Now we are preparing for Thanksgiving. We surely have a lot to give thanks for, first of all, the Lord who has been so faithful to us this past year. We are always grateful for our families, wonderful friends and the greatest therapists.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
End of October report
October 25th Manna’s best friend, Detti, came from Hungary with her little toddler girl Hannika (she is 5-6 months younger than ours). They stayed for three weeks. Let me tell you these three weeks were like an Oasis for me. We went through so much though. Staph infection and yeast have been a constant battle for us. Especially for our girls who have passed it back and forth. Well, this time I came down with Mersa. It was really tough and it’s God’s miracle that nobody got it from me.
Having Detti my friend here meant so much through these difficult times. Cliff and Debbie helped a lot with homeopathic ideas. If you are in a similar situation we are happy to share about some of the remedies we have tried with them.
On Saturday, November 7th, a very dedicated team of enthusiastic ladies came to rescue us in a form of a BIG cleaning day. We tried to bleach anything what the kids came in contact with. Again, it was one of the warmest days in November so our deck looked like a huge garage sale with all the kids’ toys and books. Thank you so much again ladies and your children.. We could not have done all this without your help! It was also a neat day of fellowship.
Having Detti my friend here meant so much through these difficult times. Cliff and Debbie helped a lot with homeopathic ideas. If you are in a similar situation we are happy to share about some of the remedies we have tried with them.
On Saturday, November 7th, a very dedicated team of enthusiastic ladies came to rescue us in a form of a BIG cleaning day. We tried to bleach anything what the kids came in contact with. Again, it was one of the warmest days in November so our deck looked like a huge garage sale with all the kids’ toys and books. Thank you so much again ladies and your children.. We could not have done all this without your help! It was also a neat day of fellowship.
One by one two year old quints
Let us tell you a little bit about each kid.
Annabelle is still strong willed, yet becoming a compassionate little munchkin who is so much better about sharing. Well, sometimes. She is the one who has not started to talk yet so she is going to get some awesome services through First Steps, which we love in our family. Annabelle has quite the Teddy bear collection. She calls them “Maci” that stands for bear in the Hungarian language. Among all of them probably she is the most thankful and she needs one on one time with us everyday. So a few weeks ago she went with us, mommy and daddy and we visited Holliday Park ’s awesome botanical trail and playground. She loved it. She is very obedient and loves to help for the most part.
This fall Annabelle started swim lessons, which she loves but because of the yeast problem we had to discontinue for a while.
Hanna, she is probably the most advanced in both languages. She puts two or three words together in either language. She can say “Jesus loves me” or “peanut butter”, “nose wipe” etc. She is still a book lover. She is also strong willed yet very sensitive so when we discipline her it gets to her through her emotions. She is like a big sister for them. She is probably the pickiest eater at least when we try new things.
Lili is our chatter box. She is still cute as a button and gets away with that a lot. She is one of the most disobedient quints. She loves to cuddle and read books. She is one of the greatest eaters (well they all are). Her absolute favorites are avocados and muffins. Lili loves music and sings melodies back the way they sound. In fact they request music very often. She very bubbly and still our social butterfly. We love to hear her “stories”. She goes around and keeps labeling things until I understand what she means. It is the cutest.
Mate/Matthew made the biggest catch up we could ever dream of. Our three weeks Hungarian break did really good for him. Ever since then he is labeling things, imitating, repeating unusual words after us. We only have to patch his left eye an hour a day b/c his lazy eye made progress. He only need a little bit of assistance and he walks with us hand in hand. Also the boys are becoming best little buddies which is so fun to see. Mate’s favorite thing is to climb on everything. He feels like such a big boy when he is on top of the slide. He still loves balls and they make him so happy. One funny story about Mate and Detti’s little daughter Hanni. They had a “love story” going on during their three weeks of visit. It was so hilarious to watch them as they followed each other everywhere. They stroke each other’s faces and even kissed each other under the table. Mate is so loveable and Hanni surely noticed this. Who would have thought that she will pick Matthew as her best friend over our girls. Conclusion we have to watch Mate.
Tomi is still our charmer and teaser as well. He loves technical things. He is very systematic and organized. It’s amazing that even this age they can be so precise. We are working on his “play skills” b/c as the “product of his environment” he doesn’t sit down to play with toys but he grabs them and tries to seek out a “safe” corner where his sisters can’t get to him and leave him alone.
He loves spending time with us in the kitchen. Tomi is very obedient. Boy, we only have to look at him with a certain look and he knows how to correct what he is about to do. He is very compassionate and comforting to his siblings. Very sweet to watch… We love Tomi’s adventuresome curiosity.
Group dynamic
They comfort each other now knowing which one is crying and what they need to do to sooth the crying one. It’s sweet to see how much they care for each other. They also love to tease each other especially around the table (our 6 seater)
Hanna and Lili are like peas and carrots. The other day they were sitting on the window sill like little sparrows both reading some books.
It’s amazing to me that even at this age they can learn so much about the Bible and God through Bible stories. On Sundays Debbie and Cliff bring little flannel figures from church and they learn about Noah, Moses, Joseph, Esther etc. They also do songs. Our children talk about these Bible stories and request their favorite Bible songs. It’s so precious to see. They know what praying is and they all fold their hands around the table and say Amen. Sometimes earlier than we finish but that’s okay.
Annabelle is still strong willed, yet becoming a compassionate little munchkin who is so much better about sharing. Well, sometimes. She is the one who has not started to talk yet so she is going to get some awesome services through First Steps, which we love in our family. Annabelle has quite the Teddy bear collection. She calls them “Maci” that stands for bear in the Hungarian language. Among all of them probably she is the most thankful and she needs one on one time with us everyday. So a few weeks ago she went with us, mommy and daddy and we visited Holliday Park ’s awesome botanical trail and playground. She loved it. She is very obedient and loves to help for the most part.
