The Bolton Quintuplets

Melt my heart

2009-11-14T19:43:00.002-05:00

The other day, our baby girl Hannah pulled a child's Bible off the book shelf, opened it, and yelled, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus"......How sweet the sound!

We Love Light Up Shoes

2009-11-10T20:45:00.003-05:00

Triplets and a Baby?!

2009-11-01T16:49:00.001-05:00

Now they know how we feel ;)

Cute Coats

2009-11-01T16:44:00.005-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

Hi family!

2009-10-30T15:46:00.002-04:00

Ella Writes Her Name

2009-09-23T07:46:00.002-04:00

Ella is doing a great job with her letters. She can even write her
name using "little" letters.

Ella, you're pretty sharp! I wonder what you'll be able to do when
you turn four.

4th of July in Iowa

2009-08-19T15:05:00.005-04:00

We had so much fun in Iowa for the 4th of July! We went to the parade and saw cousin Gene with his horses.

We ran in the foot races and won some money and lollipops.

We rode the train and won some pop at the pop toss.

We got to see uncles, aunts, and cousins, roast "smarshmellows", and Josh even managed to put his bottom teeth through his lip after a fall on the gravel road.

Our kids started calling the Williams celebration--"Grammy and Grandpa's Disneyworld", isn't that hiliarious?!

A date!

2009-08-19T15:00:00.003-04:00

Shane & I went on a date to the Colt's first pre-season game. It was SO MUCH FUN! Our seats were surrounded by some of the team's family members, we had a great time!

Can you say accessories?

2009-08-19T14:44:00.002-04:00

Don't you love Ella's sense of fashion! A pumpkin hat, magic wand, holster belt, and high heels! I love it!

Disney World

2009-06-02T12:43:00.004-04:00

Welcome back! It's been awhile since we've written. We've been busy, so there is a lot to catch up on. To start, I'm putting up pictures of our Disney trip from last Labor Day weekend. Yes folks, that was all the way back in September 2008. It was a chore to pick out all the good pics, and procrastination set in.

The triplets had a ton of fun at Disney World, and of course it was a great vacation. Hannah stayed behind, but maybe she'll get another chance some day.

Slideshow

Link to Full Album

Disney World 2008

Hannah Hannah!

2009-02-17T21:54:00.002-05:00

Hannah has been doing great since she got out of the hospital on Friday. We are very thankful.

She took her first steps a few weeks ago and now she takes 3 to 6 steps at a time. Oh, she is one busy and determined little girl. We love her so much.

Hannah is Home

2009-02-13T21:42:00.001-05:00

Hannah did great last night, no extra oxygen. So they discharged her and she came home this morning. She is feeling much better. Thanks for praying!

Hospitalized, cont.

2009-02-12T17:29:00.003-05:00

Hannah is breathing better. Now we're just waiting for her to wean off the extra oxygen and IV fluids. It still may take a couple more days, though. RSV is tough on little ones. The triplets got it first then passed it on to her, we think. They're all getting over it ok, by the way.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Hospitalized

2009-02-11T21:09:00.002-05:00

Our baby girl Hannah was hospitalized with RSV last night and is still currently in the hospital. We are thankful for the care that she is receiving and thankful she seems to be responding well to the fluids and oxygen that she has been given. We are asking for prayer for a speedy and full recovery for our sweet girl.

Abby's Glasses

2009-01-26T19:48:00.002-05:00

Abby got new glasses this weekend. She is doing a fantastic job with them!! She has 2 pairs of glasses. Here is a picture of her in her red frames.
She also has a pair with metal frames....adorable!
2 cute sisters!
I also wanted to add that Hannah can say mama too! I love the sound of that little voice saying mamamama. It melts my heart.

Ella

2009-01-22T16:35:00.001-05:00

Here's the unexpected. Smartypants can write her own name!

Uh Oh!

2009-01-22T16:31:00.010-05:00

Hannah is hilarious. Her new thing to say is "Uh oh." She had been doing "Da Da" before that among other random sounds.

She's gets into everything and tries hard to keep up with her sisters and brother. She usually does, too, as she grabs their books and puzzles and whatever else is within reach.

We've got the barricades up so she doesn't get into trouble in the kitchen. Sometimes they don't work. She crawls all over.

She's not too far from standing and walking on her own. Go Hannah!

Yum!

The Living Nativity

2008-12-19T22:07:00.006-05:00

We participated in the Living Nativity as a family this year. There are lots of scenes that tell the Christmas story from the Bible. We were in the Bethlehem scene as Christ was about to be born. (The inn Nazi says, No room for you!)

Our costumes:

Let's get some water from the well

I like Joseph & Mary's donkey.

Ready for Christmas

2008-12-18T05:13:00.001-05:00

Halloween 2008

2008-11-20T13:25:00.001-05:00

Getting ready for Halloween... and then visiting Aunt Elizabeth & Uncle Kevin in St. Louis for trick or treating and a fun weekend.

