More volunteers are needed!

Thankfully I haven't needed to post here recently as we have had a wonderful group of volunteers help with the quintuplets.  However, we have currently lost many dedicated volunteers in the recent weeks and I am hoping to recruit some new volunteers.  If you have had interest in helping but didn't want to get the TDAP vaccine or flu shot, you can still help over the spring/summer months (until flu season next fall).  Varicella is the only vaccine still needed (or if you had chickenpox as a child then you are fine).

Our current needs are for Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday mornings (8a-1p); Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday afternoons (1p-6p); and Saturday and Sunday evenings (6p-9p).  If you have any availability to help (even if for just part of a shift), please send me an email and I can provide more details.

Thanks,
Stacey Walter
jonesquints@yahoo.com

Happy days are here again!

I realize that's a pretty terrible title for this post given the tragedies of the Boston Marathon bombings and the plant explosion in West yesterday. It wasn't until late last night I heard about West, a town we've driven through many times. I know many of you are praying for the thousands of people reeling and grieving and recovering there. My dad heard the explosion here, although he thought it was thunder at first, and our volunteer this morning said she and her husband felt the shock wave reverberate across their roof like a huge gust of wind. They live 40 miles north of West.

My title of course refers to our little home and family, happily almost completely recovered from the "light and momentary trouble" of colds. In the middle of it, with five babies and Mom and Dad sick it seems neither light nor momentary. :} Thanks for praying; David and Marcie are just a tiny bit snuffly still. And Gavin had a great trip hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains with our church's men's group this past weekend, during which time I enjoyed the blessing of many wonderful volunteers helping out. For some it was their first time to care for the babies. I really enjoyed adding them to our crazy household, and what's even better is they are coming back to serve again, hooray! :)

My title also refers to some recent super big blessings:

We had an amazing day yesterday! We took all the babies back to the St. Paul UT Southwestern NICU to reunite with and thank the medical staff there. Just being there again with dozens of the people who saved their lives stunned and awed me by allowing me to see more of a "snapshot" of how far they've come. I was so thankful and overwhelmed with gratefulness last night I just wanted to weep and kneel before the Lord with hundreds of "thank you!"s over and over again.

David was such a goofball at the hospital NICU reunion yesterday, getting his hands on any sibling or person within reach, playing up for the crowd, grinning and laughing. All the babies were a hit, and we were thrilled to get to show them off and THANK all the amazing people who cared for them so tenderly and painstakingly! Dr. Burgess seemed particularly touched by Seth, no doubt remembering how much Seth's life was in question at various times (especially when he tested positive for surfactant gene mutation).

Speaking of which, Seth has come ALIVE! His talking is more advanced than any of the other babies. Lots of babbling "bababa's" and "gagaga's" and "eb's" and raspberries and all kinds of fun vocalizations and squeals and consonant-vowel combinations. He is just amazing! He plays like crazy with anything around him, has great head and torso control, is very nearly rolling over, can sit up for a few seconds, and other fun stuff we seem to discover every day. I think he just feels SO much better! He's only throwing up a couple of times a day now, praise God! And the pulmonologist was very, very pleased by his progress in every way today. He's breathing more fully and slowly, he's growing great guns - already on the chart for actual age (8.5 months) rather than just adjusted age (5.5 months, where he ranks in the 75th percentile for height and weight), and he should be completely off of oxygen and several meds within 2 months. Both the pulmonologist and the gastroenterologist have said as far as they are concerned we could return to PNG in January. We'll see what our Clinic there says, though. Still, it's nearly flabbergasting how far Seth has come! We are awed and amazed and grateful beyond words to our Father!