This fall Annabelle started swim lessons, which she loves but because of the yeast problem we had to discontinue for a while.
Hanna, she is probably the most advanced in both languages. She puts two or three words together in either language. She can say “Jesus loves me” or “peanut butter”, “nose wipe” etc. She is still a book lover. She is also strong willed yet very sensitive so when we discipline her it gets to her through her emotions. She is like a big sister for them. She is probably the pickiest eater at least when we try new things.
Lili is our chatter box. She is still cute as a button and gets away with that a lot. She is one of the most disobedient quints. She loves to cuddle and read books. She is one of the greatest eaters (well they all are). Her absolute favorites are avocados and muffins. Lili loves music and sings melodies back the way they sound. In fact they request music very often. She very bubbly and still our social butterfly. We love to hear her “stories”. She goes around and keeps labeling things until I understand what she means. It is the cutest.
Mate/Matthew made the biggest catch up we could ever dream of. Our three weeks Hungarian break did really good for him. Ever since then he is labeling things, imitating, repeating unusual words after us. We only have to patch his left eye an hour a day b/c his lazy eye made progress. He only need a little bit of assistance and he walks with us hand in hand. Also the boys are becoming best little buddies which is so fun to see. Mate’s favorite thing is to climb on everything. He feels like such a big boy when he is on top of the slide. He still loves balls and they make him so happy. One funny story about Mate and Detti’s little daughter Hanni. They had a “love story” going on during their three weeks of visit. It was so hilarious to watch them as they followed each other everywhere. They stroke each other’s faces and even kissed each other under the table. Mate is so loveable and Hanni surely noticed this. Who would have thought that she will pick Matthew as her best friend over our girls. Conclusion we have to watch Mate.
Tomi is still our charmer and teaser as well. He loves technical things. He is very systematic and organized. It’s amazing that even this age they can be so precise. We are working on his “play skills” b/c as the “product of his environment” he doesn’t sit down to play with toys but he grabs them and tries to seek out a “safe” corner where his sisters can’t get to him and leave him alone.
He loves spending time with us in the kitchen. Tomi is very obedient. Boy, we only have to look at him with a certain look and he knows how to correct what he is about to do. He is very compassionate and comforting to his siblings. Very sweet to watch… We love Tomi’s adventuresome curiosity.
Group dynamic
They comfort each other now knowing which one is crying and what they need to do to sooth the crying one. It’s sweet to see how much they care for each other. They also love to tease each other especially around the table (our 6 seater)
Hanna and Lili are like peas and carrots. The other day they were sitting on the window sill like little sparrows both reading some books.
It’s amazing to me that even at this age they can learn so much about the Bible and God through Bible stories. On Sundays Debbie and Cliff bring little flannel figures from church and they learn about Noah, Moses, Joseph, Esther etc. They also do songs. Our children talk about these Bible stories and request their favorite Bible songs. It’s so precious to see. They know what praying is and they all fold their hands around the table and say Amen. Sometimes earlier than we finish but that’s okay.
Natasha's amazing photos
Thank you Natasha for your gorgeous pictures, your time and wonderful talent what we could all enjoy on this pleasant sunny afternoon which happened to be our anniversary.
Big thanks for Cliff and Christina for your assistance.
You can view more of Natasha's beautiful photos (many of them about families and children) at www.natashakempsonphotography.com
Big thanks for Cliff and Christina for your assistance.
You can view more of Natasha's beautiful photos (many of them about families and children) at www.natashakempsonphotography.com
Fall happenings- September& partly October
There was so much happening in our lives that updating the blog was put on the back burner. Let me summarize what we have been doing this fall before it will be officially December.
Labor day was so beautiful that we decided to take them to the Zoo. Grandma Manley, Papa Cliff and Debbie was our team and yes mommy Manna as well (she would have not missed this for the world). David stayed home to catch up with things and make some home made yoghurt.
The kids are at an age when they name everything and they get super excited about all kinds of nature stuff especially animals. So the zoo was a perfect place to take them. We all really enjoyed and learned a lot. Indianapolis has a really friendly zoo and it's easy to go around in a comfortable pace. Since it was the five of us everybody could have some special one and one time and of course we switch them up. Our toddler backpack mainly on mommy's back came handy for the fifth pumpkin.
Then October came around. The first time David and I were able to be "kids free" and left for Cincinnati for our anniversary. Oh well, I didn't count when we were both had to be gone in Hungary to straighten out some visa problems but this was planned.
Cliff and Debbie looked after them. We all had such a great time. Everybody was blessed with what they needed the most.
October 7th, which is our anniversary we took them to Lion’s Park in Zionsville. Again we were blessed with a beautiful fall day when we could take pictures with Natasha. We consider her amazing photos as their two year old pictures.
Sunday, October 18th our beloved family on David's side came to celebrate the quints 2nd Birthday with us. It was special and we captured many great moments as you can see on some of the slide shows.
Next day on their official Birthday we took them for a real walk what I mean by that is without any strollers. You know as big boys and girls walk on the sidewalk. Of course we had enough people with us. Cliff and Debbie, Kate, Elizabeth our neighbor friend, Christina, David and I. We took beautiful fall pictures.
Debbie brought her famous sugar free yet sweet muffins those were our “cupcakes”.
As far as a bigger Birthday party we kept going back and forth whether to have friends over or not. Annabelle and Lili ended up with high fever and sore throat so it’s great that we did not end up having it. Maybe when they will be older…
Thursday, October 8, 2009
last round of Hungarian Summer pics
These photos were taken at an open house in Budapest. We had a great turn out. It was so wonderful too see friends we have not seen for a long time. For most of them this was the first time to meet the Quints and even David too.
The get together was held at the appartement where I (Manna) used to live before I moved to the States and got married. So it was fun to bring the addition.