We decided against dressing them up as Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, and Hillary Clinton. It would have been hilarious, but we wanted the kids to have something they were excited about for themselves. James the Train and Disney princesses it is.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-20T10:12:00.001-05:00

We had fun at a local pumpkin patch in October. Hannah is cute as a button. It was good for everyone to get out of the house for a while.

Beautiful Rockies

2008-09-18T16:26:00.005-04:00

It's time to catch up on some blogging!

Back at the beginning of August, Christine & Hannah & I flew out to Denver to visit Mark & Jen (brother & sister-in-law). We had a wonderful time hanging out and driving around. We visited Mark's office at the bank--it's a very impressive place to work. We spent a day poking around in Vail, and got some good walking done out in the fresh air. Check out the views:

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

2008-07-30T14:00:00.003-04:00

You guessed it.....our little Hannah has been rolling from her tummy to her back for a few weeks now. She proudly displayed her new skill to her Aunt Jen on July 5th.... wow, even before she was 3 months old! Good job girl!

Hannah is Growing!

2008-07-17T14:11:00.001-04:00

We're taking pictures of Hannah every month on the chair so we can see how she grows.

At 1 month, she's just a little newborn.

At 2 months, she can smile and coo.

At 3 months, she can giggle and hold a rattle and sleep through the night, yay!

Our 4th of July in Iowa

2008-07-17T14:01:00.003-04:00

Grandpa's hat stayed on most of the week!

The parade in Williams...

Then to the bouncy house...

And the famous train!

Everyone after church on Sunday.

St. Louis

2008-06-26T16:21:00.002-04:00

We visited Aunt Elizabeth & Uncle Kevin in St. Louis last weekend. We had a great time at the zoo!

Good Friends

2008-06-26T16:12:00.003-04:00

Margee & Ava

Sherry & newborn Jacob

Troy & Jacob

Hangin' at Home in June

2008-06-26T16:00:00.004-04:00

A Month in Pictures

2008-06-05T14:34:00.005-04:00

Happy One Month, Hannah!

2008-05-08T15:42:00.002-04:00

We love our little sister!

Hannah's Portraits

2008-05-07T10:44:00.003-04:00

Hannah's First Week

2008-04-16T15:24:00.007-04:00

At the hospital:

We made it home:

She Has Arrived

2008-04-08T23:50:00.003-04:00

Welcome to our world, Hannah Christine!

She was born this morning at 9:36, weighed 7 lb 2 oz, and was 20 1/2 inches long. Both Mom and baby are doing very well. Thanks for praying.

Almost Here

2008-04-03T14:57:00.003-04:00

Christine is having the baby next Tuesday. She's almost here! Things have been a lot different this time around, quite a bit easier to say the least. We hope the kids take to her quickly. We want them to be good helpers. Well, I'll take my camera with me, and I'll try to get some good pictures up here soon.

Portraits

2008-04-03T14:42:00.006-04:00

Tubes

2008-03-10T15:16:00.002-04:00

Abby had tubes put in her ears this morning to help prevent the ear infections she has been getting. The procedure went very smoothly, and Abby was relatively pleasant and calm afterward considering what she had just gone through. We're just hanging out at home today while Josh and Ella are with Grandma. Thanks for praying!

Creative Kids

2008-01-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

It is fun to watch the kids learn so much. They pick things up pretty well. They can count to ten and sometimes more. They do a decent job with the alphabet song, and they can even identify some letters. Some of the learning toys are really helping them a lot. They can sing some nursery rhymes all by themselves. Ella & Abby especially like 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', 'Baa Baa Black Sheep', and 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'. They all like the VeggieTales song, too, and they ask us to help them sing it. Coloring is a newer favorite activity. A blank piece of paper is fine, but Thomas the Train, Dora, and Hello Kitty are also lots of fun to color. It is such a blessing that they enjoy reading their books and have fun learning in lots of different ways.

Lots of blocks

Singing songs

It's a Girl!

2008-01-13T19:16:00.000-05:00

I see some of you have been guessing in the comments section. We found out just before Thanksgiving that it's a girl! Josh & Daddy are really outnumbered now. Mommy should have fun dressing up all her girls.

Merry Christmas!

2008-01-13T17:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas week. The kids dressed up for church while Mommy & Daddy sang in the Christmas musical. We got up on Christmas Eve to open presents, and we had lots of fun playing with all the new toys. We like the vacuum cleaner, dress up shoes, books, and a Thomas train set. Then we drove to Grandma & Grandpa's house. We had fun visiting with them and Aunt Angie, Uncle Mike, Uncle Brian, and Great Grandma on Christmas day. Thank you for the dolls, trucks, and big train play-table!

Thanksgiving in Iowa

2008-01-13T16:51:00.000-05:00

We had a good trip to Iowa to visit Grammy & Grandpa. It was good to spend time out there. Grandpa has been doing a good job with house renovations, and Grammy always puts together a good holiday meal. We celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas while we were there, so we brought some new toys home.

How Old Are You? Two!

2008-01-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

Presents, cake, and family. What a way to spend your 2nd birthday!

