Hooray for Seth!! And another big prayer request for him

I cannot wait to get this little guy home! Last night I got to give him part of a bottle and he did great! Not great enough to come home yet, by any means, but the therapist was happily surprised at how well he did and how calm he was with his mommy.

I got choked up talking to him, thinking back to how very, very sick he was, and how a couple of times we thought the Lord might be taking him imminently. My gratitude is just overwhelming. Once again, thanks a million times over for all your prayers and thoughts and concern! It's indescribably wonderful to see him so happy, fat and healthy. He still works at breathing much more than his siblings at home ("retracting"), but he just looks and looks into my eyes or at the pictures on the wall or the lights in the hallway, can follow an object and even turn his head to do so, and just does the same things they do at home! I even thought I caught a little smile once in a while. And his cannula is like Gracie's, so no more big ol' apparatus on his face, although he still has the stomach tube going in his nose.

Which brings me to the prayer request: The medical staff is trying to determine if it's better to (1) send him home with the tube, (2) put in a gastric "button"/stoma through which to feed him directly into his tummy, or (3) get him to full bottle feeds.

The problem with the first option is he is gagging/vomiting up his tube twice a day on average, which requires care replacement and verification that it is in the right spot (and not down his trachea into his lungs!!), plus increases the risk of him aspirating some of the milk into his lungs as he coughs and sputters, which of course can lead to aspiration pneumonia. Needless to say, pneumonia in his compromised lungs could be deadly.

The problem with the second option is that the surgery to put in the stomach button/stoma/hole will require he be re-intubated, i.e., a machine will have to breath for him and he'll have a tube down his trachea again, which will cause some damage to his already machine-damaged lungs, which of course could set him back. They hate to do that as he's doing SO well right now. However . . .

The problem with the third option is that it may take him a LONG time to work up to full bottle feeds, both because it's a lot of work for him to breath and suck and because he has a strong gag reflex very common in babies who have been intubated for so long.

The neonatologist coming on duty for the next two weeks will be the one to make the decision, in consultation with the other specialists and us, of course. We would love, love, love to have Seth home during the first half of January, but we don't want to in any way rush him or do anything harmful. So please pray for wisdom and for God's favor to continue to rest on our little blond boy! I keep praying the staff will LOVE him. I think they do.

He is so pudgy and has more hair than all the other babies combined; it's just bleach-blond so can hardly be seen in photos. I will try to take some good ones today. :)

All the others are thriving, despite minor colds again. Thank God the rest of us are well, including Isaac! I love to see his faith in asking you all to pray, and I love to see the Lord's answer. It's good to have the usual goofy, energetic Isaac back again.

Love and gratitude - to God be the glory, as always!
Carrie


Some older pictures of Seth from this past week and the week before (sorry if they are duplicates):

How CUTE is this pudgy shoulder!?

Now the others at home:

Will smiling and kicking away!

Marcie on Christmas day "all dolled up" (thanks Shauna and Sharon!)

Gracie's turn to be the dolly I got to dress up! Thanks to Jan and Diana for this headband.
It was a warmer day that day, before Christmas, hence the bare legs.

Will seems to enjoy group baths in the big tub the most

David, helping hold his own pacifier. He's starting to do the same with the bottle!
He loves to smile and giggle, and both he and Will are really into cooing.

Seth going off vapotherm!

I (Gavin) just got back from delivering milk to Seth.  I couldn't stay and hold him, since we've got sickness in the house and they don't want me or anyone who's been exposed to stick around the hospital.  They were about to reduce him to 1/2 liter airflow and to just a regular cannula instead of the vapotherm (the main difference with vapotherm is that it is heated air).  Also, they are going to try to start him on bottle feeding!  We've been wondering what kind of breathing and eating support Seth may need when he comes home.  We don't know, but we really pray that he will learn quickly to bottle feed so he doesn't need a tube put in his stomach for feeds.  The fewer tubes that we have to deal with, the better.  That's our point of view, at least.  We'll see what God's is. :)

Isaac's prayer request

Isaac has been sick for the last couple days with a low fever, sore throat, etc.  He asked me today to post a prayer request on the blog for him.  I forget his exact words, but he said he knows how God likes to answer prayer and has seen how He has done so many other times for us.  Thankfully he's been getting good rest at night and eating decently well.  Thank you for your prayers for our little bud.  Please also pray that the babies don't get reinfected.  We've been strict with Isaac that he sanitize his hands every time he leaves his room, which isn't very often right now.

