Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Milestones

The other day a friend asked me what I thought was the biggest milestone the babies had reached so far. Of course, sleeping through the night was a biggie, but I think for me, the biggest milestone happened when the babies were about 8 months old. About this time several things happened. First, the babies transitioned to two naps per day, and I was able to get all of them on the same schedule. They ate at the same time, played at the same time and slept at the same time. Until that point, there really wasn’t a time of day that I could count on having some time for myself to get things done. Around 8 months the babies became a lot better at eating finger foods, which meant that meal times could be managed with less help. It was also at this age that the babies started crawling and scooting, which meant that they could entertain themselves a little bit.
About 8 Months Old: Kyndall, Rustin, Kaydence, Ryder and Kassidy

My friend also asked what future milestones I was looking forward to. Here is a list of the ones that came quickly to mind:

Top Ten Milestones I am looking forward to in 2009

1—The ability to eat with a fork and spoon
2—Talking
3—Talking in sentences
4—Old enough to be allowed into the Nursery at church (2 more Sunday’s to go!)
5—Ability to drink from a regular cup without dumping the contents into lap
6—Kyndall gaining enough weight to face forward in her carseat
7—Being able let them out in the front yard without all of them immediately heading for the street
8—Ability to walk up and down stairs (without looking like they are going to tumble to the bottom at any moment)
9—Ability to put on clothes by themselves
10—Switch from parallel play to more interactive play with each other

You might have noticed that "potty trained" is NOT on the list for this year----I don't think I will be able to brave that one until 2010!!

In other news….my mom was in town this week and we had a great time! As you can imagine, with five babies I don’t get out of the house much because. It is wonderful having my mom here because with an extra set of hands, we actually can get out. During this visit, we planned an outing every day---we went to Sam’s Club (twice), the mall, IKEA, the outlet mall, and lunch at Chili’s. We don’t actually accomplish a lot of shopping on these trips because people stop us to ask questions about every three feet, but we really enjoy just getting out----and it makes the day pass amazingly fast! Below are some pictures from her visit:
Eating Chick-fil-a at the Mall foodcourt: Kaydence, Kyndall, Ryder, Rustin and Kassidy

Eating Cheerios with bowls and spoons for the first time: Ryder, Rustin, Kassidy, Kyndall, Kaydence


Waiting for a Table at Chili's: My friend Halli, my mom, Kaydence, Kyndall and Kassidy

Me (Rachelle) with Ryder and Rustin



Kassidy checks out the toddler plate they brought out---the cherries, orange, olive and cheese were arranged in a smiley face




Riley on the new stilts "Mimi" (what the kids call my mom) brought him


Kaiya



Kassidy--the next American Idol



Kaydence



Rustin wearing the earing he stole from Virginia




Kyndall



Ryder kissing the baby doll (or maybe he is trying to eat it...)


While my mom was here, we tried to take a group shot of all the babies. They were not very cooperative, so this is the best we could do!

Kaydence, Kyndall, Kassidy, Ryder and Rustin

The boys: Ryder and Rustin


My favorite shot from the group picture attempt!


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20 comments:

Tobi said...

I love the last picture. It looks like they are playing WWF Smackdown with each other.

Karen said...

I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your family with us. All of the kids are absolutely adorable and I love seeing them grow up-- Riley and Kaiya too!

Cikmin said...

hai rachel..i loves this blog so much..and the babies too...

Stephanie said...

I didn't realize the babies were almost old enough for nursery. Time flies! That will be so nice for you!

Selene said...

I can totally agree with you on the potty training thing. With one of our kids (cough, phoenix, cough), that first year of potty training was way more work than slapping a diaper on him.

Anonymous said...

I am amazed that you can get any group shots at all...all I usually get with my one is a blur running past the camera or an empty chair where there used be a toddler!

Great post! I to am looking forward to many of those milestones for my little guy!

Stephanie said...

Wow..they are getting so big!
Good Luck on your 2009 lists..you can do it!!
I bet that was so much fun to have your mom here!!

Julianne said...

They are sooo cute--all the kids! I especially love the one of the "next American Idol." So fun!

Unknown said...

What a challenge with 5 babies, wow!!!
Congratulations because they are all wonderful, and if they all sleep at night... well, for me that is already a fantastic achievements!
bye
Luca

Shannon @ Lifelong Impressions said...

The last photo is my favorite too! I hope the babies meet all the milestones you are looking forward to in record time. Yay, for two more weeks!!!! I'm feeling the pain already with my twins being 9 months & my hubby usually working on 2/3 of Sunday's.

Melissa said...

I still check in on your family several times a week and I am always happy to see an update. This particular update was darling! I loved all the cute pictures and getting another special glimpse into life in your house. And I agree- nursery is a great milestone! Hopefully the babies will do great in nursery and you will be able to really sit and listen to Relief Society. :) Congrats on a year of great milestones and another great year already in the making!

Melissa :)
www.withasmile.wordpress.com

The Queen Vee said...

Your favorite picture is my favorite picture.

I hope you're pouring cream on Kyndall's cheerios.

It was fun to see a picture of Halli.

i think you've set some pretty agressive goals but if anyone can achieve them it would be you and the quints.

Potty training, whew that's a biggy, yep put that one off.

I sent you guys a Christmas card a month ago, it just came back. I put your old address on it, I thought we had updated it but I guess not. I think I'll transform in into a Valentines card.

Love you all
Auntie Vee

Anonymous said...

Group shots are rough! I always appreciate your "attempts" - they look good to me! Does the nursery have enough room for all your munchkins? They might need to call MORE leaders! Curious why you look forward to forward-facing Kyndall's carseat? rear-facing is 5 times safer for children between 1 & 2 years old. They are 75% less likely to be injured in an accident if they are rear-facing. And they are more comfortable RF-ing too! =0)

Dorinda said...

So cute! I love all the pictures :) I especially love how you've done all the girls hair - so sweet.

Rachelle said...

Nanny-Lu--

It is not so much Kyndall facing forward that I am looking forward to (although it will certainly help her to see videos on long trips!). It is more what it means---that she will be closer to a healthy weight for her age. She is kind of a little peanut right now and could use a little more meat on her bones!

Anonymous said...

Aww, I see. Well I commend you (for following the law) and keeping her safe by rear-facing until she reaches 20 lbs, rather than assuming she's "close enough". *I'm a big time "car seat geek"*

melanie said...

Whoohoo! Getting out of the house is an awesome feat! So is taking a shower every day : )But, your hair always looks great, so your further along than I am : )
Melanie Segalla

Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke said...

cute, fun pictures!

Crazy Granny said...

Fun!

Tiare said...

So I was looking at your pictures and I noticed that you still have the babies hanging up on the window from their birthday! I liked that!