As fall is officially here it's so refreshing to view our moments captured in the pool (the name of the place is Pa'pa) where we took them. We had a great time. Used a slide. I never know if the kids or us have more fun. When we went to have lunch at the cafereria the staff gave our children a chocolate coverd waffel ("for big people") Unfortunately they picked up a stomach bug which lasted until got home into the States. At least we experienced this too...and really the first time in 2yrs. (at least we had fun).
The next updates will be right around their B'day now. We are really excited and have lots of ideas how to make it fun and celebrate God's faithfulness in our life reflecting on the two years behind us.
The get together was held at the appartement where I (Manna) used to live before I moved to the States and got married. So it was fun to bring the addition.
As fall is officially here it's so refreshing to view our moments captured in the pool (the name of the place is Pa'pa) where we took them. We had a great time. Used a slide. I never know if the kids or us have more fun. When we went to have lunch at the cafereria the staff gave our children a chocolate coverd waffel ("for big people") Unfortunately they picked up a stomach bug which lasted until got home into the States. At least we experienced this too...and really the first time in 2yrs. (at least we had fun).
The next updates will be right around their B'day now. We are really excited and have lots of ideas how to make it fun and celebrate God's faithfulness in our life reflecting on the two years behind us.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Visit with the active adults
The quints grandma works with the elderly. She is in charge of fun events and activites for the local elderly club.
These retired folks keep up with what's happening with us so we could not miss out on making a trip down there to see them.
They loved on the kids. You can see it in the pictures huged them, crawled after them, spoiled them with chocolate filled goodies (before lunch). Just look at their smiles. They wrapped each other around each other's fingers if it makes sense :)
It was so precious to see all these old people who are young at heart forgetting about their pain and problems. They were just playing with them. If we would not know the number of their years we would think they are only children who love receiving love and attention.
I love to see generations bonding. It's one of the neatest things in today's world.
P.S. The club is getting ready to celebrate a lady member who will be 100 years old this fall.
These retired folks keep up with what's happening with us so we could not miss out on making a trip down there to see them.
They loved on the kids. You can see it in the pictures huged them, crawled after them, spoiled them with chocolate filled goodies (before lunch). Just look at their smiles. They wrapped each other around each other's fingers if it makes sense :)
It was so precious to see all these old people who are young at heart forgetting about their pain and problems. They were just playing with them. If we would not know the number of their years we would think they are only children who love receiving love and attention.
I love to see generations bonding. It's one of the neatest things in today's world.
P.S. The club is getting ready to celebrate a lady member who will be 100 years old this fall.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Our second weekend: Cegled
These photos were taken in Cegled. 60 minuates East of Budapest. This a small town where the kids' greand grandparents, aunts+ uncles live.
As you can see the weather was such a blessing element of our trip the WHOLE time!
Our boys and girls enjoyed hanging out in their great grandparents' garden only in their diapers.
Well, after they started to dig in the dirt we undress them to lessen the amount of laundry :)
They enjoyed playing at the well and with the dog. Great grandma's garden is like a jungle for them. Fig trees, pine trees, grapes, berries and lots of flowers and bushes.
Their house was filled with laughter and joy.
Of course after playing outside they had better appetite so the grandmas could stuff them with lots of goodies.
One afternoon we saw a wedding as we were walking and another evening we took them to a beautiful playground.
It was a lot of fun to see them bonding with great grandpa who is miraculously doing so well. This was our prayer and dream since March for him to be able to enjoy them during our summer visit. The Lord graciously granted this for us. It was fun to hear him sharing the same nursery rhymes that we heard from him growing up.
There are about 91 years between them and great grandpa.
We will cherish these memories as long as we live.
On lonesome days I often think about these precious sunny moments with our loved ones overseas.
As you can see the weather was such a blessing element of our trip the WHOLE time!
Our boys and girls enjoyed hanging out in their great grandparents' garden only in their diapers.
Well, after they started to dig in the dirt we undress them to lessen the amount of laundry :)
They enjoyed playing at the well and with the dog. Great grandma's garden is like a jungle for them. Fig trees, pine trees, grapes, berries and lots of flowers and bushes.
Their house was filled with laughter and joy.
Of course after playing outside they had better appetite so the grandmas could stuff them with lots of goodies.
One afternoon we saw a wedding as we were walking and another evening we took them to a beautiful playground.
It was a lot of fun to see them bonding with great grandpa who is miraculously doing so well. This was our prayer and dream since March for him to be able to enjoy them during our summer visit. The Lord graciously granted this for us. It was fun to hear him sharing the same nursery rhymes that we heard from him growing up.
There are about 91 years between them and great grandpa.
We will cherish these memories as long as we live.
On lonesome days I often think about these precious sunny moments with our loved ones overseas.
Some more photos
Here are some extra photos from Gyor that are fun!
Uncle Zoli is teaching Annabelle how to do boxing.
Tomi is discoring the ancient ruins by the Cathedral.
Auntie Agi is loving on Lili.
Terrific Trip To Hungary
This post tells you a little bit about our trip.
It comments on the following slideshows so that you would understand what we did or where we were in Hungary.
The first set of pictures shows our first week in Manna's home town, which is Gyor, in the North West corner of Hungary. It is the city of rivers and it is located half way between Budapest and Vienna.
Our journey: We arrived at Budapest on July 30th after more than 20 hours of flying. They had to change our itinerary due to storms in New York. So we flew down to Atlanta and from there to Paris. Then our final destination was Budapest. The kids did amazing. It was great to have 7 adults (including us parents).
At the airport the quints' whole Hungarian family was waiting for us: grandparents, aunts, uncles and great grandma. It was a lovely surprise. We had a "picnic" at the car in the parking lot of the airport. Then everybody headed to their hosts families.