The "witching hour" is in full effect in the household.  Each baby has been really rough to get to bed in the evening hours-- exhausted, but refusing to sleep.  Lots of fun.  It's a really good thing they're cute. :)

Carrie is amazing.  I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but watching her with the babies is wonderful.  She is so full of love for them even when they're screaming and un-soothable.  She has incredible patience with them-- so much deeper than I'll ever have after 200 years of parenting.  She reads about the babies: how to help them, what stage they're in, what they can and can't do and why, etc., etc.  She is the mother of mothers, but will disagree when she reads this.  I am SO thankful that I'm going through this whole experience with her.  Not to minimize the enabling of the Holy Spirit through this all, but without her around I'd be in the loony bin, padded room, shackled, straight-jacket . . . you get the picture.  Of course, if she wasn't around, I wouldn't have quintuplets.  I'd better sign off here.

Gavin

Merry Christmas!

It's officially 6 minutes into Christmas Day as I write this. My amazing volunteer, Barbara, is just now emerging from the nursery; God bless you, Barb!

Some pictures we took a few days ago; Seth's will follow tomorrow, I hope!

We will probably never get a picture of our whole family posed right and looking the right direction.
Plus, Isaac was in Iowa and Seth is at Children's.
Left to right: Gavin, Will, David, Marcie (the least happy to be stuffed in a stocking), and Grace

These two pictures (above, below) seem very Norman Rockwell-esque to me.
Everyone is doing something different, with very varied expressions.

That's a yawn from Marcie, not a scream, thankfully!

Will and David - don't you love Will's fat belly? He did NOT fit in his Dollar Store stocking!

David looks a bit scared by Marcie, who in turn looks shocked/scared by something off camera

Marcie was definitely not into this photo shoot. Grace was a content little princess who looks VERY much like a Peterson, I think! (Do the other Peterson's/Heisler's agree?)

The whole adorable home crew. We are blessed! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Marcie's outfit

I'm trying to point out that it says "My First Christmas" on her shirt, but it didn't come through.

LOVE the headband - thanks, Jan and Diana! (She wore one from Shauna and Sharon tonight)

Helping Daddy write his blog post a few days ago. He's pretty darn smitten by his darling daughters!

Christmas Eve with multiples

How amazingly adorable, beautiful and wonderful are these stockings??!! Thank you, Jennifer!!
I absolutely adore my new fireplace mantle. Thanks also to Mom Jones for the decorations! :)

Isaac got to open one present tonight. Will played the Christmas elf. ;)

Aunt Pam, Gracie and me - note the sling, ready to receive a fussy baby. My, the food was GOOD! My mom rocked that menu with my dad's shopping help. I just kind of showed up to the table.

Isaac, Gail and David (a.k.a. "fussy baby")

Cute pictures; Seth update

First, Seth is doing so well, praise God! He's down to 2 liters, 35-37% oxygen, sleeping peacefully when I called, with a doting nurse on duty. :) Thanks for praying him home with us!

Some recent pictures:

David has THE CUTEST little nose grin! That's Marcie next to him.
They are the two most often confused with one another, especially when in identical swaddles.

David ("I still live with my parents")

A snowy scene and money tree for the start of the quints' college funds!
 (It's $125, $25 being the amount to open an account for each child.)  Thanks Ken and Courtney!!
This picture was taken at their house last night, so THANKS Robin, Judy and Gail for allowing us to go baby-free! Yesterday was so non-stop with baby needs I was pretty desperate for the break.