Will finally got his first tooth yesterday! He and David are both rolling back to front. Gracie LOVES to laugh out loud and try to engage with her siblings. She tried SO hard today to get Will to respond to her huge grinning "ha, ha!"s but he was too interested in Grandpadad playing with Seth in the background. Marcie and David and Will and Seth are all starting to cry if we walk away, and tonight when I tried to pass Marcie to someone else she started crying and looking back at me. Uh oh! It makes me feel good, though. :)

Aziza, the sweet NICU Manager who coordinated and set up everything in preparation for the quints' birth, Dr. Warner, the very supportive and kind CEO of the UT Southwestern Hospitals who also happens to be a self-proclaimed Jones Quint blog "addict" (Hi, Dr.  Warner's 12-year-old daughter! Thanks for caring and following our babies as they grow!), and Dr. Burgess, the Medical Director of the NICU and chief doctor the day they were born - he's the one who worked on saving Will's little life and getting him breathing well! He was always our favorite doctor. :) The babies are, left to right: Will, Gracie, Marcie, David - with a foot in the air, as always! - and Seth

The plaque Gavin made for the NICU. I can't believe how far the babies have come, looking at their newborn pics!

Goofy David

We loved seeing this fire engine because of the word on the back. One of the crew explained, "It's called a quint because it has four functions." (Hee, hee. The old "quint means four" confusion reigns everywhere!)

We think Seth is drop-dead gorgeous! We think all our kids are gorgeous, though. :) We are VERY biased!

Our gorgeous kids in front of Texas wildflowers so kindly planted by neighbors for everyone around to enjoy.
Seth, Gracie, David, Marcie and Will. Note that three of the five kids are sucking on their straps. Also note the boys are in diapers only. It was a really warm day! I just hope they don't use "Skins versus shirts!" to gang up on the girls during warm days in the future. ;)

Seth today at the pulmonologist. He got a little crazy with the fun crinkling paper on the table

A little smile

Goodbye and goodnight for now! On our way home from the NICU yesterday: Marcie, David, Seth.
(The really cute one of Seth smiling turned out super blurry, bummer!)

It's a good thing you're so stinkin' cute!

Krista, a colleague and friend from PNG who wrote this poem for us, has been a volunteer a couple of times the past few days. She knows that of which she speaks! (See "Thankful to be thankful" post from Friday.)

It’s a Good Thing...

At the end of the day

When you just want to play

And you think that this game is a hoot—              

When you’re clean, dry and fed

But you won’t go to bed,

It’s a good thing you’re so stinking cute.

When I want you to dream

But you’d much rather scream

And the other four kids follow suit,

I must laugh or I’ll cry,

So I say with a sigh,

“It’s a good thing you’re so stinking cute.”

God has blessed me with you

And though life is a zoo,

You are truly my joy and delight.

But the day is complete

And I will not repeat,

“You are cute, and I love you. Goodnight!”

Such an innocent pose

When your eyes finally close

And a calmness begins to take root.

First I watch for a while

Then I say with a smile,

“It’s a good thing you’re so stinking cute!”

Krista with David and Marcie - wearing a mask trying to avoid THEIR germs, not protect them from hers!

Same two babies asleep:

Marcie found playing with her new toy from Tessa and Cora to be exhausting!

Even David eventually wears out from jumping

This is just too perfect to miss!

Two nights ago I read this in my devotions, written by one of my favorite authors. I actually thought at the time, "Uh oh, I bet this is going to be applicable really soon!" And indeed, last night happened. :} So I went back and read it again tonight:

 . . . difficulties, problems and pain are part of God's plan for our lives - to force us to an end of our own self-sufficiency and self-righteousness to the point of crying out to God - who alone is able to sustain us. 

James 1:12 reminds us that "blessed, happy, to be envied is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved he will receive the victor's crown of life which God has promised to those who love him."

God is willing to do anything to jar us out of the world's mold so that our hopes and lives center on Him. 

The eagle's flight serves to remind us about our walk as Christians. The eagle does not beat his way through the air like a parrot. Rather the mature eagle is able to mount and ride the wind currents . . . 

Isaiah 40:30-31 "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint."

Our Christianity should not be a matter of 'beating the air' but rather, a solid confidence that the Spirit of God is at work in our lives. Our experience is one of learning God's ways as we are led by God's Spirit. 

Our confidence is in the fact that He who has called us will not abandon us: Deuteronomy 33:27 "The Eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms."

