Seth is not doing so hot

Hi again everyone,

Thanks for continuing to check the blog, for praying and caring. Seth needs prayer still as he has had a bad night and day with lots of vomiting with mucus, weight loss (now just 1 oz above his discharge weight 3 weeks ago, having lost a couple of ounces in the last few days), and "crackles" in his lungs, which means water on the lungs. He doesn't seem to be sick, but the other babies (and Mom and Grandma) have had a touch of something gastrointestinal, so I hope and pray that's the only problem with the vomiting and weight loss. However, we're obviously concerned that Seth's lungs are getting worse rather than better. We have an appointment with the GI doc tomorrow, and I will call the pulmonologist in the morning, too.

I'm glad Seth came home fat! This was at his well baby check-up

This is so representative of our lives now, I had to include it: I am at one appointment with David and Grace and on the phone with another medical office about an upcoming appointment with Seth!

On a happier note, a British Christian women's magazine is sending a photographer to our place tomorrow to get photos for a "spread" they are doing on us. A free-lancer wrote the article from my point of view, and, well, let's just say it's very nice but not exactly what I would have written or how. I think I corrected the major inaccuracies; however, I couldn't rewrite the whole thing in my own voice, of course, and she is a good writer. This is her career, after all. :) She is a lovely woman and I very much enjoyed the interview!

A very sober but adorable Marcie and Will

The babies are SO much fun, more than ever! Sometimes I feel like I can't get enough of each one, so I put them all together on the couch and just talk and play with them. It's a total blast to get them smiling and laughing and talking back. David is the most squealingly happy, but Marcie and Grace aren't far behind, and Seth and Will have such sweet big smiles and coos and laughs too. They ALL love the interaction and conversation, even though David is the most quick to engage others with his talking and giggling. It just takes the others a tiny bit longer to attract attention since they are quieter.

Seth looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Marcie is licking Will's head. ;) Grace is just darling!

Marcie's having fun! The others smiled too, but I was never able to catch all three at the same time. 

David continues to roll over and be the most active of the babies. His very favorite things are jumping in someone's arms on their lap or being "flown" around the room on his daddy's hand. He just squeals and shrieks with delight! But when he's tired, watch out! He melts down FAST and needs his swaddle (still!) and to be put in bed, sometimes with his pacifier and sometimes without if he's just too tired to suck. He's our cutest baby boy. :)

David is helping hold his own bottle while Jen holds him

Today Will was ultra intent on rolling the clear cylinder (with interesting toy inside) on his exersaucer . Then he got obsessed with one of the upright wiggly toys on his Super Seat (the green and orange "Bumbo-like" baby seat by Summer with the toy/feeding ring inserted around it), trying to pull the toy off so he could get it in his mouth. It was adorable to watch him get frustrated! Poor guy. :) He's our handsomest baby boy and still the one who is most sensitive and easily heartbroken. He's a huge teddy bear who loves to cuddle as much as possible but also loves to stand or sit straight up while being held and watch what's happening around him. (A LOT is always happening around our babies!)

Will intently at work trying to disassemble his toy ring

Gracie had a rough week but seems to have emerged on the sunny side of the street, sitting and playing and laughing and talking and watching EVERYONE do EVERYTHING, then easily going down for a nap when she's worn out. Whew, glad that fussy stage ended! She would cry inconsolably off and on for hours, sometimes! For the first time I thought, "Okay, not ALL my babies are easy babies!" Now she's all delight again, adorable in her helmet with her little upturned nose inherited from Gavin's siblings and her huge gummy wide-mouthed smiles. She's our cutest little girl with what seems to be a super fun impish personality (Kelly, she really is YOUR baby!).

Gracie is the farthest from the camera, but this is how she spends a lot of her happy time. 
David is on the right, bald Marcie is on the left. I was bald until I was 2 years old!

David and Seth are enjoying the Baby Einstein classical music toy. They love the ball and rings especially. 
For part of the time they were holding hands - so cute!

Marcie is very interactive, but also the most calm and content when left to her own devices. She will lie on the floor for an hour or more just playing with the dangling toys above her or watching us walk around her. She's very quick to flash us a smile when she manages to catch our eye! She is ridiculously easy. She sleeps, eats, plays, sleeps, eats, then sleeps some more. She's easily scared, though, if she feels like she's falling, so she's got some additional sensitivity compared to the other babies. She is our most beautiful little girl with a sweet personality.

This is what you can do when two are hungry at once, in this case Marcie and Will. 
I love how Marcie has to hold Jen's hand!

Guess which one just woke up and which one is getting ready to go down for his nap? ;)

Seth is just the most beautiful baby boy in the world! I could fall into his big blue eyes. He has the most hair, and it's distinctly strawberry-blond like his mama's. :) He is so sweet even when distressed; he takes the vomiting, dry-heaving episodes so patiently. He'll awaken out of a sound sleep with a loud cry which means he's got lots of bubbles in his tummy that need to be vented, so we have to be ready to jump up to do that ASAP. He loves his baths, he has a darling crooked smile, he's doing great with tasting foods and breast milk, and he's saying "ma" and "ga" which I hear from the speech therapist is a good thing (consonants with vowels). He loves nothing more than to be played with in our arms or held up on our chests, looking over our shoulders to the wide world around him. Everything is very interesting to him! He also enjoys playing with dangling toys and is very good at it. :) At our well baby check-up a couple of days ago Jen managed to get him laughing hard. Adorable!

Seth with cute little rabbit ears - although again he looks more like a deer caught in the headlights!

I love each of these babies equally. I can't imagine living without a single one of them. I can't imagine raising them without all the amazing help we are getting right now! It's impossible to truly enjoy all the magical moments when I am overwhelmed and sleep-deprived, so I am eternally grateful to God for His provision of so many wonderful people to help in so many, many ways and to pray!

"Goodbye!" - Will and David

Love to you all,
Carrie