Link to news story

Tonight's CBS news clip on the quintuplets can be found here: Duncanville Family Prepares For A Quints Christmas « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth.  We feel they did a good job overall.  It's amazing how little of a several minute long interview actually gets into a story.  The only small mistake in the story is that when they are naming off the babies quickly with their corresponding pictures, Marcie and Grace are switched.  Just to keep you guessing . . . .  You can see the video below, but the link takes you to the text with a little additional information as well as another picture.

We are in the news tonight

Unless some breaking story intervenes, the quintuplet story should be featured tonight on CBS 11 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area at 10 PM.  Just FYI.

Little joys

Gavin here.  I haven't posted anything for a while, but I'm alive and well.  Thanks for the prayers for me as I was laid low by a flu/nasty cold for a few days.

I've had a lot of fragmented thoughts running through my head for several days that I wanted to write down.  Hopefully the pieces fall on the page in some sort of understandable order.

Little joys.  I've been thinking about that term, that idea for quite a while lately.  It manifests itself in so many ways in our lives right now.  The obvious ones: Will, David, Marcie, Seth, and Grace.  Isaac.  The not-so-obvious little joys (to those not in our house with the babies): a finished bottle, a great baby-burp, a full night's sleep or a restful day due to an army of volunteers, a quiet nursery, a house filled with baby sounds (from both ends), a full stinky diaper.  Yes, especially early on, we really celebrated when evidence of a healthy digestive tract was demonstrated by each child.

We're celebrating our babies and baby-ish things in this household (I admit, there are times when I just hold my head in frustration and think about crying).  These babies are sure giving me a more intimate and raw perspective of the Christ story.  The almighty God of this world bent so low as to incarnate Himself in the body of a tiny, helpless baby like one of my three little boys.  What?  Why?  They can't talk!  They can't really do anything without our help!

Oh, the strange and awesome wisdom of our Lord.  This Jesus experienced a full life just as we each do.  He knows firsthand a stubbed toe, an incredible sunset, the joy of family, the smell of baked bread, the painful loss of a friend.  He knows temptation to sin.

How amazing and humbling to know that He lived His whole life without sin, yet was tempted just as any of us.  Can you imagine how incredibly hard it would be to successfully resist every time you are tempted to sin?  Sinning is easy-- resisting temptation, that's when things get tough.  Jesus had a tough life.

This baby, this Jesus, to give His Father glory, lived perfectly to be the only sufficient sacrifice for sin.  He died a cruel death AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD to pay for the sins of those who believe in Him alone for their salvation.

He was a little joy in a manger, but the joy he brought that night is unimaginable.  The greatest joy the world can know.  Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?  GOD IS WITH US!

He came.  He lived.  He died.  He lives!  Let us embrace the truth of our salvation and live to give God glory for what He has done!



My more recent favorite Christmas song is Bebo Norman's "Born to Die."  It is a beautiful song worth having in your collection (his whole Christmas album is very good, along with his other music, too).  It speaks of the angels rapt in wonder as they see the King of Heaven choose to be born as a baby to die.  Here are the lyrics:

They never knew a dark night
always had the Son's light
on their face
Perfect in glory
Broken by the story
of untold grace...
come that day

Majesty had come down 
Glory had succumbed now 
to flesh and bone
In the arms of a manger
In the hands of strangers
that could not know
Just who they hold

Chorus:
And the angels filled the sky 
All of heaven wondered why
Why their King would choose to be 
Be a baby born to die

And all fell silent 
For the cry of an infant,
the voice of God
Was dividing history
For those with eyes to see,
the Son would shine
From earth that night

Chorus:
All the Angels filled the sky
And I can't help but wonder why 
Why this King would choose to be
Be a baby born for me
Be a baby born 

Be a baby born to die 

Bridge:
To break the chains
Of guilt and sin
To find us here 
To pull us in 
So we can join in Heaven's song
And with one voice around the throne

