Baby Stuff Showdown

***First, let me begin this entry with the disclaimer that the information given in this blog is strictly my opinion.***

As the mother of seven children, five of those being quintuplets, I have had the opportunity to try out and compare many different baby products. As a statistician, I always thought my dream job would be to work for Consumer Reports, where I could just run tests on all kinds of products to see which ones were the best. Unfortunately, time did not permit me to run any scientific tests and collect data for these baby products, but I thought I would share my opinions anyway---based on my personal experience.

DIAPER GENIE vs. DIAPER CHAMP

Winner: Diaper Champ

I have used both, and the Champ is far superior. Both of these products seek to minimize the pungent aroma of dirty diapers in the nursery, and as far as that goes, they are about equal. The Diaper Genie requires special bags (not cheap) and more effort than the Diaper Champ. With the Champ, any bag will do and it is very fast and easy to use.

ENFAMIL FORMULA vs. SIMILAC FORMULA

Winner: Enfamil

To be fair, Enfamil is supplying us with a year’s worth of formula for the babies, which is an incredible savings for us, so of course I am going to be a little bit biased on this one. Similac has a similar program for quintuplets, so I did get to choose in the beginning. With Riley and Kaiya, I found that Enfamil mixed up better, smelled better, and caused fewer stains than Similac. Let me also say that formula must meet strict dietary guidelines, so nutritionally, all brands are essentially the same. Also, with my older two kids we regularly used the Target Generic and the Carnation brands and I liked both of those as well.

CRADLE SWING vs. REGULAR SWING

Winner: Cradle Swing

Although the cradle swings are more expensive, I think they are worth the extra money! My babies like the side-to-side motion of the cradle swings MUCH better than the forward and back motion of the regular swings. The cradle swings can actually be rotated to rock either direction.

HUGGIES WIPES vs. PAMPERS WIPES Winner: Huggies Wipes

Huggies wipes are softer, more cloth-like and easier to get out than other brands. I personally like the fragrence-free ones the best.

MYLICON DROPS vs. GRIPE WATER

Winner: Gripe Water

Both of these products are remedies for gas and tummy discomfort. The Mylicon drops are made of simethicone (think Gas-X for babies). The gripe water is an herbal formula. For my babies, the Mylicon drops didn’t seem to do anything, but the gripe water worked miracles---especially for Ryder in the early days. The gripe water box says that it can also cure hiccups, and amazingly it does! Supposedly it can also cure hiccups in adults too, but I haven’t tried that yet.

AVENT BOTTLES vs. DR BROWNS BOTTLES vs. PLATEX DROP-INS BOTTLES

Winner: Playtex Drop-Ins

Nearly all of the bottle packages claim that their bottle can do everything short of curing cancer and creating world peace. In my experience, I did not notice a difference in the brands as far as air intake and reduction of colic and gas. Here are the Pros and Cons of each bottle that I found:

Avent: Pros: Easy to read numbers on the side Cons: more leakage problems

Dr. Browns: Pros: Easy to read numbers on the side, no leaks, nice shape Cons: extra parts to clean

Playtex: Pros: come in all five of my colors, disposable liners mean fewer dishwasher loads, heat quickly in water Cons: measurements are harder to read, buying liners can get expensive

As a sidenote: Target makes the best generic liners for the Playtex bottles and they do go on sale every once in a while!

HUGGIES DIAPERS vs. PAMPERS DIAPERS

Winner: Pampers.

My all time favorite diapers are the Pampers Swaddlers (Pampers premium diaper line). They are soft, rarely leak and have minimal graphics on them. However, they are a bit more expensive, and when you multiply things by five it really adds up, so I actually use Huggies (at Sam’s Club the Huggies box contains nearly 50 more diapers than the Pampers box for almost the same price---that’s a whole day and a half worth more!) As far as generics go, I haven’t had any luck finding a generic brand that I really like. I definitely notice a difference in leakage when I use the generics.

A few other baby products I wouldn’t want to live without:

Crumb Catcher Bibs (Baby Connection brand from Walmart)---these are the best bibs ever. They bottoms snap up to form a little pocket (the crumb catcher). The pocket sticks out a little ways so it actually does catch most everything. When the baby is done, the bib unsnaps flat so that clean-up is easy!

Lavender Lotion: I use this on my babies every night before bed and they love it! The lavender scent is very relaxing.

Beanie Beds: Someone in Arizona gave me these and they were so wonderful for the first four months. They gave the babies a cozy, more comfortable place to sleep, since they have to be on their backs.

Precious Moments Classical Music CD: We turn this on every night when we are doing the bedtime routine. The music is very soothing and relaxing.