Peanut Butter and Jelly

2007-11-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

Later this week our kids will be two years old. The last couple of years have been scary, exciting, happy, stressful, fun, challenging, busy, and tiring. Speaking of being tired, a few months ago I found myself becoming a little more tired than normal. But, with 3 21 month-old kids I wasn't surprised. Around this same time I started eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on toast. I normally don't like PB & J sandwiches.................there has only been one other time in my life that I have made these sandwiches for myself, in 2005--2 and a half years ago. You've probably figured it out by now, Shane and I are expecting a baby. We are 18 weeks pregnant and our due date is the first part of April. Just to answer a few questions..........yes, this was a SURPRISE blessing, there is only one baby, and we should find out the sex next week!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T16:19:00.000-04:00

We got some good costumes this year. The girls were Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and Josh was Thomas the Tank Engine. Josh was too scared to be the Cowardly Lion, but Ella was at least willing to try it on.

We stopped by to see our neighbors and visit a friend's house. After we got back, they helped pass out candy to the other trick-or-treaters.

Learning Lots

2007-10-25T14:57:00.000-04:00

Our kids are learning lots of amazing stuff! I mean, wow, they aren't even two yet. They identify some shapes like circle, square, triangle, and rectangle. All three are practicing counting from 1 to 10 and saying some of the ABCs. Everybody gets A to G, and Abby can sing the whole alphabet song, and though a bunch of the letters in the middle are just a bunch of mumbles, she gets most of them after Q.

Speaking of singing, they all like songs. Their favorites are Jesus Loves Me, which Abby even likes to sing on her own (again lots of mumbles, but recognizable), Deep and Wide, and the B-I-B-L-E because at the end they can all shout BIBLE!

They really do love to learn. They pull books off the bookshelf at an astounding rate, and ask us all the time to "Read please." Here they are with their little bibles.

They know how to put trash in the trash can in the kitchen.

When its time to go to bed, they help clean up all their toys and books, putting them away in the baskets and bookshelves. Then before they lay down, we all pray together.

Go Colts!

2007-10-01T16:25:00.000-04:00

Our favorite team

Our Summer

2007-09-07T09:10:00.000-04:00

Aunt Angie's Wedding in May

Visiting Aunt Elizabeth & Uncle Kevin in St. Louis.

New York trip in June: Joshua had his hemangioma removed!

New York trip in June: Thanks, Dr. Waner!

New York trip in June: the Statue of Liberty.
We also got to see many other things like the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center site & museum, Times Square, and Central Park. Abby & Ella missed out on the sites, but they got to have fun with Grammy & Grandpa in Iowa for the week.

New York trip in June: the Today Show

New York trip in June: FAO Schwartz, the piano from "Big"

New York trip in June: the Early Show

Another trip to St. Louis: fun at the zoo with Uncle Mark & Aunt Jen.

Water fun in the back yard. Watch out, that sprinkler will get you!

Visiting Grammy & Grandpa on the farm in Iowa.

The county fair in Iowa.

Fun around the house. Look at my somersault!

Ring around the rosie.

Play piano! Does Ella think she can really read music?

Abby on a corn eating spree. She ate all of it!

Doctor Appointments Are Fun?

2007-05-20T22:30:00.001-04:00

Joshua had a doctor appointment in Indianapolis yesterday, and we got an unexpected treat. Some former NFL players came to visit the kids. A few Colts greats and others were there including Bill Brooks and Barry Krause. Josh and I got some autographs, and you can see Josh here with former New York player and current Purdue professor Greg Lasker. They put a smile on kids' faces and the dads' too!

18 Months and Going Strong

2007-05-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

Happy 18 months, kids! You've made it to another milestone, and you're doing great!

Everyone is walking well now, and Ella can nearly run. They are a bunch of fast movers. It is hard to keep up sometimes.

Here is Ella running around with her favorite purse.

They have developed a growing urge to climb up anything at their eye level or lower. With so many toys around, it makes for some creative interactions.

Josh likes this perch.

Ella found a more comfortable piano-playing posture.

Abby wanted to see the rabbit outside the kitchen window. (We helped her get up there, obviously.)

Their listening skills and vocabulary are increasing, too. It's great to be able to watch them go get a toy I've named and bring it to me or point to a body part they've learned.

Where is my nose?

Outside Time

2007-04-09T07:15:00.000-04:00

We had some warm weather a week ago, and we were able to play outside. Not only was it fun, but great practice for walking too.

Thanks, Becky, for the great little playground you gave us. We actually don't have a picture of it yet since we're all too busy playing on it.

We'd also been taking long walks with our little red wagon and rides in the jogging stroller while Christine & I train for the Indy Mini-Marathon. (13.1 miles if you were wondering. We've done it before, but now we feel old and creaky.)

Welcome Back, We're Walking

2007-04-05T11:42:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been almost two months since our last post. Things have been busy around here lately, and the urge to write hasn't come often even though lots of stuff is happening.

Way back at Christmas, we were in Iowa when Josh took his first steps (sideways rather than forward). During January he and Ella both got walking, and now they get across the room faster than you can blink. Abby decided to wait awhile--as you can see below (on Valentine's Day), she'd rather be dancing. Finally in March she got her walking technique down.