Chorus:
All the Angels filled the sky
And I can't help but wonder why 
Why this King would choose to be
Be a baby born for me
Be a baby born 
Be a baby born to die

---------------------------

As a father of six (SIX!?) children, the reality of what our Great God has done for us is hitting
me deeper and deeper.  The pain of losing a child has to be incredible-- unspeakable. I have been reflecting on the events in Connecticut over the last few days. Unspeakable. I think of what I would say to the mothers and fathers of the victims. I don't think there is anything TO say that would help. I can only picture myself hugging them, crying with them, sitting with them-- but no words could I say to plumb the depths of their sorrow.

Yet God is good.  In the midst of the tragedy and pain of human sin, He is present, He is good.  He never changes.

May the truth of the Christ child-- God with us-- be alive and well in you in this season and throughout each year as you experience your "little joys," whatever they maybe.

From the daddy of five little and one medium joy, 
Merry Christmas!

Seth better again!

He's back down to 3 liters/minute flow on Vapotherm cannula only. I'm holding him right now, so happy he's with us here on earth and wanting him to come home and join the party!

While Seth won't make it home in time for Christmas, we know he is on the mend and will be with us, Lord willing, for Christmases to come. I keep thinking about and praying for the families who won't have their little ones with them this Christmas, including those devastated by the Sandy Hook Elementary mass murder. I cannot begin to fathom their agony - it's too painful to even go there in my mind with our precious 2nd-grade Isaac as a "what if?" All I can do is pray for supernatural comfort and peace beyond comprehension to enable them to bear their grief (I love the verse about God daily bearing our burdens.) Isaiah 40:11 is a verse I've prayed many times: "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." It seems so appropriate for this tragedy. Those parents and families need His gentle care.

I also think of my little cousin Per who is with Jesus and doing just fine while his family here misses him every moment.

And then there are my beloved friends who would love so badly to have a child on the way or already here and IN the way this Christmas. For the first time in 6 years I was able to sit through a Christmas concert 2 weeks ago without the sad ache and longing of secondary infertility.

My friend Donna was sharing how difficult the holidays are as there are so many reminders of her two grown sons who've both gone to be with The Lord, and I know my best friend Heather's family would give anything to have her beautiful smiling face and gentle spirit with them as they celebrate.

I could go on and on - more and more names and faces come to mind, including friends' beloved spouses who are sick or already gone. I will try to be faithful in praying for all these! It so easily could have been us this Christmas, a Seth-sized hole in our hearts and family. THANK YOU once again for caring and praying!

"There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep."

Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke true. :)

Will

Marcie

David (yes, I covered his arms after taking the picture)

The sole hold-out, Grace, who delighted me by shortly thereafter falling asleep. :)

(Marcia, did I get their afghans straight? I love them! Thanks again!)

More cute home pictures

The boys were wearing matching outfits after their tub bath, and my dad thought they needed a girl in-between them ("a rose among the thorns"), which Gracie was okay with until Will starting trying to suck on her cheek. However, she had been licking his shoulder during the bath, so it was all fair in the end. :) 

Will's like "What? What'd I do?"

Grace is off her cannula for 8 hours/day now! It's fun to see her face without it!

Two steps back for Seth

Poor Seth got the other babies' cold. I'm pretty sure I brought it to Children's from home - I should have just stayed away! It's so hard not to see him, though! He's doing fine, thank God, but did have to go two steps back with breathing support: back onto CPAP, and back up to a setting of 5 vs. 4. His chest x-ray and blood gases looked good, though, so we certainly thank God this isn't a devastating lung infection, just a simple cold. He sneezes and coughs and has a runny nose and needs a bit more tracheal suctioning (which CANNOT be fun for him!), but he was fat and happy yesterday when I visited. He was 10 lb 4.4 oz! Wow!

Here are some cute pictures:

I think this is the day, if not the moment, in which I infected him. :(

Look at those trusting eyes!