Baby Bjorn: This really wasn't that useful for the quints, but when I had Kaiya, it was a lifesaver! It is very easy to get the baby in and out of (vs Snugli brand which was nearly impossible for me---this was a few years ago, though, so they might make them differently now).

PS---I wanted to mention that the fabulous facelift my blog received is due to Hilary Keegan. After seeing the pictures on my last post, she generously designed a new layout for me. I love it! Thanks Hilary!!

Baby Stuff Showdown

SIX MONTHS OLD!!

On January 31st, the quints officially turned six months old! It is amazing how fast time flies! Six months is such a fun age. They are very interactive and have such cute personalities. They are starting to discover the world around them, but aren’t quite mobile enough to cause problems. A couple of the local news stations ran stories the week of the babies’ six-month birthday. Check out Jayson’s blog for links to the news stories. One of my favorites was when the anchors from KEYE came to do a volunteer shift with the babies.

Ryder, Kaydence, Rustin, Kyndall and Kassidy loved watching themselves on the news. Kyndall was worried that the camera would add ten pounds to her petite figure and Ryder was concerned that his quotes would be taken out of context, but in the end, all the babies agreed that the stories were pretty good.

Now that the babies are six months old, we have started using the high chairs for their intended purpose---feeding! Solid foods have gotten mixed reviews from the babies. Ryder and Kaydence can’t seem to get enough. They love everything I have tried on them. Rustin is starting to get used to the idea of eating baby food, though for some reason he would rather lick it off of his bib than eat it from the spoon. Kassidy and Kyndall want nothing to do with solid foods. We think we have made some great progress with Kyndall because she has stopped bursting into tears at the mere sight of a spoon.

Look how perfectly these five high chairs fit along the back wall of our kitchen! It is a good thing we didn't have six...

Kassidy's face pretty much sums up her feelings about solid foods.

I consider it a small miracle that for the first six months of their lives, the quints managed to stay totally healthy! Despite the fact that we have so many people coming into the house and Riley and Kaiya bringing home germs from school, their worst ailments were a few stuffy noses. This past week, however, has been a different story. A week and a half ago Kaiya caught some kind of virus that included a couple of days of low-grade fever, runny nose, sneezing and coughing. Despite my best attempts to keep her away from the babies during that time, the sickness quickly spread to other members of the family. I really can’t complain too much, because as far as sicknesses go, this one was pretty mild. However, having a bunch of sick babies around certainly made life interesting!

In honor of the babies six-month birthday, my friend, Kristen Duke, who is a fabulous photographer, came over to take pictures of the babies. My grandma (the babies great-grandma) was in town visiting so we also took some "Four Generation" shots with each of the girls. Kristen took the picture at the top of this post, as well as the pictures that follow. Check out her website at: http://www.kristendukephotography.com/.

Great-Grandma Rappleye with Kassidy, Rustin, Kyndall, Ryder and Kaydence

Ryder

Kyndall

Rustin

Kaydence

Kassidy

SIX MONTHS OLD!!

One Year Ago Today....

It was exactly one year ago today, on January 23, 2007 that we learned we were having quintuplets. I can still vividly remember being in the doctors office and watching the ultrasound monitor as the doctor found five beating hearts. What a year it has been! It is hard to believe all that has happened to us. We feel amazingly blessed by all the love and support that has been given to us throughout this year.

The Wilkinson Quintuplets nearly a year ago

(I don't have pictures from the very first ultrasound---I was in too much shock to think of asking for some!) Although I don't know for sure, I think that A = Kassidy, B = Kyndall, C = Ryder, D = Rustin, E = Kaydence

The Wilkinson Quintuplets today

Kaydence, Rustin, Kassidy, Ryder and Kyndall

Perhaps in honor of the anniversary of our knowledge of their existence, the babies slept amazingly well last night! Kassidy, Rustin and Kaydence slept ALL THE WAY through the night! Hurray! Kaydence woke only once and Ryder woke twice, but both babies went back to sleep after being re-wrapped in their blanket and patted a few times. I think it is a miracle. After last night, I actually have hope that my Christmas wish (of one silent night) might actually come to pass sometime before they all move out. Over the last month, we have been working on “sleep training” the babies. This basically involves teaching them to self-sooth and fall asleep on their own. After the initial training, they have been pretty good at going to bed at bedtime and naptimes with minimal fussing (most of the time). We used several books as well as advice from other parents of multiples to come up with our sleep training plan.