Check out my boots.

Happy Due Date!

2007-02-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

Not Happy Birthday, but Happy Due Date! That's the life of a preemie. Today is when you were supposed to be born, but there were too many peas in the pod for that. God has a great plan for you three, though. We are grateful that you are doing so well. You can eat real food. You can walk (well, almost Abby). You can talk and do signs (you made up for it here, Abs). We love you kids so much, and we're wishing you another great year!

One Year Ago

2007-01-22T14:21:00.000-05:00

One year ago today, Joshua was the first of our children to come home from the hospital. What an exciting and rewarding time it was! We had the bedroom all ready with a great new paint job thanks to Kelly, new cribs, and a nice dresser/changing table thanks to Grandpa David. We had a new van with car seats ready for someone to ride in. And, finally, the time came. We loaded Joshua up, said goodbye to the NICU, and Christine sat in the back with him as we drove home. We really felt like new parents instead of spectators, and it showed. We fiddled with the thermostat that night, dressed his little 4 lb body in ~~a snowsuit~~ double pajamas, and took turns listening/sleeping by the crib. Our little boy was home.

Picture Time

2007-01-18T16:09:00.000-05:00

Check out my new outfit!

Abby does her "Praise the Lord"

Abby likes to play with her bowl.

Abby playing peek-a-boo from under the piano (which is blocking a doorway).

It's bottle time.

Awesome Christmas gift Mom & Dad!

More Spots

2007-01-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

Abby's spots have spread all over her front and back and up on her head. I took her to see the doctor, and the good news is that it is not chicken pox. It's just a Roseola virus that causes a bad rash. It will go away in a couple of days. Chances are the other two kids won't get it either. That's a relief!

Spots, Spots, Spots

2007-01-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Miss Abigail started running a mild fever. Then a couple days ago, she started not wanting to drink anything and rubbing her ear. So, we took her to the doctor yesterday and thought she would be diagnosed with an ear infection......much to my delightful surprise her ears looked good and she "just" had a virus. Well, when she got up from her nap today and I noticed a few red blotches on her tummy which I thought was from her clothes pressing on her skin while sleeping. But, about an hour ago, I checked her tummy and there were MANY little red spots--yikes, I think we may be dealing with chicken pox. Oh, goodness!!!! Well, be praying for us in the days ahead.

Even without the chicken pox, things are pretty exciting around here these days. We have a lot of new teeth.....Josh and Ella each have 7 and Abby has 6. Ella and Josh continue to take quite a few steps, especially when they walk back and forth between Shane and I. They all say mom and dad. And Josh says dog, cat, duck and tries to say something that sounds like kitty, he also is starting to do the sign for "milk". Abby does the signs for "all done" and for "more". And Ella enjoys calling everything and anything "baby"...it is her favorite word (besides mom and dad).
They all enjoy playing peek-a-boo and they LOVE to eat food off my plate (too bad they didn't eat a little more, it might be a nice weight loss plan, hee hee).

I often get asked what it is like to have 3 kiddos at once....let me give you a little example....imagine trying to get all 3 kids from their bedroom to the living room. If you take one at a time that kiddo follows you back to the bedroom while you get the rest.....if you take 2 kiddos out to the living room then they both follow you back to the bedroom.....so the best option is to try to move 3 at once....much like moving pigs from one pen to the next (I grew up on a farm). Usually I carry one kiddo and try to coax the other 2 out into the hallway. When I see that last little kiddo cross the threshold, I quickly close the ~~pigpen gate~~ door. Mission accomplished!

Hello Again!

2007-01-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since we have written. We had a good holiday season, quite busy as you may have guessed. Sometimes you need a vacation from your vacations. We drove out to Iowa and spent a week for Christmas to visit Christine's family. Mark & Jen, Elizabeth & Kevin, and we were all there at the same time with Grammy & Grandpa Phillips, and that hasn't happened in a long time. It was fun to get together.

The kids are doing very well. They are eating more and more real food, and Josh is on whole milk full-time. There have been very few illnesses so far this winter. They have all taken their first steps, starting with Josh on Christmas! Ella has been the best at trying to walk so far.

We'll write again and get some pictures up soon.

Teeth, Teeth, and more

2006-11-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

Well, Josh got his second upper tooth this week and Abby got her first upper tooth too! They have been doing really well despite the new teeth. Ella's gums are really swollen and red so I think she may be getting another tooth in the days ahead.
We are doing lots of reading and playing in the Bolton household these days. Abby loves to sway to the beat of her little piano and I caught her playing peek a boo with a book the other day--adorable. Josh loves to walk behind his walker and chew the beads on toys. And Ella loves to read books and "help" Josh while he walks with the walker. All the kids have been standing on their own for 5-15 seconds, waving bye-bye, and playing pat-a-cake for a few weeks. Oh what fun. Oh, Ella is reminding me now as she tries to press the computer keys, that they all love to "type" on the computer too, they must get that from daddy-I better go.

Happy Birthday Kiddos-You are Miracles!

