Our Trip up North Part 1 - The Plane Trip 6/4/09

Hello all! I never found my camera case......it will haunt me forever, but we are back up and running thanks to Nana! She found replacement parts for my camera and had them shipped here! Thanks Nana!

Well the day started out perfect for the plane ride up north. Everything was packed the night before, we knew how we were going to work it and the day began! The kids ate in the early morning and then went back to sleep for a few hours. We left for the airport at 9am. Grandpop took us to help us feed the kids at the airport. While MomMom stayed behind and began the task of Summer cleaning!


It's an hour drive to the Fort Myers airport.

The car ride was great. The kids were awake, but good. When we got to the airport we put them in two double strollers and each had one infant car seat hanging on the stroller we were pushing. We each carried a diaper bag and we checked our baggage at curbside check-in. We were on our way to ....dant dant dant.....security! I was really worried about it. Thank GOD my dad was with us. We had to take all the kids out of the strollers, take of their shoes, put the strollers and the car seats through the x-ray machines. Talk about a hassle! The kids were fabulous through the whole thing though! Not a peep. I think they were just so amazed by everything that was going on. The TSA people did help us out though and were very friendly when they realized they were all ours! Speaking of which, Nick did wear a shirt that said (on the back) "Yes they're all mine". I thought it was funny! I can't believe some of the things that people ask...Like "Are they all yours?", Do you have 2 sets of twins?" The list goes on and on! My Quad Mamas know what I'm talking about!

We were finally off and running to the gate. We timed it just right. Our plane left at 11:30am and we got to the gate at 10:30am. Just enough time to get them fed and settled to load up on the plane. Luke and Lily ate like champs, as always and we put them in the car seats so that if they fell asleep before we loaded on the plane, they would not have to be disturbed.

Sarah & Ava on the other hand.....as we all know, are not good eaters and of course gave us a hard time. As if we didn't get enough attention walking through the airport, Ava started her screaming and tantrums because she didn't want to eat her food. Our doctor called her a pterodactyl because that's what she sounds like when she screams. Sarah could just care less about eating because she was to involved in people watching.




We had help from the flight attendants loading on the plane. We went first, of course, and the plane was not full, so we got to spread out and had a whole isle to ourselves. That was nice. I don't think anyone would want to sit with four babies anyway. Stay tuned for the flight home story for more on that. Luke and Lily slept the whole flight and woke up when we touched down. Nick and I took turns holding Ava & Sarah who slept on and off the whole flight. Sarah's ears bothered her a little, but she was still very good.

Luke sound asleep on the plane


Sarah wants to know "Are we there yet?"






Lily sleeping in her car seat and Daddy & Ava sleeping.


We landed safely and Daddy and Ava are very excited. Laurie is waiting to pick us up.

After all the commotion of loading everyone back into the strollers, I didn't get to take pictures of Laurie and our stroll through the Philadelphia Airport. Thanks to Laurie who crammed 4 car seats, 3 adults,3 suitcases, 2 strollers, and 2 diaper bags into her Chevy Trailblazer. What a champ. Thanks for keeping me calm! Thanks for getting us to Nana & Pop Pop's safe and sound. The kids really were very good! You would have though that there was maybe one baby on the plane, not four!

After all the commotion of the day, we set up Nana & Pop Pop's house as best as we could to make the kids as comfortable as possible. The Quads were very excited to see Nana, Pop Pop & Aunt Tara when we got in. When we all calmed down and it was time to eat. The kids ate and watched some Baby Einstein and we ate Cheesesteaks and Hoagies! YUM! What a wonderful first evening.

The kids really were amazing on the flight! No exaggerations necessary. NOW, the flight home, we'll talk about later! Stay tuned for Part 2...Some Visitors and a Bar-b-Que!

Till next time!
Kelly

Missing

Hi everyone....

I know some of you are anxiously waiting for an update on our trip up north and some of you want to see pictures, but somehow, somewhere I have lost my camera case...not the camera, just the case which had the battery charger and the wire to connect the camera to the computer and now I can't charge my camera battery or upload pictures to the computer!!!UGGGG!

I'm trying to track it down, so just be patient! If I can't find them, I guess I'll be forced to buy new ones!

Check back again soon!

30 Weeks Old

Hello!

This week we had a visitor. My friend Kara came down from Philadelphia to visit. She spent a lot of time with the babies and helped out a lot! Thanks for your help Kara!We had a good time.

 

I also took Lily to the speech/feeding therapist this week because I thought she might have an issue with spoon feeding. I thought maybe that something was wrong with her tongue because sometimes she just wont eat from a spoon......I was wrong. The therapist said there is nothing wrong with her tongue! WHEW! I was worried. She said that she is just not hungry. She said to take out the cereal in their bottles, except for the nighttime bottle, and they may eat better! So far so good! Who have thought? Not me. I'm just so used to making them eat....which was grilled into me in the hospital since they were preemies. I need to re-adjust.