What did we do in Gyor? As you can see in the pictures, we were outside a lot. There is a lovely kid friendly park 5 minutes with strollers from our apartment. Our children loved gathering stuff from the ground, exploring, running without limits, digging, swinging, sliding and playing in the sand box. We met many cute doggies as well. They could even pat the friendly ones so we made lots of friends. We always had enough friends and family to help run after them.
One day we strolled them to downtown. We rode the public bus home. We all loved it thoroughly.
Since everything is so close and just "strolling distance" we went to see the trains while we were waiting for Miss Kate to arrive from Budapest.
For the first weekend the kids' great grandma came to visit us. She loved on them and they enjoyed her as she was spoiling them.
It comments on the following slideshows so that you would understand what we did or where we were in Hungary.
The first set of pictures shows our first week in Manna's home town, which is Gyor, in the North West corner of Hungary. It is the city of rivers and it is located half way between Budapest and Vienna.
Our journey: We arrived at Budapest on July 30th after more than 20 hours of flying. They had to change our itinerary due to storms in New York. So we flew down to Atlanta and from there to Paris. Then our final destination was Budapest. The kids did amazing. It was great to have 7 adults (including us parents).
At the airport the quints' whole Hungarian family was waiting for us: grandparents, aunts, uncles and great grandma. It was a lovely surprise. We had a "picnic" at the car in the parking lot of the airport. Then everybody headed to their hosts families.
What did we do in Gyor? As you can see in the pictures, we were outside a lot. There is a lovely kid friendly park 5 minutes with strollers from our apartment. Our children loved gathering stuff from the ground, exploring, running without limits, digging, swinging, sliding and playing in the sand box. We met many cute doggies as well. They could even pat the friendly ones so we made lots of friends. We always had enough friends and family to help run after them.
One day we strolled them to downtown. We rode the public bus home. We all loved it thoroughly.
Since everything is so close and just "strolling distance" we went to see the trains while we were waiting for Miss Kate to arrive from Budapest.
For the first weekend the kids' great grandma came to visit us. She loved on them and they enjoyed her as she was spoiling them.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Fun memories
This little note goes along with the slideshow so that you would know what we have done recently.
The two tall girls you can see with the Quints are Aunt Agi and Aniko. They are visiting for a month from Hungary.
We are fully enjoying each other. It's amazing to always have helping hands around the kids. I feel spoiled now :) However we are so happy if our faithful volunteers come to relieve the girls.
We had a great July 4th. Well, honestly we celebrated it the next day because of the rain.
We went to our friends' picnic. It was a very fun and kids friendly enviroment.
They had a big trampline what we could all try. They loved it. Do you want to guess who was the queen of the trampoline? Of course Miss Annabelle.
The most attractive things were the different size of balls in the gravel under the trampoline. They kept going back. Especially Matthew who loves balls the most.
Then we took a walk and introduce the lake in the backyard to them.
They got so wet! So we went home in freshly changed dry diapers only, which came handy in our hot and steaming Chevy bus.
Otherwise we do our little routine at home but we get out more. With the help of Aniko and Agi we take walks with the kiddos and enjoy the blow up pool in our backyard.
You can also see their favorite playhut with lots of colored balls. They love and giggle as we roll them on their tummy and back.
We are excited about the rest of the summer together and take every opportunity to enrich the girls' visit and have lots of fun memories with and for the kiddos.
The two tall girls you can see with the Quints are Aunt Agi and Aniko. They are visiting for a month from Hungary.
We are fully enjoying each other. It's amazing to always have helping hands around the kids. I feel spoiled now :) However we are so happy if our faithful volunteers come to relieve the girls.
We had a great July 4th. Well, honestly we celebrated it the next day because of the rain.
We went to our friends' picnic. It was a very fun and kids friendly enviroment.
They had a big trampline what we could all try. They loved it. Do you want to guess who was the queen of the trampoline? Of course Miss Annabelle.
The most attractive things were the different size of balls in the gravel under the trampoline. They kept going back. Especially Matthew who loves balls the most.
Then we took a walk and introduce the lake in the backyard to them.
They got so wet! So we went home in freshly changed dry diapers only, which came handy in our hot and steaming Chevy bus.
Otherwise we do our little routine at home but we get out more. With the help of Aniko and Agi we take walks with the kiddos and enjoy the blow up pool in our backyard.
You can also see their favorite playhut with lots of colored balls. They love and giggle as we roll them on their tummy and back.
We are excited about the rest of the summer together and take every opportunity to enrich the girls' visit and have lots of fun memories with and for the kiddos.
Closer look
Just a reminder if you click on the photo then hit slideshow you can view the photos in bigger and better quality. Enjoy and thanks for visiting!
Ha a fotora kattintotok majd "slideshow"-ra szebb es nagyobb felbontasban latjatok a fotokat.
Jo szorakozast es koszonjuk az erdeklodest!
Ha a fotora kattintotok majd "slideshow"-ra szebb es nagyobb felbontasban latjatok a fotokat.
Jo szorakozast es koszonjuk az erdeklodest!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Dedicated to Daddy Dave
"There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."-Deuteronomy 1:31
Daddy is the Best!
What can we say?
Our daddy is great!
He makes the tastiest smoothies
Then he is eager to change our poopies.
When we would like to wrestle
“Apu” is always available.
He throws us up and spins
These are positions we all love to be.
When we hear the garage door
Or mommy’s phone rings
It can only be one person:
Apu our Daddy.
He makes funny jokes and faces
Apu reads the best Bible stories.
When we whine or bite
He orders time out.
The best chauffeur is our Daddy
He drives Fire Engines, the Camry and our black Chevy.
Apu loves our mom and helps her a lot
When we are napping he is always on the run.
While we play and he disappears
He is usually in the closet on his knees.
Apu loves Jesus and walks with Him.
He is learning how to love us as God loves Daddy.
Lord, we are so thankful for a Daddy like ours.