2006-11-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

To Abby, my third born- You are a joy! You make me laugh with your cute smiles and your quirky ways. I haven't heard too many babies that can whistle or click their tongue like you and I won't ever forget those crazy back bends or "head stands" you used to do a few months ago. You are my little adventurer! Happy Birthday Ab-a-dabs!

To Joshua, my fourth born- You are my only living son, I'm very thankful for you! You are sweet and content and very ticklish. You love to bang things together, scream really loud, give dad high fives, and hold your own bottle. You are such a good boy and you are so much like your daddy. Happy Birthday Joshy Squashy!

To Elizabeth, my fifth born- You are a sweetheart! You were the first one to smile at me, your smile is beautiful! You love reading books, sitting on my lap, and waving your arms in excitement. You are even starting to stand for a few seconds without holding on to anything and you love to try to play with Josh & Abby. Happy Birthday Ella Bella!

In Memory Of Isaac (my first born) & Matthew (my second born)- I'm glad that I was able to know you even if it was only for a short time. I miss you and look forward to seeing you one day.

Thank you Lord for these children. You have been gracious and merciful to me. How awesome are your ways!

Happy First Birthday!

2006-11-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

The grand and glorious day has finally arrived! Abby, Josh, and Ella, congratulations, you are one year old today! It has been a good year for you. You learned to breathe on your own, you came home from the hospital, you started sleeping through the night, you ate more, you gained weight, you learned to sit and then crawl and then pull up to stand, you said "Da" and "Ma", you took your first road trip, and more. You kids are great, and you've provided many moments filled with joy for us, our family, and our friends. We look forward to your next year and all the great things you'll do.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T23:00:00.000-05:00

We found some costumes for the kids this Halloween. The trick-or-treaters that visited our house got a laugh when they were greeted by a couple of lizards and a puppy.

Earlier in the day, I took the kids to visit Christine's office. Her coworkers and patients enjoyed seeing them again. Finally, we finished the evening with a stop at Troy & Sherry's house. The work they've done on it so far looks great.

Church's Birthday Party

2006-10-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our friends and church family who have helped us all year! We appreciated your gifts and your acts of service.

We celebrated the kids first birthday with these folks, and they put together a wonderful party. Check out the cake. The kids loved it!

St. Louis Visit

2006-10-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

Fall is a fun time, even though the weather is turning cold. We went to visit Aunt Elizabeth & Uncle Kevin in St. Louis, and they took us out to the pumpkin patch. Then Christine & I took the kids to the zoo. Aunt Elizabeth's music class did a great job at their elementary school concert.

11 Months!

2006-10-18T08:35:00.000-04:00

The kids turned 11 months old over the weekend. We've had a few doctor visits lately. Last week everyone had fevers, and it turns out that ear infections had gone around. We recently went to the developmental clinic and found the kids are progressing as expected--no major problems to worry about. As for weights, Josh is up to 19'02", Ella is 16'02", and Abby is 15'07". Grow, kids, grow!

The kids are all having a lot of fun crawling around and pulling themselves up on things to stand. Josh loves his big race car. (I'll post pictures soon.) Cheerios are a big hit, too. Abby can't get enough of them. She likes big people food a lot better than her bottle!

Elizabeth & One Year Ago

2006-10-02T13:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend we discovered that Elizabeth has her first tooth! She also learned to pull up and to do a "regular" crawl. She had quite a weekend with all these developments! What a good girl!

Tomorrow marks the 1 year anniversary of when I began my lengthy stay at St. Vincent Women's Hospital. I had been on modified bed rest at home since the early weeks of my pregnancy. Due to an increase in contractions I went on full bedrest at home around week 18. And then on October 3rd my contraction monitor picked up contractions every 5 minutes.....I was essentially going into labor at 20 weeks. My nurse called and said that my doctor wanted me at the hospital in Indianapolis right away. I threw a few things into a suitcase and crawled into the backseat of our car and Shane flew to Indianapolis. We were scared. We held hands and cried not knowing if the Lord would choose to stop the labor and save our children. After arriving at the hospital, checking in, and doing paperwork, I was led to an exam room (I envisioned a scene from "ER" when I arrived--that wasn't the case). Thankfully, they gave me an injection that started to slow the contractions and then they wheeled me to my room (I had no idea that I literally wouldn't leave that room for 7 weeks-yikes). After I arrived in the room a nurse named Julie (she ended up being one of our FAVORITE nurses) told me that our doctor wanted to start IV magnesium......I had read/heard many bad things about that medicine but I knew that it was our only chance. They started that medicine and the contractions slowed a little more, just enough to keep me from going into full blown labor. My doctor said that I might be able to be released from the hospital later that week, I knew in my heart that probably wouldn't happen. I knew the statistics, most quintuplet pregnancies don't make it at all and the large majority of the rest of them are in the hospital by 19 weeks or sooner. Needless to say, I was scared but thankful for the magnesium medication. As the medicine began to enter my system I suddenly felt like I had the flu and felt like I was on fire (I tried to pretend I was on the beach at Cancun--ha ha). But, more than anything I was fearful. I would like to say that I focused on the Lord and He calmed my fears and it was a cake walk thru the rest of the pregnancy.......but that would be a lie. I was fearful and the Bible says that fear paralyzes us and that is what happened, I was paralyzed. I felt like I had been dropped into a black hole and couldn't get out. Thankfully that isn't where the story ended for me or our babies...I'll continue more in the days ahead.