 

We had a barbecue on Memorial Day and Uncle Jay came over and cooked on the grill for us! He has been a great help too, coming over to help out with feedings when he can. He has recently moved here to Florida and we are glad to have him....any more takers?

I can't believe how fast babies actually grow. I can't tell you how many clothes the kids have already gone through not to mention the ones they never even got to wear! I have so many boxes of clothes now, I don't know what to do with them. Mostly girls clothes, of course!

My issue this week.....What is the right kind of diaper to use? All of them seem to leak! What am I doing wrong? When they lay on their backs at night to sleep, it seems to leak up the back. When they sleep on their stomachs, it seems to leak up the front! I've even tried putting them in a bigger diaper to sleep because it holds more!

I haven't forgotten about my quad sisters! I'm so sorry that I never got to make a post about our trip. I have not been able to find any time.....please forgive me girls! I'll get you back soon!

We are leaving in 2 days for our trip up to Philadelphia with the kids! We are flying...not sure how Nick and I are going to do it, but we are! Get out the disinfectant wipes and Germ-X cause the Trullinger Quads are comin'. Southwest Airlines, watch out! I'm so nervous, I feel like I'm gonna get sick!

We are looking forward to the trip....I'm just mentally exhausted. There is so much to do and a lot of preparation when planning for four babies! Not to mention the preparation and planning on the end of the people who are taking us in! Thanks Nana and Pop Pop! We're coming with bells on! BE PREPARED! Make sure you are well rested...THERE IS NO REST FOR THE WEARY!

DETAILS OF THE TRIP TO FOLLOW ON THE NEXT BLOG POST!

Till next time!
Kelly

29 Weeks Old

This week has been a fun one.....

We had a few visitors. Aunt Tara was here for 8 days and Great Uncle Jay (my uncle) made his way down here,...permanently! YAY! Another family member here...now if we could find a way to get everyone here, it would be perfect!

This week Aunt Tara (Nick's sister) and I took the kids for another mall trip. Not bad this time. We used the quad stroller this time and they did awesome. We only had to leave because it was time for them to eat! IT did take us a while, however to load the stroller in the car...we couldn't figure out how the heck to get it closed....we did figure it out...after about 15 minutes...in the hot Florida sun. Thank GOD for air conditioning!

We also took them for a trip to the park......................never again............not until they are able to walk! We thought it would be a great idea.....play on the swings, slide, rest on the blanket and play......did I mention that we live in Florida, and it is hot......and we have FIRE ANTS??? We must have put the blanket on top of a mound...there were ants everywhere! SO, here we are with no stroller, because it wasn't too far to walk, in the hot sun, a ton of stuff to carry, ..........and did I mention the FIRE ANTS. Aunt Tara got bit on the toe. Ouch! The kids didn't seem to mind everything as much as we did. We'll try the park again in about a year and a half!

Mommy finally took a much needed mini vacation as you saw in the previous post. I went to Orlando with my Quad Mamma buddies. We had a great time! Thank you to my wonderful husband, awesome Mom and Dad, and Amazing sister in law Tara for keeping things in line while I was gone....you are all the BEST!

As far as what's new with the kids: They have started to copy everything that you do. It's so cute. Sarah is trying to sit up all ready...go figure, the last one to roll over, but may be the first one to sit up. Either that or she is gonna have some killer abs! Luke and Lily are crawling...BACKWARDS! They'll get it soon I hope! Ava is gonna be trouble, I can feel it coming. She is so deliberate, I swear! They are all teething. Lily and Luke seem to have it the worst. As a matter of fact, while I'm typing this, which seems to be taking hours, I have to keep going in (it's nap time) to soothe them every 5-10 minutes because they can't sleep....they are is so much pain. I feel so bad for them! Poor Babies!

I hope I didn't forget anything...as scatterbrained as I am!

Enjoy the pictures and videos!

Until Next Time!
Kelly

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I've Got All My Sistas With Me!!

"What's the first thing you did when you found out you were having 4 babies?"

After the shock wore off, each of us got online and googled "quads." One by one we found each other…THANK GOD WE DID!!

We quad moms have an incredibly special bond. We have spent countless hours chatting with each other online and on the phone. A day does not go by when our in boxes aren't full of funny, frustrating, tear jerking and loving emails addressed to the group. We have seen each other through our pregnancies, NICU stays, health scares and countless moments of triumph and hours of desperation. We have shared our stories, good and bad. We cheer each other on and pick each other up when the going gets tough. We have found strength in numbers and as a group we can solve any problem.

A few months ago Casey and Jac sent out an email that would forever change us all. They were bound and determined to organize the "first annual quad mom get away!" They were not going to take "no" for an answer and were willing to do whatever they could to help each and every one of us make it. Yes, they are that sweet and wonderful!

This past weekend our trip became a reality. We quad mommas, from all over the country, flew into Orlando, FL. We spent the weekend effortlessly bonding and enjoying each others company. Seeing our best friends for the first time in person is one of those things that words cannot describe. Each and every woman was even better in "real life!"

Not every single one of us was able to make the trip, however the turn out was AMAZING! Those of you who missed this year, we can't wait to see your smiling faces next time!