Please bless him with much peace and joy!
We wish many Father’s days to come and spend together.
Annabelle, Lili, Hanna, Tomi and Mate: your loving children
Father’s Day 6/21/09
Our daddy is great!
He makes the tastiest smoothies
Then he is eager to change our poopies.
When we would like to wrestle
“Apu” is always available.
He throws us up and spins
These are positions we all love to be.
When we hear the garage door
Or mommy’s phone rings
It can only be one person:
Apu our Daddy.
He makes funny jokes and faces
Apu reads the best Bible stories.
When we whine or bite
He orders time out.
The best chauffeur is our Daddy
He drives Fire Engines, the Camry and our black Chevy.
Apu loves our mom and helps her a lot
When we are napping he is always on the run.
While we play and he disappears
He is usually in the closet on his knees.
Apu loves Jesus and walks with Him.
He is learning how to love us as God loves Daddy.
Lord, we are so thankful for a Daddy like ours.
Please bless him with much peace and joy!
We wish many Father’s days to come and spend together.
Annabelle, Lili, Hanna, Tomi and Mate: your loving children
Father’s Day 6/21/09
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Father's Day
"If" for Dads
If you make time to show a child a wonder,
large or small,
If you believe that family
is the greatest gift
of all
If you can set aside your needs
to put a child's first,
If you feel so much love
at times,
you think your heart
could burst,
If you accept that parenting
is tougher than it looks,
And know that all
life's answers aren't the kind
you find in books,
If you keep right on caring,
both in good times
and in bad,
You're more than just a father-
you're a very special dad.
If you make time to show a child a wonder,
large or small,
If you believe that family
is the greatest gift
of all
If you can set aside your needs
to put a child's first,
If you feel so much love
at times,
you think your heart
could burst,
If you accept that parenting
is tougher than it looks,
And know that all
life's answers aren't the kind
you find in books,
If you keep right on caring,
both in good times
and in bad,
You're more than just a father-
you're a very special dad.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
19 months
I try to keep this blog up to date but time goes so fast that I can hardly keep up with certain milestones.
On May 19th the Quints turned 19 months and their uncle Zoli celebrated his 21st birthday.
This spring has been a fun one. They are like blooming flowers. One of the most amazing things to me is a child’s development. It’s fascinating how their brain develops and they take everything in like sponges.
Since Manna got home from Hungary (after 3 weeks) Annabelle calmed down a lot. We definitely have less people in and out of our home. Praise God for our remaining faithful core though!
Annabelle matured a lot and her separation anxiety is fading away. She graduated from First Steps. Last week she found a stuffed bear to comfort her (it’s mommy’s teddy bear Jeffy). It was crucial for her but before she didn’t accept any sort of blankets, stuffed animals, babies etc. She is the little tike but still extremely tough. She beats Tomi hands down. Biting is an issue with our girls. One day Annabelle’s nose was bit by Hanna, it left a small mark that bled for a few minutes.
Reading is a great way to bond with her. Her understanding and quick responses are pretty amazing.
Tomi is probably the most curios and driven among them. His molars gave him a very hard time. Right now he is working on 4 at the same time. Tomi is either really up or down. He loves eating. He literally leans out of his seat to get the first bite. He doesn’t like tomato and pasta!
On a Saturday we had guests from Hungary (Gabor+Angi) we decided that we will give them a bath. Our excited Tomi could not wait for his bath and he literally dove into the fresh foamy bath water with his diaper on. No big deal mommy took his diaper off , well, he had a surprise for us J. That’s our Tomi. His favorite thing is probably climbing. Of course he was the first one who mastered climbing on to the couch.
Hanna is still our calm one. She has changed a lot while I was gone in my homeland. I noticed she got a lot more affectionate. She comes to us more and nestles in our lap. She is so fine with everything she does (except for biting). She is probably the biggest book lover in our family. One of her relaxing activities is when she makes herself comfortable in a baby cradle swing and snuggles with her crouched afghan rainbow blanket while she is studying books. You can not help smiling at her. She became a lot more vocal and outgoing. She still has her adorable dimples which are showing when she smiles with her beautiful almond shape brown eyes. We discovered that she has natural curls in her hair. Her best friend is Lili they don’t seem to have any major arguments or fights. Their cribs are only a reach away from each other. I often find that they exchange their endearing items. She enjoys climbing as well and finally she learned how to come down the slide.
Lili finally enjoys being home and being one of five again. She secretly admitted to me that she missed her four siblings and all in all didn’t really like being an only child. However she had the best one on one time with mommy for three weeks. She is probably the most vocal. She picks up on words, sounds them out very quickly. Her favorite animal is the dog. It’s pretty clear they all understand in both languages. They say certain things in Hungarian other things in English. Lili says “all done” every time she thinks her cup is empty even if her straw doesn’t reach far enough and the cup is still full.
They all call David “apa”, which stands for daddy. At the table they all ask for “még”, which means more, usually food. They all love “baba”, which is baby.
On April 23rd we started them on a new schedule. We call it “big boy and big girl schedule”. They are down for one nap in the afternoon. With this new schedule they pretty much have weaned themselves off of the bottle and they are doing an excellent job with their straw cups (thanks to Miss Barb- our OT and friend.)
At last but not least our other son Matthew. I bet he listens to Máté more than anything else. It amazes Dave and I how incredibly patient he is. He is probably the easiest going among them. No wonder he was #5. “He has a beautifully slow smile, which lights up the whole room” says Miss Barb our amazing OT. Máté perseveres with his OT, PT and speech therapy. He became also quite the eater. He doesn’t care much for fruits except for prunes. He would do anything for you for a bite of prunes. Máté’s favorite thing is pulling up on things around him. He loves all sorts of balls. He has a musical toy which he spins and plays nursery rhymes or the alphabet song. We are just surprised that the battery still holds up in that. It’s going nonstop whenever Máté is around. When we have to get a hold of him we just make sure that he hears the “magic ball” and he shows up. He still loves to cuddle which is nice because Tomi is always on the go and way too busy. Máté is also but he makes sure that he shows his love with hugs and kisses (rather licks).
