We are finally getting to branch out from our lockdown! Getting to have play dates seems like such a big deal!
Thank goodness, because I was going NUTS!
First Official Play Date!
Kerri and Me
Ellie, Malachi, Elijah, Caleb, and Abby
The kids did really well and only tried to sit on Malachi's head a few times! Kerri pulled them off of him each time, so I think he escaped unscathed. Since the kids have always had to jockey for the space they need/want, they have to learn how to be gentle with kids who haven't been vying for space since the womb. My kids will just climb over each other without another thought. I'm still trying to figure out how to teach them that not all kids have experienced that...
And--Praise God!--Ellie did so well with her sensory issues! We are so proud of her for playing so nicely and not getting overwhelmed. She was tired later on, but she held it together while Malachi was over.
First Official MULTIPLES Play Date!
Laura and Me
Anna and Reed, Elijah (in the middle), and Caleb, Ellie, and Abby
(How impressive is it that Sean caught this photo of all six babies and both Moms looking at the camera?!?!)
Anna and Reed were NICU buddies with our babies last year...only we didn't know that until recently! I read an article a couple of months ago about how Laura and her husband were keeping their kids on lockdown since their babies were born at Saint Luke's Hospital just like ours were. I left a comment, one of Laura's friends saw it and told her to look me up, and a few FaceBook messages later, we were fast friends with our NICU experience and multiples pulling us together.
Since we are new to the world of germs, Anna and Reed were the perfect little people to have over. Since they had been on lockdown and our kids had been on lockdown, Laura and I knew that there probably weren't too many germs that they could share with each other. They came over to play for their first play date with kids their age. It was so exciting for Laura and I to see how our little guys would interact together. The first few minutes were spent with each set up multiples observing the other set of multiples and trying to figure out where they came from, but then they got down to the business of playing!
We also took the kids outside one afternoon this week to watch the cars drive past and listen to outdoor noises. It was not nearly the hit that the play dates were. Ellie and Caleb refused to be put down. Abby didn't want to touch the grass. And Elijah pretty much just sat there.
Grandmacita and Ellie
Grandmacita trying to take pictures while holding Caleb
This picture is about accurate for how the outside playing time went. Note how all of the kids are looking down. It was an overcast day, but apparently it was still too bright.
Cita holding Ellie and Caleb. Abby crawling right to the edge, but not touching the grass! And Elijah sitting on the blanket.
And then my good friend, Sarah, came by for a visit with her new baby, Rachel! Sarah has been at our house every week to help with the kids since they came home...until about seven weeks ago when she had her own baby. I love how quickly the kids ran over to hug her when she got here!
Rachel, Sarah, Abby, and Elijah
It's so nice to finally be able to slowly start introducing our kids to the big wide world! We are trying to take it slow and not overwhelm their little immune systems with too much all at once, but it is so exciting to FINALLY get to feel a little bit like a normal mom scheduling normal play dates for my kids...and for me! Yeah, I'll admit, the social interaction is definitely a perk!
We are finally getting to branch out from our lockdown! Getting to have play dates seems like such a big deal!
Thank goodness, because I was going NUTS!
First Official Play Date!
Kerri and Me
Ellie, Malachi, Elijah, Caleb, and Abby
The kids did really well and only tried to sit on Malachi's head a few times! Kerri pulled them off of him each time, so I think he escaped unscathed. Since the kids have always had to jockey for the space they need/want, they have to learn how to be gentle with kids who haven't been vying for space since the womb. My kids will just climb over each other without another thought. I'm still trying to figure out how to teach them that not all kids have experienced that...
And--Praise God!--Ellie did so well with her sensory issues! We are so proud of her for playing so nicely and not getting overwhelmed. She was tired later on, but she held it together while Malachi was over.
First Official MULTIPLES Play Date!
Laura and Me
Anna and Reed, Elijah (in the middle), and Caleb, Ellie, and Abby
(How impressive is it that Sean caught this photo of all six babies and both Moms looking at the camera?!?!)
Anna and Reed were NICU buddies with our babies last year...only we didn't know that until recently! I read an article a couple of months ago about how Laura and her husband were keeping their kids on lockdown since their babies were born at Saint Luke's Hospital just like ours were. I left a comment, one of Laura's friends saw it and told her to look me up, and a few FaceBook messages later, we were fast friends with our NICU experience and multiples pulling us together.
Since we are new to the world of germs, Anna and Reed were the perfect little people to have over. Since they had been on lockdown and our kids had been on lockdown, Laura and I knew that there probably weren't too many germs that they could share with each other. They came over to play for their first play date with kids their age. It was so exciting for Laura and I to see how our little guys would interact together. The first few minutes were spent with each set up multiples observing the other set of multiples and trying to figure out where they came from, but then they got down to the business of playing!
We also took the kids outside one afternoon this week to watch the cars drive past and listen to outdoor noises. It was not nearly the hit that the play dates were. Ellie and Caleb refused to be put down. Abby didn't want to touch the grass. And Elijah pretty much just sat there.
Grandmacita and Ellie
Grandmacita trying to take pictures while holding Caleb
This picture is about accurate for how the outside playing time went. Note how all of the kids are looking down. It was an overcast day, but apparently it was still too bright.
Cita holding Ellie and Caleb. Abby crawling right to the edge, but not touching the grass! And Elijah sitting on the blanket.
And then my good friend, Sarah, came by for a visit with her new baby, Rachel! Sarah has been at our house every week to help with the kids since they came home...until about seven weeks ago when she had her own baby. I love how quickly the kids ran over to hug her when she got here!
Rachel, Sarah, Abby, and Elijah
It's so nice to finally be able to slowly start introducing our kids to the big wide world! We are trying to take it slow and not overwhelm their little immune systems with too much all at once, but it is so exciting to FINALLY get to feel a little bit like a normal mom scheduling normal play dates for my kids...and for me! Yeah, I'll admit, the social interaction is definitely a perk!
Good for you doing a play date! Small steps are big accomplishments in the world of multiples I'm sure. Funny that the quads are used to crawling all over each other. Makes sense, I just saw one of mine "hit" another in the face during my last ultrasound, lol.
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