Pictures

It's 12:30 a.m. and Patty and Sharon are still in the nursery soothing babies. THANK YOU GOD for all this help!! It's not even remotely possible I could be doing this by myself, especially today as Gavin is really very sick. We'll get him to the doctor tomorrow if he's not significantly better. So thanks for praying for the babies to settle and for Gavin to feel better and for the Lord to continue to provide all we need. I know 6 weeks is supposed to be the worst, and that's what they are, adjusted age (from due date). This hours-long evening fussing will not be missed when it's over! But they are still precious, darling babies for whom I am very grateful - even when I say under my breath, "Just go to SLEEP!"

Rub-a-dub-dub, 4 quints in a tub! (Notice the G-rating I did on Gracie since she wiggled off the modesty wash cloth!)

David smiling at his swinging toys. He can really get this rocker rockin'! Those legs pump furiously!
The girls are the same. 

This grandma of triplets (who looks way too young to be a grandma!) can outpace me! :) Thanks, Caren!

Katie graduated and I got to be there! She's happily married, and I love her proud hubby, too. 

An amazing wreath Robin made for Seth's alcove at Children's.
The first time he saw the twinkling, flashing lights he immediately stopped crying!

So precious! Seth with his grandpa's hand on him

A good example of the fussy 6-week period as illustrated by Seth, who has the most reason to be fussy, after all!

Jones family Christmas, minus Seth. :( Mom and Dad Jones left today for CA, sadly. Thank you for all your work!!!

It's 1 a.m. and all is well

. . . I think/hope/pray! Will FINALLY fell asleep! He's joined David in the nightly fussiness-and-awake-for-hours round and has even surpassed his brother's record (somewhere around 11 p.m. being usual).

I had a WONDERFUL day at my sister's graduation and family celebration following! Thanks for making it possible, Caren, Wendy & Co., Karen and Lynn!! Your gracious gift of your time and hard work allowed me to have a sense of humor and the refreshment I needed to deal with the baby boys tonight. :)

Seth needed to go back to 4.0 liters per minute flow rate on his Vapotherm. Bummer. Thanks for continuing to pray for him. He's doing so much better than we had been told he probably would at this point, so we remain very encouraged, but he still needs lots of healing.

I will have to post bathtub pictures of the at-home quints/quads and a photo of David smiling tomorrow, assuming I remember to do so. I can't locate them right now. Weird.

Time for bed!!!

Love,
Carrie

Seth is even better!

What a happy day, for which I praise God! He was down to 3 liters/minute of flow and 35% oxygen with lovely oxygen saturation levels for most of the time I was there today. The respiratory therapist says he's getting so close! He can come home on tube feedings, so we don't need to worry about the whole learning to eat thing in the hospital. He'll be able to work on that at home. He really wanted to nurse today, which was encouraging and special for me! He couldn't actually do it, but he definitely has the idea and loved the comfort of it. I want him HOME. Even though tonight wasn't the easiest baby-wise, they are all still so precious and generally happy. We lined them up in the tub and bathed them - pictures tomorrow.

I was just reminded this evening that my sister's graduation is on Sunday at 11 a.m. - I am so forgetful these days! If maybe 3 people are available from 10:00 to about 2:00, I sure would love to go to that. Obviously my family is going to be there, so I can't call on them. :} Sorry, I realize it's Sunday and so many of you go to church. If I can't go at least my sister will know I've tried!

Also, we have two volunteers coming at 2:00, but if I do make it to the graduation and someone can stay later, I'd love to go out to eat with the family to "celebrate" afterwards. That would just be icing on the cake, though. :) I am already more blessed than I ever thought possible! (Gavin actually has a chance to fly with someone tomorrow afternoon, so I can't take that away from him.)