The last day of May we took them to church in the nursery. It was very exciting for our family that we were able to go to church together. While mom and dad were in the service the Quints played with other “College Park kiddos”, patted the Bible, sang songs, had snacks and had a very nice time. Thanks to Cliff and Debbie everything went so smoothly.
Thank you for your time and interest in our family’s life. We consider raising them such a privilege and noble calling from the Lord. We are glad that you can follow their most important and fun moments in the help of our family blog.
On May 19th the Quints turned 19 months and their uncle Zoli celebrated his 21st birthday.
This spring has been a fun one. They are like blooming flowers. One of the most amazing things to me is a child’s development. It’s fascinating how their brain develops and they take everything in like sponges.
Since Manna got home from Hungary (after 3 weeks) Annabelle calmed down a lot. We definitely have less people in and out of our home. Praise God for our remaining faithful core though!
Annabelle matured a lot and her separation anxiety is fading away. She graduated from First Steps. Last week she found a stuffed bear to comfort her (it’s mommy’s teddy bear Jeffy). It was crucial for her but before she didn’t accept any sort of blankets, stuffed animals, babies etc. She is the little tike but still extremely tough. She beats Tomi hands down. Biting is an issue with our girls. One day Annabelle’s nose was bit by Hanna, it left a small mark that bled for a few minutes.
Reading is a great way to bond with her. Her understanding and quick responses are pretty amazing.
Tomi is probably the most curios and driven among them. His molars gave him a very hard time. Right now he is working on 4 at the same time. Tomi is either really up or down. He loves eating. He literally leans out of his seat to get the first bite. He doesn’t like tomato and pasta!
On a Saturday we had guests from Hungary (Gabor+Angi) we decided that we will give them a bath. Our excited Tomi could not wait for his bath and he literally dove into the fresh foamy bath water with his diaper on. No big deal mommy took his diaper off , well, he had a surprise for us J. That’s our Tomi. His favorite thing is probably climbing. Of course he was the first one who mastered climbing on to the couch.
Hanna is still our calm one. She has changed a lot while I was gone in my homeland. I noticed she got a lot more affectionate. She comes to us more and nestles in our lap. She is so fine with everything she does (except for biting). She is probably the biggest book lover in our family. One of her relaxing activities is when she makes herself comfortable in a baby cradle swing and snuggles with her crouched afghan rainbow blanket while she is studying books. You can not help smiling at her. She became a lot more vocal and outgoing. She still has her adorable dimples which are showing when she smiles with her beautiful almond shape brown eyes. We discovered that she has natural curls in her hair. Her best friend is Lili they don’t seem to have any major arguments or fights. Their cribs are only a reach away from each other. I often find that they exchange their endearing items. She enjoys climbing as well and finally she learned how to come down the slide.
Lili finally enjoys being home and being one of five again. She secretly admitted to me that she missed her four siblings and all in all didn’t really like being an only child. However she had the best one on one time with mommy for three weeks. She is probably the most vocal. She picks up on words, sounds them out very quickly. Her favorite animal is the dog. It’s pretty clear they all understand in both languages. They say certain things in Hungarian other things in English. Lili says “all done” every time she thinks her cup is empty even if her straw doesn’t reach far enough and the cup is still full.
They all call David “apa”, which stands for daddy. At the table they all ask for “még”, which means more, usually food. They all love “baba”, which is baby.
On April 23rd we started them on a new schedule. We call it “big boy and big girl schedule”. They are down for one nap in the afternoon. With this new schedule they pretty much have weaned themselves off of the bottle and they are doing an excellent job with their straw cups (thanks to Miss Barb- our OT and friend.)
At last but not least our other son Matthew. I bet he listens to Máté more than anything else. It amazes Dave and I how incredibly patient he is. He is probably the easiest going among them. No wonder he was #5. “He has a beautifully slow smile, which lights up the whole room” says Miss Barb our amazing OT. Máté perseveres with his OT, PT and speech therapy. He became also quite the eater. He doesn’t care much for fruits except for prunes. He would do anything for you for a bite of prunes. Máté’s favorite thing is pulling up on things around him. He loves all sorts of balls. He has a musical toy which he spins and plays nursery rhymes or the alphabet song. We are just surprised that the battery still holds up in that. It’s going nonstop whenever Máté is around. When we have to get a hold of him we just make sure that he hears the “magic ball” and he shows up. He still loves to cuddle which is nice because Tomi is always on the go and way too busy. Máté is also but he makes sure that he shows his love with hugs and kisses (rather licks).
The last day of May we took them to church in the nursery. It was very exciting for our family that we were able to go to church together. While mom and dad were in the service the Quints played with other “College Park kiddos”, patted the Bible, sang songs, had snacks and had a very nice time. Thanks to Cliff and Debbie everything went so smoothly.
Thank you for your time and interest in our family’s life. We consider raising them such a privilege and noble calling from the Lord. We are glad that you can follow their most important and fun moments in the help of our family blog.
Busy bees
1. Tomi is busy playing
2. Lili had something delicious
3. Hanna is excited about what's coming
4. Mate liked the joke
5. Annabelle is relaxed
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Lovely outside...
We enjoy being outside. The deck and the huge grassy backyard are amazing places to hang out, have fruity snacks, read stories, push and pull toys around. They enjoy their ride on toys. Hanna loves pushing her brothers and sisters. Their favorite thing is to mess with the grill. So we started to reuse the foldable superyard to make it more challenging for them not to get grease all over themselves. Very soon we are going to set up a little pool on the deck...