Some of the books we used were:

“Sleeping Through the Night” by Jodi Mindell

“Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems” by Richard Ferber

“Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Marc Weissbluth

We most closely followed Jodi Mindell’s plan---she is considered by some to be a “kinder, gentler” Ferber. We did a similar training with our older children (who are still both great sleepers) so my books are older editions. I noticed that both of these authors have new revised editions out.

One Year Ago Today....

Frequently Asked Questions, Set 2

Ryder, Kassidy, Kaydence, Kyndall and Rustin

Below are answers to all the questions that were asked in the comments of my last blog.


Q: Does having all girls K and all boys R make your mommy brain go crazy?’

A: Not yet. Ask me again when they are all two, getting into everything, and I am constantly using their names----I might change my mind then!


Q: How does your stomach recover from a pregnancy like that? Those of us with singletons complain of the pizzadough tummy....how do you shrink your skin back?

A: You don’t!!! My doctor says the only way it will fully recover is with a tummy tuck. I definitely have the “pizza dough” tummy. My scar from the c-section is down on the bottom and everything kind of lops over the top of that. (Sorry if that was more detail than you wanted!)


Q: Did you attempt nursing or pumping or anything like that? What was that like?

A: Yes, I attempted to pump after the babies were born but my milk never really came in. At best I was getting about 2 oz out at a time. For the first month, the babies were getting about one bottle a day of my breast milk. By about 2 months, my supply had dwindled so that I was only get out 20 mls (that’s about 2/3 ounce) out at a time. At that point, I finally had to “throw in the towel” and give up. I felt bad about it at first because I really wanted to give my babies the advantages of breast milk, but I eventually came to terms with the fact that my body couldn’t produce milk and adequately take care of five babies!


Q: Do you plan on having anymore children?

A: No! We are happy with what we have!


Q: What's a typical day like in your house?

A: The answer to this question would be a post all by itself! I will answer in an upcoming post.


Q: Do you ever get a chance to have time to yourself? What do you enjoy doing? Shopping, reading?

A: Thanks to some really great friends and volunteers, I do get to get out every once in a while and do things! I love to shop, read, go to movies, go out to eat, etc. In my previous life I was a recipe junkie, and I liked to try new recipes. My favorite person to shop with is my mom, my favorite books lately are the Twilight series (that is about all I have had time to read since I had the babies), my favorite movie that I have seen recently is “Enchanted”, my favorite movies of all time are “Pride and Prejudice” (the long A&E version) and “While You Were Sleeping”, and my favorite place to eat is The Cheesecake Factory.


Q: I'm wondering if there are companies who donate stuff to you?

A: There are a few companies who have programs for multiples. If you send in the babies’ birth certificates, they will send you a few coupons. Babies R Us will give a 10 percent discount for buying two or more of the same item at the same time (only for big things like cribs, strollers, high chairs, etc.). Most of our donations have come from people, not from companies. Enfamil is the exception—they have a “helping hands for special kids” program and they are sending us formula for the first year. This is a HUGE help to us---it saves us about $800 per month since the babies are on a preemie formula that is more expensive and doesn’t have generics.


Q: What comes to mind when you think about them all going to college?

A: Since I am planning on them all being child geniuses and getting full-ride scholarships, I am not too worried about it. Just kidding. The financial aspect of having seven kids, five at the same time, is a little daunting, but we will just do the best that we can. And we will hopefully instill a good work ethic in our kids so that they will be able to work and help pay for their education!


Q: How do you have enough time for each and every one of them individually?

A: I try to make sure that I feed each of the babies at least once a day, so I can have some one-on-one cuddle time with each of them. I also get to bath each of individually (we do baths every three days). Right now my whole day is pretty much devoted to the babies, so I don’t think it is so hard to give each one some individual attention. As they get older, I think it will become more difficult. I have a harder time making sure that I give my older kids the attention they need.


Q: I have twins, and find it hard to bond with them as individuals. Have you felt a bond yet? Or are you still in "survival" mode?

A: I feel like I have bonded with each of the babies. Their personalities are all so distinct and different, that there is something different to love about each of them.


Q: I am currently 31 weeks pregnant with triplets and wondering what your doctors did to make you feel comfortable other than the hydrotherapy, mine has proscribed a massage therapist?

A: Wow—a massage therapist would have been nice! Other than they hydrotherapy in the hospital (and the swimming pool at home) there wasn’t a lot more they could do. I used lots of pillows to sleep with and they put these funny balloon things on my legs to help with the swelling. My aunt gave me a foot massage almost every day, which was wonderful.


Q: I know with three my cravings have gone out of control, was wondering what some of your favs. were & if you were able to get them in the hospital.

