Progress. Progress. 4YO Update.

I wanted to be there fully, completely for each one.  

I wanted to be able to hold them until they stopped crying.

I wanted to listen to them with undivided attention.  To hear what they had to say without any distractions or input from others wanting my attention.

I wanted to make sure I knew what their favorite book was.

I wanted to make sure they weren't worried about something that they never had a chance to bring up.

I wanted them to feel like they were an only child... if only for a few hours.

So I did....

I took each one to their four year old check up individually and had a lunch date afterwards.  It sucked up a whole week for me and I got nothing else done, but I loved every minute of it.

BRIELLEN JEANNETTE

29 lbs - 6%

38" - 16%

Out of the five, she is the only one to get a not so glowing review... because she hasn't gained weight since December.  The doctor thinks that it's because she was sick so much and that by getting the ear tubes, she will start eating more and gain weight.  I'm not so sure... this girl is STUBBORN!  It is like an act of congress to get her to even try a bite of anything new.  Plus, she has stopped eating peanut butter, so I am SO worried that she will not gain the weight she needs to when we go back to the dr. next month. 

Nothing makes you question your parenting ability than a child who is not growing like they should... ugh!  ANY advice on how to feed a picky child is greatly appreciated!  I think I've tried everything, but maybe the wise moms reading this will tell me something I've missed!

When I asked Brie where she wanted to go eat, she said Mexican.  So we tried a new place called Alicia's in Cypress... Awesome food!  

Even though she asked for Mexican, she would only eat queso...

I wish... I could get this girl to eat more food!!

IVY ELIZABETH

36 lbs - 60%

40.5" - 68%

My big girl.... Just like her mama, she likes to eat!  Seriously a snacky girl.  She would eat all day long if I would let her.  We are still on a strict-ish eating schedule, so I don't spend all day in the kitchen, but this girl will ask for something to eat in between all meal and snack times.  NOW I know why mom's let their little ones chew gum!  

Bookstore to get new books... (After this trip, I made getting a library card a priority.)  Am grateful that my kids like to read, but sheesh, $15 for a book!?!)

She wanted chicken strips french fries and lemonade, so we went to Willie's Icehouse.  (It's funny, they ALWAYS think they want lemonade, but HATE it when they drink it.)

LUKE HARRISON

34.5 lbs - 33%

39.5" - 16%

Still my serious one, but has a silly side that I find SO endearing.  

He chose Mexican food... To mix it up I took him to Gringos (love!)  He's my tortilla guy and will eat a million!  Gringo's has self serve ice cream and he was in chocolate heaven!  
Hi. My name is Luke. And I am a chocoholic.  He tells me a story involving chocolate everyday.  (He is borderline robot-oholic as well.)

Green is still his favorite color.  If you ever wondered how powerful a parents influence is on a child, this is an example... His color was green when he was a baby, so everything he has has been green.  Even after giving him plenty of opportunities to change colors as he gets older, he still chooses green.  Four out of the five are this way.  

MITCHELL THOMAS

35 lbs - 38%

40.5" - 56%

Silly, silly boy. Constantly making jokes and laughing his big belly laugh!

(No makeup for me this day... rough night the night before.  Not a rough night as in having a good time, but rough night as in being woken up a million times in the night for not very important reasons... Someone had the nerve to wake me up in the middle of the night to ask me to get them a book!!! Excuse me, but I. don't. think. so.)

Once Luke let it out of the bag that Gringo's had ice cream, there was no other option of where to have lunch, no matter how much I tried to convince him otherwise.


Mitchell makes up for any picky eaters that I may have.  He can EAT!  For the amount of food he eats, he should be huge!  

SIDNEY ALUN

28.5 lbs - 4%

37.5" - 10%

Our sunshine girl.  Always happy. Always wakes up with a smile.  Always eager to please.

Even though she weighs less than Brie, she is steadily gaining weight.  She eats EVERYTHING, but like a bird. 

And here we are back at Gringo's....  

Ice cream!

I was amazed at how SHY each of them were at the doctors office.  They had to do small tests to make sure they were developmentally on track.  Like "stand up, clap your hands, then sit down"... to make sure they could follow directions. Not ONE of them would do it!  So bashful.  I just begged the doctor to take my word for it!!  I can't help but think this is because they are always together as a group.  Once again, I ponder the dynamics of being a quintuplet and how it will affect their personality.  

It is so easy to get caught up in worry about their development, their future... Am I doing things right? Am I doing things wrong? Am I going to screw them up because I didn't do this or I did do that?  Do I have the right parenting style? Am I too strict? Too laid back?  AHHHH! 

I then have to just take a deep breath and remember that I am not in charge... These are God's children and they will turn out perfectly the way He wants them to either because of or in spite of what I do!

-P.S. Uncle Neal... YES they desperately needed a haircut and YES I have since taken them.  :)