Monday, May 4, 2009
Happy Birthday Chan Quints
Happy Birthday Chan Quintuplets!
Brayden, Ariel, Addison, Micah and Gabriella
It was such a lovely birthday party. Dave and I took our most active ones Annabelle and Tomi. Their three girls and two boys are 6 months younger than our kiddos.
Just a reminder about their blog. It is worth checking out.
http://www.paulaandjamson.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Hungarian visit+Green card story
Hello there,
I bet you were ready for a new update. As you can imagine we had a lot going on these last few weeks. So here is a report about March+April
NEW PICTURES ARE COMING SOOOOON....
The quints' grandpa (Misi Papa) from Hungary came to visit between March 5th and 19th. It was wonderful for him and us to reconnect after September 2008. The kids warmed up to him quickly and it didn't take long to find Grandpa Misi standing at the changing table changing his little wiggly grandchildren one after the other. After Annabelle, he said he can do anything.
Dad was a wonderful help. He did anything from cleaning to even baking cookies for his own surprise party not knowing what will be happen in the evening.
We all had a great time, our only concern was the news about the kids' Great Grandpa (Misi Papa's dad, Manna's grandpa) who got really weak and was hospitalized.
As things did not get any better and after David mentioned that I should go home. I decided sure I will go as soon as possible. ONLY FOR A WEEK. What a husband!
To make David's load a little bit lighter I took Lili with me.
Dad and I flew out the same day but we went different routes around the world. We arrived at Hungary 30 minutes apart :)
It was wonderful to stay with my grandparents. (Grandpa was brought home from the hospital). Lili brought so much joy with her sweet presence.
It was an amazing experience for me to care for ONLY ONE child. She got over a stomach bug fairly quickly and adjusted to the new time zone in a week.
After our week was up it was time to say our goodbyes.
Dad took us to the airport in Budapest to fly home to the States.
I was checking in when the lady at the desk noticed that my green card is not valid. IT EXPIRED LAST OCTOBER. " I can not let you board"-she said. She checked with their immigration department and sure enough they took us off the plane.
"Cold shower #1"
Thankfully dad stayed and our first trip led to the American Embassy, still in Budapest.
They let me in because I had an American citizen with me, LILI. That's how God works, right?
My sweet little toddler with her American passport opened the door for me to the Embassy.
You are talking about confidence. Lili was toddling around in our backyard. She ran through the safety gate and as she got through, she ended on her bottom and was waiting for mommy.
"Cold shower #2" Due to my mistake that I forgot to submit the papers to extend my status/green card our caseworker said I have to apply for new immigration visa. This meant I had to go through blood work, criminal check, doctor's visit etc. It can take 4-6 weeks.
(Our plane ticket had 3 more weeks until it was able to be modified).
My blood pressure started to go up. Then came the SHOCK. David has to come to prove me. The consule could not make any exception. He had to come while leaving the other four there.
At this point I didn't know what my name is, whether I am a male or a female. I was ready to faint.
Back to my parents home.
I did as much as I could to get the papers going quickly. That means most of my family members who got sick with the same stomach virus got to watch Lili while I was doing what needed to be done.
David came two nights later. It was awesome for Lili to have mom and dad with her.
Who watched the other four until forgetful mom and hero dad were in the other part of world?
Our church friends and David's family. You are talking about the Body of Christ. It was smooth.
So long story short after about 10 days they stamped my immigration visa into my passport. We rebooked the flights and left to the US on April 9th.
You would think no more "cold showers". Well we had a last one.
I was praising God when we successfully boarded on April 9th. We were on the runway...I had Lili's milk ready for take off, which actually never happened.
Our plane had technical problems and the flight was canceled. Due to that they could only book us for the next day.
Lili handeled it super well.
So they put us into a 4* hotel.
The next day we had the nicest flight.
It was awesome to have my treasures back. Many of you asked what was their reaction etc.
They had that surprised look on their face kind of like, I know who you are but how come that you are all of a sudden here?
The first days were extremly hard. Annabelle's separation anxiety got really strong on top of that Lili became like that too and she was confused with the new time zone again.
So Lili shared my lap with Annabelle (I made them do it) and they fought over me.
Thankfully this slowly got better in a week or so.
I was thinking a lot and looking back as we always understand God's plan a little bit better.
It gave me an amazing time with my family and I was able to rest up for the rest of the year, 3 weeks. (I haven't even been away from them for a day) I have so much stamina to do things with them, around the house.
It was God's grace that the mistake was within 6 mos otherwise they could not help me from Hungary and it can take 6 yrs to do it through the U.S.
The best place to be is in God's hands.
Just imagine if we would have discovered this during our summer visit when it would have been totally late. Brrrr..
Grandpa is doing so much better. In fact he is hoping and praying that he will see us in the summer again.
" Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."-Proverbs 3 :5-6
and He did straighten it out and I learned my lesson.
I bet you were ready for a new update. As you can imagine we had a lot going on these last few weeks. So here is a report about March+April
NEW PICTURES ARE COMING SOOOOON....
The quints' grandpa (Misi Papa) from Hungary came to visit between March 5th and 19th. It was wonderful for him and us to reconnect after September 2008. The kids warmed up to him quickly and it didn't take long to find Grandpa Misi standing at the changing table changing his little wiggly grandchildren one after the other. After Annabelle, he said he can do anything.
Dad was a wonderful help. He did anything from cleaning to even baking cookies for his own surprise party not knowing what will be happen in the evening.
We all had a great time, our only concern was the news about the kids' Great Grandpa (Misi Papa's dad, Manna's grandpa) who got really weak and was hospitalized.
As things did not get any better and after David mentioned that I should go home. I decided sure I will go as soon as possible. ONLY FOR A WEEK. What a husband!
To make David's load a little bit lighter I took Lili with me.