A: It was really ironic that while I was pregnant and on a 5000 calorie/day diet where I could eat anything, that I really didn’t crave or want a lot of my usual favorite indulgences (most of them involving chocolate). In the beginning of the pregnancy, I craved Jack-in-the-Box milkshakes, but those got old pretty quick. By the end of the pregnancy, the only thing I really craved is potatoes---baked potatoes mostly, but also mashed. I ordered a baked potato nearly every day with my meals in the hospital.

My cousin, Heather, came for six days to help with the babies. We tried to take advantage of the great weather by going on a walk.

Solid foods here we come....

These high chairs were generously given to us by my mom's Naperville, IL friends at a "Quint Mimi" shower. Don't they look great? They fit perfectly along the back wall of the kitchen---that is until the food fights begin. So far we haven't utilized the chairs too much for feeding, but that will soon change.

Kaiya's preschool gave a little concert this week. She was expecially excited about this number, where they got to wear sunglasses.

During the middle of the performance, Riley lost his first tooth! What timing!

Frequently Asked Questions, Set 2

Frequently Asked Questions, Set 1

I get asked a lot of questions, so I thought I would dedicate this post to answering some of the most common ones. Feel free to make a comment and ask any other questions, and I will answer them in another post.

Q: How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant with quintuplets?

A: Totally shocked and very scared. After the initial shock wore off, I kind of went into denial. The doctor had said that it was very common for one or more of the fetuses to spontaneously abort during the early weeks of the pregnancy, and I kept thinking that I would go back for another ultrasound and there would no longer be five.

Q: What did it feel like to have five babies moving around during the pregnancy?

A: It was very cool to feel the different babies moving. I expected it to feel like a major cat-fight was going on in there all the time, but it really didn’t. I think that space was so limited and I was stretched so tight, that there wasn’t a lot of room for movement. I could feel the babies move individually, though. The most interesting feeling was when a couple of them would get hiccups at the same time.

Q: How much weight did you gain during the pregnancy?

A: I gained a total of 69 lbs. The doctors wanted me to aim for 75-100 lbs, so I got pretty close. My total girth was 54 inches. I am only 5 feet 2 inches tall (62 inches), so I was almost as big around as I am tall.

Q: Do the babies have middle names?

A: The boys have middle names and the girls do not. The boys are Ryder Nelson (Nelson is Jayson’s mom’s maiden name) and Rustin Curtis (Curtis is my maiden name). Wilkinson is such a long last name that we figured the girls didn’t need middle names. I don’t have a middle name (although I use my maiden name as a middle name now) and my older daughter, Kaiya, doesn’t have a middle name either.

Q: Are they all identical?

A: The fact that there are both boys and girls makes it impossible for all the babies to be identical. There are no sets of identicals in my bunch---all of them look pretty different from each other.

Q: How many babies were you trying for?

A: ONE!!! All we wanted was one healthy baby! Even using fertility drugs, the odds were high (80%) that I would have a singleton. No one in their right mind would “try” to have five! It is such a huge risk to both the mother and the babies. We were extremely blessed to have such a favorable outcome. I definitely consider it a miracle!

Q: How are your older kids, Riley and Kaiya, handling things?

A: Riley and Kaiya have been champs through the whole thing. They have been great helpers and rarely get jealous of the attention that the babies receive. They have loved seeing themselves on TV every once in a while. Occasionally they will act out, but no more than if we had had one baby instead of five.

Q: How are YOU doing?

A: Great! After the initial recovery period where I had some complications (kidneys quit working, LOTS of swelling, etc.) I have been doing really well. Thanks to the wonderful “night nanny” volunteers, most nights I get some decent sleep, which really makes all the difference.


Q: How long do you think you will need help for?

A: Good question---maybe till the babies turn 18 and go off to college??? Just kidding. I really don’t know----things have gotten a little easier now that the babies are older, can hold their heads up and can be somewhat entertained by toys. But solid foods and crawling are just around the corner and that could definitely make things harder!

Q: How do you tell the babies apart?

A: They are all different. They all look different from each other and they have their own personalities. Ryder is the most animated. He has a huge smile. He demands the most attention and would love to be held 24 hours a day. Rustin is the most mellow of the bunch. He is very easy going and can seem quite serious, but he has a great giggle. Kyndall is the smallest of the bunch and is just a very sweet little thing. She and Rustin are my “easiest” babies. She is pretty easy to please and hardly ever gets really mad. Kaydence is full of fun. She loves to smile and play. She can also be very demanding at times. Kassidy is the most interactive with the other babies so far. She occasionally wakes up from naps laughing and almost always gives a huge smile when you go in to pick her up.