Casey and Jac, THANK YOU SO MUCH for coming up with this idea and for not taking "no" for an answer. It was truly one of the best weekends of our lives and we can't wait for next year!

In the words of sweet Sandra, "I'm so glad I had quads…it gave me all of you!"

In true Quad Momma fashion we took tons of pictures, here are just a few...

Official First Annual QuadMommas 2009 Shirt Front

Official First Annual QuadMommas 2009 Shirt Back

Orlando will NEVER be the same...

Front row (L to R): Jenny Burkett, Moni Graf, Kelly Trullinger, Casey Gerwer, Gen McNulty, Suz Steece, Misty Urech
Back row (L to R): Jenna Walker, Sandra Cochran, Jac Tubre, Charity Donovan, Beth Walker

Not pictured is Nicole Golden who is living in the ice age and does not have a blog...YET...we are working on corrupting her. She was not able to join us until later in the trip (some other ladies were already back home).

Thank you to all the husbands, family members and friends who made this trip possible. We could never have done it without you!.

7 Months Old - Happy Mothers Day

First I would like to wish all Mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day. I now have a better appreciation for what you all have done for your children and what hard work and dedication it takes to not only be a mother, but a good mother!

This week has started to become a little more challenging. I believe they are all starting to teethe! They are whining and crying a lot and chewing on their hands and fingers ans drooling like crazy! Poor babies. I wish I could do more for them.

They are all doing well otherwise. They are all eating well...YES I said all! Lily has finally got the hang of it! She is finally eating from a spoon! Yay for Lily Bug! Sarah has not rolled over yet, but we are still practicing. She likes to lay on her side now...which is new for her. I swear she is trying to sit up though. She may be able to sit up before she rolls over. Luke is such a happy baby lately, the teething thing aside. He just smiles and laughs all the time. He has the cutest contagious laugh! Ava is just Ava. So independent. She wants to do what she wants to do and you can't make her do something she doesn't want to do! She is still scooching her way around!

We also went in the pool a couple of times this week. They really seem to enjoy it, it keeps them calm, and they go down for a nice LONG nap. We are going to try to change up their feeding schedule a bit this week. We are trying to go down to 4 bottles instead of 5, but with more in each bottle of course and we are going to add lunch to the menu. We had been doing breakfast (cereal & fruit) and dinner (vegetable). We'll see how it goes!

They are all still growing great. Their weights are
Sarah: 13 lbs.
Luke: 17 lbs.
Ava: 11 1/2 lbs.
Lily: 15 1/2 lbs


Also wanted to let you all know that you can now leave a comment without becoming a registered user. I didn't realize that you could do that before. You can leave a comment, but please sign your name so that I know who you are. We love to see comments!

25 to 27 Weeks Old

I know, I know, I'm falling behind in posts, but there is so much to do and so little time to do it....and when I have time, I just want to sit on my butt and watch a little TV...is that too much to ask? I has been a busy 3 weeks! Every week is busy, I guess.

Let's see....first I went to the doctor and had bloodwork done and found out that my thyroid is still a mess, we still trying to get that regulated. So, they've uped my dosage and I get more bloodwork in 6 weeks....we'll see.

In all of these posts, I need to mention how hard Daddy has been working to bring home the bacon! YEAH DADDY!

They kids had another wellness check up. They are doing well. They have grown a lot.......

Sarah - 11 lbs. 8oz. and 24 1/4 inches long
Luke - 15 lbs. 14oz. and 26 1/4 inches long
Ava - 11 lbs. 8oz. and 24 1/4 inches long
Lily - 15 lbs. 4oz. and 26 1/2 inches long

They look great!They have began eating Stage 1 foods now. They all seem to like it, but Lily is having a hard time with it...she wants to eat it, but doesn't know how to swallow it....in good time, I guess! Lily rolled over! How exciting...now if only Sarah would do it! She did it once, but it was definitely a fluke because she hasn't done it since!

Ava also had an appointment with the Gastroenterologist (GI doctor). He said she looks wonderful and he took her off of Prevacid and switched her to Zantac, thank God! It has been a pain to get the Prevacid because it has to be compounded and there aren't lot of places around here to do it, so we had to drive a ways to get it! She is still on the Reglan, but they might take her off of it, the next visit!

Nana (Nick's mom) flew in for a week to visit. She had a wonderful time and was a big help! We went in the pool for the first time. We forgot to take pictures though. We were all in the pool with a baby, that's why! No free hands.....we'll get some next time. Nana and I also took them to the mall. We had a lot of fun this week and it was sad to see Nana leave! We'll see you again soon!

Aunt Tara (Nick's sister) will be coming in for a visit on May 11th! We are very excited to see her and show her the new things we have learned!!

A Special Note: Please keep Great Granny "D" in your prayers...she had a pacemaker put in last night...she is doing well, but prayers never hurt! We love and miss you Granny!
I promise I will try to keep things a little bit more up to date!

Enjoy the pictures and the video.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com