One last thing: I should clarify that the masked volunteer in the photo yesterday hadn't gotten her flu shot, hence the mask for a two-day visit. She already had the DTaP or TDaP or whatever it's called. :)

Love and greatest appreciation!
Carrie

Doctor's visit pictures

. . . from the babies' 4-month-old well-baby check-up. They're less than 6 weeks adjusted age, but were born more than 4 months ago; amazing! He's always been faithful. I want to watch the slideshow again (posted back in mid-October). They've come so far in just these past two months!

Grace was 1 lb 12 oz at birth. She's now 7 lb 15 oz with a lovely layer of soft fat over her whole body! She's off the cannula up to 8 hours a day now! Marcie is 8 lb 11 oz, Seth is over 9 lb 8 oz (that was 4 days ago), David is 10 lb 1 oz and Will is 11 lb 10 oz - that's 9 pounds heavier than he was at birth as our largest preemie! God is GOOD!

The babies think it's exhausting to visit the doctor! Ready to head home now. Left to right: Grace, Marcie, Will, David.

Someone with twin girls gave us matching girl carseats and someone with triplet boys gave us matching boy carseats. They are all virtually unused and the same make and model so are interchangeable in the 5 bases (which, for those of you who don't know, remain in the car, secured by a latch system or seat belt. The baby seats just snap in).
How cool that God is obviously in the details of our lives! :)

All loaded up, heading home. It was wonderful to have a lovely helper along with all four babies.

Seth OFF of CPAP; other fun stuff

Seth is now on Vapotherm high-flow nasal cannula and actually has been for 2 days. (This update is very belated, as is any sort of thing I need to sit down to write.) His nurses say he seems happier with the reduced breathing assistance. We are praising God, of course. The end really seems in sight now! I well remember the Vapotherm stage of the other babies now happily playing/sleeping/eating around me. :) He's receiving 4 liters per minute of oxygenated air (mid-40%'s); when he gets down to 1.5 liters he can start trying to bottle feed. He's already receiving therapy to help him associate sucking with pleasure. He's also receiving occupational and physical therapy. They read to him, play with him, note his progress in various areas, test his reflexes and development, etc. He sure is able to push up with his arms and hold his head up and follow an object.

All the babies are enjoying the activity mat with its hanging toys. Seth loves his mobile. They are getting more and more fun, cooing, vocalizing, even starting to smile socially from time to time (Will, David, and maybe Gracie, so far). They are sleeping about 5 hours at night, hooray! They also went back to sleeping better during the day. I think many of you must have been praying!!

The army of volunteers continues to amaze us. We are SO inexpressibly grateful!!! We even took our volunteer to the doctor's office with us today. She was invaluable! First time we've taken all 4 out. That got some attention, needless to say. :)

All are gaining weight beautifully and are nearly completely over their colds. Thanks for praying! They are eating so much more easily. It's like they figured out what to do and woke up enough to actually do it. Except Marcie; she's ridiculous. We have to feed her on the changing table to keep her from dropping off immediately in our arms! (See last photo.)

Sorry, I forgot to take a photo of Seth when I was there last. I'll try to get some cute ones tomorrow!

Love and gratitude,
Carrie

Will in a Christmas suit with his Marmi (Gavin's mom)

Gracie held her own paci!

David really needed this bath after a major blow-up

It's a good thing Marcie is so cute; her sleepiness during feeding times is inconvenient!

Yay, Seth! Yay, God!

Seth is now on a CPAP setting of 4! The next step is high-flow humidified, oxygenated air (Vapotherm). Hooray!

Love this link one of you sent me, below; Lord willing our story will mirror theirs (minus the pink tutu), although it would be wonderful if Seth only has to be on supplemental oxygen for a few weeks or months and not 3.5 years. We are certainly praying that way as we want to return to PNG as soon as possible!