My "little" sister, Tiare, who was here visiting this week.

My brother, Shane, who was also visiting. If you can't tell, one of my favorite things to do with visitors is make them take a picture holding all the babies!!

Tummy Time! Kyndall, Ryder and Kassidy


Rustin, Ryder, Kassidy, Kaydence, and Kyndall with Big sister Kaiya

Frequently Asked Questions, Set 1

Virtual Christmas Card

It's Christmastime---that time of year when we attempt to be clever and create cards to send to friends and family with photos and updates on our year. This year, we have been blessed to have the support of many people, many of which we will never meet. Since there is no way to reach all of you via the regular postal mail, I am instead posting a "virtual Christmas Card". Thank you for all your prayers, love and support and have a Merry Christmas!!!

Twas 2007 in the Wilkinson home,

A crazier year we have never known.

We started the year by selling our house,

Then went off to Disney to see Mickey Mouse.

On Jan 23rd life turned upside down,

We went to the doctor, couldn't believe what he found.

"You're expecting!" he said, "...and it's going to be QUINTS!"

And our lives have not been quite the same since.

We searched for a doctor to find the best,

Which led us to Phoenix and four months of bedrest.

We stayed near in Gilbert with Rachelle's Aunt Jeanie,

And good Uncle Rick, (who isn't a meanie.)

Meanwhile in Austin our new house was done!

But without all the help, it would not have been fun.

They cleaned and they painted, they worked without rest!

Yes, our family and friends are really the best.

Five babies were born at the end of July

At 34 weeks, their weights were quite high.

Kassidy, Kaydence and Rustin were first,

Then Kyndall and Ryder had their birth.

We moved back to Austin on September one

The life we call "normal" is really quite fun!

They're all doing well and growing up fast.

It's hard to believe how much time has passed.

Riley and Kaiya have been champs all through.

They both love to help, and know just what to do.

Riley's in second grade and at a new school,

He really likes reading and thinks LEGOs are cool.

He made a short "film" for the Reflections Contest,

The judges agreed that his was the best!

Four-year-old Kaiya loves dancing and dolls,

Dressing up pretty, and drawing on walls.

This year we'll remember—for we've really been blessed.

Thanks to friends and family, it's been a success!

Love,

The Wilkinsons

Kassidy

Kaydence

Rustin

Kyndall

Ryder

Kaiya and Riley

Virtual Christmas Card

Now Shipping!

The 2008 Wilkinson Quints Calendar is now available and orders are being shipped as they are received! To order the calendar, visit:

www.wilkinsonquints.org/calendar.html

The website has also been updated to show thumbnails of each months picture. I know I am just a little biased, but I think the calendar is totally adorable. Have you been wondering what to get for that person that has everything? This calendar would make a great Christmas gift! OK--that is the end of my calendar plug for this week.


In other news.....

This week we had a visit from Dr. Candice Park, the resident who delivered the babies. (Dr. Elliott was my primary care doctor, but I was at a teaching hospital and the residents are the ones who do the actual deliveries). She had a week of vacation and chose to spend half of it with us! We had such a great time visiting with her. I am not sure how much of a vacation it was for her, since she spent her whole time holding babies, playing with Riley and Kaiya, and making all kinds of wonderful treats.

Candice with Ryder, Kaydence, Kyndall, Rustin and Kassidy

While Candice was here, we took advantage of the extra help and pulled out all of our Christmas decorations. I just love the way the house feels when all the Christmas stuff is up! Of course putting up Christmas decorations, like everything else, takes longer when you have five babies. We were still in the process of putting up decorations on Monday, when Jayson's Aunt Victoria arrived, so she helped us finish the job.

Today was the babies four-month doctor visit. The doctors are amazed at how well the babies are doing. Developmentally the babies are exactly where they are supposed to be for their age. Their height and weight still have a bit of catching up to do, however. Here are the most recent measurements:

Kassidy: 11 lb 13 oz, 23 inches tall
Kaydence: 10 lb 8 oz, 22.25 inches tall
Rustin: 12 lb 6.5 oz, 23 inches tall
Kyndall: 8 lb 15 oz, 21.75 inches tall
Ryder: 12 lb 1 oz, 23.25 inches tall

The worst part of the doctor visit was all the shots!! Twenty-five, to be exact. Each baby had four standard immunizations and the synergis shot for RSV. Needless to say, the babies were not very happy about being poked so many times. The upside to the shots and doctor visit, however, is that after we got home and gave everyone some Tylenol, the babies took a great nap!

Now Shipping!