All about Ella

Since February is a month that is all about love. I thought this would be the perfect time to blog about each person individually in our family. So I decided to start with Miss Ella Grace. She was the first born, and the gatekeeper during the 28wks and 5 day pregnancy. Little did we know she was going to be the smallest, yet the quickest to leave the NICU. You go girl. Plus she had to show her brothers who was still boss. I can remember the first time we were told I was pregnant, not even knowing at the time there were four lives growing inside me. My first thought was, I was pregnant with a girl at least one. The reason I say at least one, is because I had a gut feeling I was pregnant with more that one baby. OF, course quads never crossed my mind, but how blessed we are to have be chosen by God to be the parents of quads. Funny thing was she was the last baby we find out the gender for since she would never "show herself off" so to speak. That's the way to make your daddy proud. I remember just laying there while the technician kept trying and trying to find out her gender. Then Dr. Reiter came in to finish the ultrasound, and within one second says, baby A is a GIRL. I was so happy. One reason was because Haiden and Kennedy kept saying to us please let their be at least one boy and one girl. I was really starting to think Kennedy might not get her wish of having a baby sister, but as you know she did. It is so sweet to see those two together. Ella's face just lights up when Kennedy comes to hang out with her.

Let me back some: so we find out 1girl & 3boys. We had already had her name picked out. Actually her daddy named them all. Ella Grace, we thought was sweet, soft and an angelic name. Boy, we couldn't have picked a better name for her, because from day 1, that is exactly who she is. She never really moved much in my stomach, just enough usually to get comfy. We had a big scare with her very early on. I started bleeding pretty heavy at 12wks, I was taken straight to the ER, and had an ultrasound done, it showed Ella's placenta had a problem. Her placenta had not fully attached itself to the uterus, therefore a blood clot had formed between the wall and the placenta. Basically, two things would happen. It would dissolve, or it would completely tear off and we would lose her. Which would cause harm for the other babies, since she was at the bottom keeping everyone in. AKA:gatekeeper. Thankfully, within about 4 wks, the blood clot had dissolved, and everything progressed forward. There never was another problem with miss Ella during the pregnancy. She would always lay there and let them measure her during ultrasounds, and when I was put in the hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy she would never get off the monitors once they found her heartbeat.

Then came delivery day, she was the first out, and I kept asking is it a girl? Are you sure she's a girl, they just laughed at me in the OR. My sweet husband, looked at me and said "yes babe, she is a girl, I saw for myself". I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on her, she was so tiny, but yet so perfect. I had not been there 2 seconds before she began to cry this was so heartbreaking to hear, because she was so tiny, and it took so much out of her. I just wanted to scoop her up and hold her to make it all better, and be a real mommy to her. But I new that was not the best thing for her. The nurses had made her a hat to wear, it was white with a big yellow bow on it, bless her heart, it was as big as she was.

She was the first to do everything in the NICU, except for being held, she was second in line, she just wasn't quite ready to have her line taken out of her umbilical cord, and that was the one thing that stopped us from holding any of them. They had to have that out first and their PICC line in. However set aside from that she was the first diaper I got to change (of course it was a poopy one), first to get off her C-PAP & moved to nasal cannula, never needed surfactant for her lungs, first to be put into real clothes, first to be moved down to level 2 (which they held off from doing so it would be easier on us with them in the same place for as long as possible), first one to take a bottle, first baby that someone (Popo) got to hold other than us, first one I got to nurse, first one to be moved to open crib, first one to lose her NG (feeding tube) & nasal cannula (except for feedings), first one to go home, until Cole got word of that and decided he was going with her.

I will never forget the first time I held her, she was so small, that they had to fold 6 blankets up to put under my arm, because she practically fall through your arms. The nurse placed her in my arms, and I remember thinking, is she really in my arms? She was so light, but that thought only lasted a second, because when I looked down at this tiny little baby, my heart just melted, and I remember thinking to myself, how beautiful she looked.

Once she arrived home, still being the smallest baby of them all, she was still so quiet and laid back. She was always the last one up, and you always had to wake her. Now miss thang is the first one up. She was the hardest baby in the world to burp, and of course she had to be burped because other wise, she would projectile vomit. Even burping her sometimes didn't stop the puke from flying out of her mouth.

She still is the hardest to burp, thank goodness she burps on her own, and man when she burps it is man size burps. I have no idea where she gets that from either. And yes, she still spits up, but just very small amounts. What changed the most about her when we got her home was she is the last now to do things. Last to push up, last to roll over, last to pull up to her knees, and now to a standing position. I guess she figures, since she has all these brothers who will be raised to be gentlemen (just like their daddy & big brother), she will always be getting the "ladies first" treatment. When they are all in their seats eating solids, she just sits there quietly waiting her turn, and smiles every time she looks at someone. She has done some of the funniest things too. She learned quickly how to spit, blow raspberries, sticks out her tongue (like a lizard), burp like

a boy. My favorite things she has started doing is she GROWLS!! It is hilarious, and if you know

her daddy you would know he loves music, well she has learned to shake it. Well more like rock it, she rocks back and forth, and just smiles and growls, when the music is playing. Such a cutie.

Something very unique about her, is she was born with very blue eyes, now she has one brown eye, and her right eye is half blue & half brown. She is so sweet and such a happy baby. And just like her big sister, she has her daddy wrapped around her finger.

One thing I don't want to forget is she is no longer the smallest, she is a little chunk. She is second in line for the heavy weight division at a whopping 16lbs 9oz, however she is the shortest one.


I wanted to make sure I included a letter to each person on their individual post. I will also post a letter to each child on their birthday, but I wanted to do a quick one here .

Dear Ella Grace,

From the moment I saw the little flicker of your heart beating on that screen, I fell in love with you. I didn't know any details about you yet, but one thing your Daddy & I knew was you were perfect. When we had that scare with your placenta, you taught me to keep my faith. And almost 17 wks later a tiny little 2lbs even came into this world. I have learned so much from you in such a short time, I can only imagine what else this world holds for you, and the lessons that we will learn as we watch you grow. You have the sweetest little girl voice that melts our hearts. You were the one that kept your brothers safe in the womb, and now it is Mommy & Daddy's turn to keep you safe. I love how you look into your daddy's eye and his heart melts. I love how you smile every time I look at you, and how you give the best wide open mouth kisses. I am so grateful that God chose me & your daddy for your parents. We are so lucky and truly blessed. As your mom, I will always be here for you. I will guide & support you, and be by your side know matter what.

I love you!