 http://www.amylsullivan1.com/2012/12/from-over-three-years-to-under-thirty.html

Being suctioned :(

The babies were awake from about 4 until about 11 p.m. yesterday, miserably tired yet unwilling/unable to go to sleep. We did all of the following, often together: swaddling, feeding, bathing, pacifier, shushing, white noise, rocking, bouncing, finally getting a couple to sleep, only to have a couple others re-wake them!!! I was definitely not the happiest child of God, being "suctioned" of my junk - in this case, impatience and selfishness. Thanks for continuing to pray for us. The babies, too. It's hard to see them so miserable. I don't think it was due to the remainder of their cold; they just decided sleep was overrated! I pray tonight is better. The afternoon and night before were great, and Gavin and I even got out on a date, so I realize these things are passing. "Light and momentary troubles," as the Apostle Paul put it. :)

Will demonstrating what we need more of around here; preferably in their beds! :)

On the changing table of life

As I was just changing David following a warm bath and bottle, watching him shivering but still looking at me trustingly I was reminded that in many ways we are on God's changing table. He is changing us and conforming us to the image of Christ, He promises, and we need to trust that even when the wait and the process is uncomfortable (like David feeling cold) the outcome will be for our best! Even when God uses the suction bulb to remove the junk that REALLY needs to go in order for us to be fed, as when the babies have to be suctioned so they can breathe to swallow their milk, it's obviously very unpleasant at the time (the babies do NOT look trustingly at me during that!! They close their eyes and SCREAM!) but the end result makes us so much better. Then we can calmly suck our nourishment and drowsily, peacefully fall asleep in His arms. That's how we grow, just like babies. :) Sleep and eat. Rest in God's care and be nourished by His Word either on our own or in community.

Romans 8:32 and 34 says: "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (2 Peter 1:3 also says He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.) Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was RAISED - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."

So as I lie on the changing table of life, I KNOW that my Savior, who took the penalty for my sin by his death and who allows me access to the Only God of Creation by his resurrection, continues to intercede/mediate/"pray" for me. I just need to look trustingly at him even when shivering, screaming about a situation I do NOT like, or just feeling insecure. I'm more secure than I can imagine, much more than any baby ever is on any earthly changing table with the most loving of human parents standing right there keeping watch.

May you also see the Father's gracious provision of all you need - including eternal salvation - through His Son, Jesus Christ.

In His grip of grace,
Carrie

Anyone game?

We have no help signed up for this morning (it's 1:31 a.m. Saturday as I write). Thank God for night volunteers, but handling 4 babies who are still struggling with their little colds can be a real challenge for even the two of us. :} So if the Lord should lead you to our front door, dear Lotsahelpinghands baby care volunteers, we could definitely use your helping hands! That way I could get some sleep and also get up to see Seth at the hospital. :) Thank you to everyone for prayers and help and generosity in every way!

Love,
Carrie

Still sick, but cute!

Thanks for praying. They are holding their own. Seth is down to a CPAP of 5 and oxygen requirement of 35% last night!!! Thank you for continuing to pray for him. And as always, thank you for all the many lovely things you are doing for us or sending to us. We are honored and humbled, as always!! What an incredible support team. I'm averaging about one acknowledgement per week, so if I don't get back to you before the quints are 5, please know how very grateful we are for your thoughtfulness. :) Life is VERY busy, needless to say, and there is no way I could do this without the army of helpers around me. I love how they love my babies!

Some pictures:

They are all starting to hold up their heads and look around.
Grace with Aunt Pam

Seth in his favorite snoozing spot - an automatic bouncing chair

David in the same brand of chair at home

David and big brother Isaac watching the picture slideshow on TV - actually, David is watching the world go by!

Will also watching the world quite contentedly from his Boppy "arm chair"

David is so grown up with his strong neck and observant looks - again with Aunt Pam

Marcie seems to be either asleep or about to fall asleep - as in this photo.
If she were an only child she would be EASY! :) Thanks, Jan and Diana, for the head bows!

Gracie showing off her head bow and her cannula: "This is my cannula and I am not ashamed!"
She had an excellent pulmonologist report, praise God, and we are starting to decrease her time on oxygen each day.

Will cuddling with a wonderful new friend we've met on this journey!
Not sure if I should use her name without permission. :}