in their beds until 4, which is slowly becoming awake time from 3 to 4, but they're pretty good at staying in their beds until 4. We just cut out the 4:00 bottle and now have snacks. They love YoBaby yogurt, Gerber Puffs and Baby Mum-Mum's! Around 6:00 we start dinner and fruit and then they have their night bottle around 7 and go to bed after some loving! It's come a long way and it's still not perfect, but it'll do for now!!

Cannon Gregory
2 Pounds, 11 Ounces, 15 Inches
18 Pounds, 12 Ounces, 28 Inches

Gunner Cole
3 Pounds, 1 Ounce, 15 Inches
22 Pounds, 26 1/2 Inches

Lauren Katherine
2 Pounds, 10 Ounces, 14 Inches
14 Pounds, 25 1/2 Inches

Avery Caroline
2 Pounds, 8 Ounces, 13 Inches
15 Pounds, 4 Ounces, 25 1/2 Inches

Whew, we have come a LONG way!!

Now to answer some questions from the last post:
Leigh: What and where is Malbis?
Malbis is in Alabama. It's the Eastern Shore Shopping Center. It is an awesome place that I highly recommend for a family outing. They have a splash pad, Build A Bear, tons of great stores and even better food!
Teri Duggan: I love the big bow; where do you find them?
The bows pictured in the last post are the same bows that were previously in their headbands. I purchased both from My Dolly's Bows.
She's super cheap and very easy to work with!
Nicole: Quick question, how do you get your blog name to post on the pics on the blog? I think that is a great idea!
I use Picasa to edit my photos with and it's an option on there. I copied the idea from a Quad Mamma Sista and started doing it.

I am only a few post away from my 100th and I have something really fun in store with some great give-a-ways!
Hint: One of the give-a-ways is from.....

It's $15 dollars off of a blog design. Isn't that AWESOME!!! Thanks Jennisa!

By the way, how do you like my new look?