Pulling Up

2006-09-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

Friday night Shane walked into the living room to find Abigail standing by the couch! At first he thought that I (Christine) had put her in that position. But, NO! She spent the rest of the evening and weekend pulling up on everything. I am amazed. And yesterday, Elizabeth pulled herself up once. I can't believe what these petite girls are able to do!

10 Months!

2006-09-15T19:55:00.000-04:00

Our babies are 10 months old today! Happy Birthday!

Here are a few quick updates on the kids.

Elizabeth started saying her "d's" and "g's" the day after I wrote the last post. Lately, she enjoys looking in the baskets of books and even climbed on top of the basket tonight. Oh how she loves to climb--watch out Mt.Everest.

Abigail has said dada a few times and has also started a true crawl in the last couple of days.

Josh continues to crawl all over. He also loves to squeal in excitement especially when he is banging 2 toys together.

10 months of growth, developments, and blessings--what a joy.

We love our kids.

2 inch worms and a crawler

2006-09-08T20:37:00.000-04:00

We are so thankful to see our little ones moving around. The girls have been able to army crawl for a couple weeks, they almost look like 2 little inch worms moving around our house. They love to crawl out to the kitchen, under the coffee table, on top of each other, and to go after toys. Josh has been doing a "true" crawl for the last couple days. I am so grateful that they are learning new things!

We are starting to get teeth--watch out! Josh has a couple teeth and Abby is working on a second one too. So far, Elizabeth doesn't have any.

They have also been sitting fairly well for the last 3-4 weeks. I think they enjoy playing with toys in this upright position, except when Abby is doing her backbend. Ha Ha

The babies are also saying a few different sounds. They have added "d" and "g"....I'm sure I've heard dada a couple times, but maybe just by accident.

I'm so thankful and so proud of the progress that the babies have made in the last 9 months.

Thank you Lord for your protection, comfort, forgiveness, and blessings. We couldn't do this without You.

One last request, a friend of ours is on bedrest. Please pray for her, the baby, and her family. Thanks.

Portraits

2006-09-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

Fun Tricks

2006-08-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

Abby found a new trick. She does a back bend using her head. Then she scoots around the room going "Oooo, ooooo!" It's hilarious to see your kids do things you never would have imagined.

Happy 9 Month!!

2006-08-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

The kids are 9 months old today!! Go kids! Do your big kid stuff like eating food, wiggling around, and getting into lots of things all over the place!

Feeding time... Mmmm, squash.

They like the animals at the county fair.

Watching the Indianapolis Colts practice. There's Peyton and Reggie, but our favorite is Marvin Harrison!

Aunt Elizabeth & Uncle Kevin!

2006-08-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks for visiting! The kids like the squash and green beans you made.

Rocking

2006-08-08T09:05:00.001-04:00

All the kids are now able to get up on their hands and knees and rock back and forth in an effort to move! It is fun to see them try to inch their way closer to a toy or whatever has caught their eye.

On Saturday we took them to the Indianapolis Colts training camp. Shane and I enjoyed getting to see the scrimmage.....especially the awesome catch that Marvin Harrison made! The kids were really interested in looking at all the people....they tried everything to avoid falling asleep....they didn't want to miss anything.

This morning I was reminded of another way in which the Lord has faithfully provided for our family during the last year--our insurance for the kids. Thank you Lord. I also want to thank Shane for his constant communication with the insurance company and the hospital.....honey, you have done an excellent job in handling all of that....thank you and job well done.

5 years ago

2006-08-03T18:05:00.000-04:00

Five years ago this morning my fiance Stan, suddenly passed away...we would have been married the following week. I don't think there are any words that adequately express how I felt in those days and months that followed his death. I missed him. Yet, I was not alone. Never before had the Lord comforted my soul quite like that time in my life--my faith got me thru each day. I knew the Lord was sovereign and I witnessed His faithfulness on a daily basis. Overall, the most important thing I learned was that God is still good--even in the midst of a trial. I read a post on another blog (inthemidstofit.blogspot.com) this morning. Although I don't know the author of this blog, I agree with her completely, "Before this journey began, I'd experienced God's goodness in the mountains of life. Now I can say that He is also good in the depths....the Lord is good all the time."

There have numerous blessings from the Lord over the past five years.....here are five of my favorites:
1. Shane- my Godly, gorgeous, intelligent, gentle, patient, and humble husband. I love you so much Shane!!!!!
2. Abigail-my daughter
3. Elizabeth-my daughter
4. Joshua-my son
5. Godly Friendships- Since Stan died, I've deepened some friendships and made some new ones .....you know who you are :) .....

Here is a photo of Stan giving one of our Honduran patients a Bible.