- Neal Peterson, my beloved dad, to the graduating class of Lomalinda High School in the '80's

year correction

In the caption for the MSU picture of Seth I reversed the number - it should be '65, not '56! Poor Daddy, he's not that old. :)

Thankful to be thankful

Hi everyone,

Last night I felt miserable and exhausted, and Marcie shrieked from 9:15 to about 12:00, off and on. There was nothing wrong. She would stop and smile as soon as we went to check on her. Eventually I gave up and went to bed, then Gavin stuck it out on duty until she finally passed out during her night bottle (after a grand 2.5 ounces). For the first time since bringing these babies home I wanted to quit my job as mother (not permanently, just for the night). I felt really guilty and wussy about that until a saintly volunteer told me she remembers numerous times when she wanted to quit her motherhood job, and she "only" had two kids! So instead I am very, very grateful for the help we've had all along the way, all the health we've had this whole winter (until this week), and for the times I've been able to escape for sanity's sake. I haven't gotten out of the house "for fun" since last Friday night's quick date at Taco Bell. Last night I felt the closest to needing a padded room that I have in months. And you know what? My quints are 8 months old! It's AMAZING that I have had such a fabulous team of prayer and physical support to have made it this long this happily and healthily! All glory to God, again and again.

That being said, we definitely appreciate continued prayers for renewed strength and health for all of us. Also please pray that our volunteers stay healthy! We've lost a number of volunteers recently to various life obligations. Tonight was INSANE. Poor Krista got the crying-est version of the Jones quints ever! I just wrote this to some girlfriends:

"All five babies were screaming, Isaac was jumping around like a crazy person trying to entertain them all (it didn't work and added to the chaos), we were doing baths, medicating 5 unwilling recipients with homeopathic cough syrup and ibuprofen and then using The Snotsucker (NEVER a happy experience!), and finally getting each one down. It's kind of sad and kind of just life to have to let 3 babies scream for their turn in the attention line because you're doing all you can with the one or two you're working on at the time. We just don't have enough people. We'd need one for each child, and if you think about it, even when you only have one child, if they are sick you and your husband are trading off and on at night when they are at their most miserable, right? Wow, this is the ride of our lives!"

Now, some really adorable pictures of this ride of our lives:

The kids continuously steal each other's pacifiers, toys and bibs. No wonder they ALL got the cold!
This is David stealing Gracie's pacifier. That's Marcie behind him.

"My Auntie Loves Me" Marcie - LOVE the pants! Aunt Courtney has style!

Will loves the cars at the helmet place.

Everything must be tasted to be experienced at this age (5 months adjusted)

Two of the five handsomest young men on earth!
Will with Daddy

Our little Michigan State University Spartan, Seth, with matching MSU bib, thanks to Aunt Fay!
My dad played for MSU their championship year ('56?) and beyond. I still need to add the big State "S" for "Seth." 

Birthday hats for their 8 month birthday. Seth is wearing his in his bath. Seize the moment!

David and Gavin look so much alike!

Grace going crazy with her toys and explosive "Ha!"s of laughter and sound

Seth is getting HUGE thanks to goat's milk and prayer! He weighed 15 pounds 14 ounces today!

The real "April Fool"?

For writing a blog post about fake allergies, and now all the kids are sick!!! :) Yes, I have Gavin's permission to post this. I thought he was trying to delete it from our photos and he said, "No, I'm starring it!" (i.e., rating it higher as one of our best photos).

And last week I noted how extremely rare it was to have our little ones so healthy for so long, with only one noteworthy cold earlier in the winter . . . then the symptoms of this cold started the next day. But I'm still very, very grateful this hasn't been a continuous problem at our house. It's hard when they can't breathe well or sleep well because their noses are so full. (Speaking of which: BEST baby gift ever: The Snotsucker! Look it up online. Thank you, Thom and Jonelle! It's so much safer and easier to use than the traditional bulb syringes!) I've also made a bulk batch of saline solution. :)

Love and laughter,
Carrie