Laughs, leaves, and more

2006-07-25T08:58:00.000-04:00

Last evening as I was feeding Abby, I heard a noise from Elizabeth that sounded like a cry. I peeked over at her on the floor and she was laughing at Josh. Then a few seconds later he laughed back at her. This continued back and forth quite a few times and was hilarious! It is great to see them interacting! As I went to get the video camera to catch this on tape, I put Abby on the floor. I was so thankful that she was being so quiet while I video taped her sister and brother. After I finished the video, I walked around the corner of the couch to find Abby with a fist full of plant leaves in her mouth. So, I pulled out the video camera again to film Abby with her tiny fists stuffing leaves into her mouth!

Another milestone....Elizabeth is now rolling over from her back to her tummy....yeah Elizabeth!

The evening ended with Dad feeling crummy because he caught the kids colds while I enjoyed cuddling with Elizabeth until she spit up into my slightly OPEN MOUTH!!!! Oh my.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

2006-07-13T16:18:00.000-04:00

Abby rolled over from her back to her belly a few times on Monday. Josh has been doing it awhile now since he's a belly sleeper. Ella still needs to find the knack.

We brought our triple stroller home from Iowa last week. It's really sturdy and has a smooth ride. Now one of us can take a walk with all three kids at once with no help.

Fun in Iowa

2006-07-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks Lili, Claudi & Tali!

2006-06-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

2006-06-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

Uncle Mark & Aunt Jen Visit

2006-06-19T20:38:00.000-04:00

Uncle Mark & Aunt Jen flew in from Denver. This is the first chance they've had to see the kids! We all had fun playing around and going to the pool.

Our Daddy

2006-06-18T20:28:00.000-04:00

Hi this is Joshua. My sisters and I just woke up from a nap. While we were laying in our cribs, we were "talking" about our fantastic daddy. The girls thought it would be a good idea if I snuck on the computer and wrote about some of these fantastics things about our dad. First, we love that our daddy loves Jesus. He tells us about Jesus, sings about Jesus, goes to church to learn about Jesus, and he is getting ready to tell "big" kids about Jesus this week in Vacation Bible School. (We are too little to go to VBS) Second, we like that daddy loves mommy a lot. We notice that daddy helps mommy with cleaning and cooking, gives her kisses and hugs, and he does a lot to take care of us to help her. Mommy even told us that while we were in her tummy that daddy would help her while she laid in bed at home, like getting her water and food and watching movies with her. Mommy said that daddy stayed with her every night in the hospital before we were born. Daddy would get up reallllly early and drive an hour back home to shower and go to work and then that night he would drive an hour back to the hospital to stay with mommy. He did this for 7 weeks and he slept on a couch that was to short for my tall daddy the entire time and he didn't even complain!
Another thing we love about our daddy is that he loves us kiddos! He does so much for us I can't even list it all. He takes care of us each day and he works hard on the computer too. He gets our milk and our medicine and he makes sure we drink it ALL! We love when daddy giggles and tickles us and when he helps us play with our toys. Daddy changes our diapers, mixes up our milk, washes our clothes, changes our clothes, drives us to appointments, reads to us, loads us up in the van, goes on walks, takes our pictures, and writes stuff about us on the computer. Wow, he is a grrrrrrreat daddy.
Daddy......Abigail, Elizabeth, and me love you sooooo much and we are sooooo glad that you are our daddy. I hope I can be a daddy just like you someday. Love, Josh

Fun Photos

2006-06-13T15:55:00.000-04:00

Abigail cooking with Grammy The kids with Grammy and Grandpa
Tummy time
Josh in a hat
Abigail in a "hat" ready for some cereal

Josh with Aunt Elizabeth trying out some shades
Abigail and her sun visor
Aunt Elizabeth with the kids
Daddy's friend Jeremy with Josh
Ella having some fun

Getting ready for church
"Yum, this swing tastes good!"

6 Month Pictures

2006-06-02T15:13:00.000-04:00

We had their six-month pictures taken a couple of weeks ago. We got some smiles out of them while they were looking in the general direction of the camera ;)

Quick Update

2006-05-24T12:57:00.000-04:00

We had our 6 month check up last week with our pediatrician. Elizabeth weighed 11 pounds 13 ounces, Joshua weighed 13 pounds 11 ounces and Abigail weighed 9 pounds 12 ounces! Yeah!

This past week Elizabeth started to suck her thumb.....hmmm.......

This past weekend we had a family shower at Shane's parents house. It was nice to spend time with his extended family. We are very grateful for their generosity and kindness.

Josh continues to enjoy rolling over onto his tummy and to grasp at rattles and toys. Abby loves to hold little blankets or her bib and she still loves to talk. The other night Shane was making animal sounds and Abby would smile at each animal sound until he got to the horse sound, then Abigail would get this scared look on her face and become startled. It was so funny! Elizabeth is really good at holding up her head and loves to giggle and laugh at her mobile or other inanimate objects.

In the last couple weeks one of Christine's co-workers and her daughter came over to see the babies. We had so much fun. We spent time reading, taking baths and cuddling.

Ironing

2006-05-14T21:44:00.000-04:00

This past week I ironed a couple clothing items for the kids for the first time. I couldn't help but think of my mom when I was doing this. I can picture her now in our kitchen ironing something for me to wear.....I can't imagine how many times she did this over the years for me. I love so much about my mom.....here are just a few things......she is a loving wife to my dad, she always started our days with a joyful attitude, she avoided talking negatively about others, she challenged me to make goals and knew that I could accomplish them, she sacrificed things so I could have things, she loves the Lord, she is an encourager, she is very attentive, she reaches out to others and is interested in them. I love so much about her, I'm glad that she is my mom.
So, I hope the ironing I did this past week is just the beginning of my journey to be a mom like my mom. I love you mom!

Thank you Lord that I am a mom this year. Last year I didn't know if I would ever be a mom and this year you blessed me beyond what I could have imagined.

What's New?

2006-05-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

Bath time!

Playing around!

Our trio!

Hi from Abigail!

2006-05-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

Hi this is Abby! I noticed that mommy and daddy haven't been writing for a few days so I thought that I would say hi and let you know what we have been doing. The last couple months we have started doing more and more things. In February, we were reaching for the toys in our cribs and the dangling toys from our car seats. We also liked looking at mom and dad a lot. Then in March, we decided that it might be fun to smile at mom and dad.....they liked that a lot. At the end of March, Elizabeth started sleeping all thru the night. Josh and I thought it was still fun to get up and play with mom & dad or whatever friends would come to feed us during the night. But in April, Josh & I decided to sleep thru the night too. I think mommy & daddy are really proud of us for sleeping so long! We also started talking a lot more, I especially love to talk, I think I've heard mommy and daddy call it babbling. Elizabeth and I talk, Josh talks too, but he likes to listen a bit more than us girls. We all can roll from our tummies to our backs. I even saw Josh roll from his back to his tummy......Ella and I are too busy talking to worry about that rolling stuff. We are starting to notice things, our feet and hands, and we are noticing each other too. I like to look at Ella and Josh and I especially like to talk to them and see what they have to say. We have been getting bigger too. A couple weeks ago I weighed 8'2", Josh weighed 12'6", and Elizabeth weighed 10'9".....we are growing! These days Josh likes to sit in the exersaucer, I like to swing, and Ella loves to giggle and talk to her "friends" on her crib mobile.

We have been having a fun week. Mommy is on vacation so we have had some field trips. We went to visit daddy and all his nice friends at work. We went to the hospital where we were born, visited Janie in Indianapolis, and even went out to eat for the first time. I wasn't impressed with the food that mommy and daddy ate, they didn't even have any milk!

Well speaking of milk, I think my little tummy is hungry so I better go. I'll tell daddy tonight to put some pictures of us on here soon. Thanks so much for praying for us and for helping mommy and daddy take care of us.

Happy Easter!

2006-04-16T17:28:00.000-04:00

We thank the Lord for giving us hope by sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins, and we celebrate His resurrection today. This is the kids' first trip to church! Thanks, Jodi, for helping us today.

Successful Surgery

2006-04-12T07:17:00.000-04:00

Joshua's surgery went very well. Thanks to the doctors and hospital staff for your good work.

He had to spend the night at the hospital for monitoring, but he seemed back to normal by evening. Christine stayed there with him overnight, so I hope they're both able to get some good rest today. Thanks to everyone for your prayers.

Surgery

2006-04-10T10:43:00.000-04:00

We had a great weekend. We enjoyed having visitors over the weekend, Grammy and Grandpa Phillips and Aunt Angie and Uncle Brian. The kids loved all the kisses and cuddles.

Joshua is having hernia surgery tomorrow here in town at 7:30am so please be praying for him and for the surgical team that will be working with him. We continue to trust the Lord and know that His plan is best for this precious boy.

Buddies

2006-04-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Aunt Angie & Uncle Brian!

2006-04-08T23:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks for coming to visit, Aunt Angie & Uncle Brian.

Gonna Be a Ballplayer

2006-04-08T22:00:00.000-04:00

Go Josh!

Hi Grammy & Grandpa!

2006-04-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks for coming to visit, Grammy & Grandpa.

Hi Aunt Elizabeth!

2006-04-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks for coming to visit, Aunt Elizabeth!

Going for a Walk

2006-03-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Now that the weather is good we can enjoy some walks around the block with the kids.

Big Babies

2006-03-23T19:56:00.000-05:00

The kids had some doctor visits this week. They got measured and received their shots. Things are going pretty well, and we are very happy with the progress they've made since they've been out of the hospital. Josh is the big boy at 10'6" with Ella at 9'6" and Abby at 6'14". Go kiddos!

Happy 4-Months!

2006-03-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

Ella, Abby, and Josh are 4 months old today!

Troy & Sherry Like Feeding Babies

2006-03-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Read their thoughts at "The ChroniCole".

Great Grandma Visits

2006-03-13T22:00:00.000-05:00

Great Grandma Mildred came along with Grandma Phyllis to feed the kids today.