Dad and I flew out the same day but we went different routes around the world. We arrived at Hungary 30 minutes apart :)
It was wonderful to stay with my grandparents. (Grandpa was brought home from the hospital). Lili brought so much joy with her sweet presence.
It was an amazing experience for me to care for ONLY ONE child. She got over a stomach bug fairly quickly and adjusted to the new time zone in a week.
After our week was up it was time to say our goodbyes.
Dad took us to the airport in Budapest to fly home to the States.
I was checking in when the lady at the desk noticed that my green card is not valid. IT EXPIRED LAST OCTOBER. " I can not let you board"-she said. She checked with their immigration department and sure enough they took us off the plane.
"Cold shower #1"
Thankfully dad stayed and our first trip led to the American Embassy, still in Budapest.
They let me in because I had an American citizen with me, LILI. That's how God works, right?
My sweet little toddler with her American passport opened the door for me to the Embassy.
You are talking about confidence. Lili was toddling around in our backyard. She ran through the safety gate and as she got through, she ended on her bottom and was waiting for mommy.
"Cold shower #2" Due to my mistake that I forgot to submit the papers to extend my status/green card our caseworker said I have to apply for new immigration visa. This meant I had to go through blood work, criminal check, doctor's visit etc. It can take 4-6 weeks.
(Our plane ticket had 3 more weeks until it was able to be modified).
My blood pressure started to go up. Then came the SHOCK. David has to come to prove me. The consule could not make any exception. He had to come while leaving the other four there.
At this point I didn't know what my name is, whether I am a male or a female. I was ready to faint.
Back to my parents home.
I did as much as I could to get the papers going quickly. That means most of my family members who got sick with the same stomach virus got to watch Lili while I was doing what needed to be done.
David came two nights later. It was awesome for Lili to have mom and dad with her.
Who watched the other four until forgetful mom and hero dad were in the other part of world?
Our church friends and David's family. You are talking about the Body of Christ. It was smooth.
So long story short after about 10 days they stamped my immigration visa into my passport. We rebooked the flights and left to the US on April 9th.
You would think no more "cold showers". Well we had a last one.
I was praising God when we successfully boarded on April 9th. We were on the runway...I had Lili's milk ready for take off, which actually never happened.
Our plane had technical problems and the flight was canceled. Due to that they could only book us for the next day.
Lili handeled it super well.
So they put us into a 4* hotel.
The next day we had the nicest flight.
It was awesome to have my treasures back. Many of you asked what was their reaction etc.
They had that surprised look on their face kind of like, I know who you are but how come that you are all of a sudden here?
The first days were extremly hard. Annabelle's separation anxiety got really strong on top of that Lili became like that too and she was confused with the new time zone again.
So Lili shared my lap with Annabelle (I made them do it) and they fought over me.
Thankfully this slowly got better in a week or so.
I was thinking a lot and looking back as we always understand God's plan a little bit better.
It gave me an amazing time with my family and I was able to rest up for the rest of the year, 3 weeks. (I haven't even been away from them for a day) I have so much stamina to do things with them, around the house.
It was God's grace that the mistake was within 6 mos otherwise they could not help me from Hungary and it can take 6 yrs to do it through the U.S.
The best place to be is in God's hands.
Just imagine if we would have discovered this during our summer visit when it would have been totally late. Brrrr..
Grandpa is doing so much better. In fact he is hoping and praying that he will see us in the summer again.
" Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."-Proverbs 3 :5-6
and He did straighten it out and I learned my lesson.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
those wonderful Friday nights
Our "Faithful Friday Friends" the Leatherbury ladies have been coming over a year now. Every single Friday Dave and I can relax or go out a little bit. Here are their thoughts:
"I love helping take care of the quints! It's special seeing them grow from helpless, tiny babies into inquisitive, sweet toddlers discovering the world around them. Abby Leatherbury
Manna fruitlessly rummaged through her cupboards and came up empty-handed. "I feel like a stranger in my own house!" she exclaimed. What newlywed couple could stand having their privacy invaded at all hours and days of the week? And have others organize, clean and run their their home? Only a couple that is filled with the grace of God and a mission so big and so important that their personal preferences take a back seat.One of the greatest privileges of helping Dave and Manna with their beautiful babies has been watching this new, young married couple mature into a wise, godly family full of patience, love, gentleness, sacrifice and hospitality. All of us who have been involved with this family have seen God show Himself every time we go. Before our eyes we watched these tiny, fragile, helpless babies grow into strong, healthy toddlers. And we've seen Dave and Manna grow confident, competent and joyful in this gargantuan task of raising quints--and we know it's because He is in their hearts, guiding and strengthening them. Watching this family grow in the grace and knowledge of Him is truly a beautiful thing! I have been blessed!"
Becky Leatherbury
"I love helping take care of the quints! It's special seeing them grow from helpless, tiny babies into inquisitive, sweet toddlers discovering the world around them. Abby LeatherburyManna fruitlessly rummaged through her cupboards and came up empty-handed. "I feel like a stranger in my own house!" she exclaimed. What newlywed couple could stand having their privacy invaded at all hours and days of the week? And have others organize, clean and run their their home? Only a couple that is filled with the grace of God and a mission so big and so important that their personal preferences take a back seat.One of the greatest privileges of helping Dave and Manna with their beautiful babies has been watching this new, young married couple mature into a wise, godly family full of patience, love, gentleness, sacrifice and hospitality. All of us who have been involved with this family have seen God show Himself every time we go. Before our eyes we watched these tiny, fragile, helpless babies grow into strong, healthy toddlers. And we've seen Dave and Manna grow confident, competent and joyful in this gargantuan task of raising quints--and we know it's because He is in their hearts, guiding and strengthening them. Watching this family grow in the grace and knowledge of Him is truly a beautiful thing! I have been blessed!"
Becky Leatherbury
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Volunteers' corner
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms." -1 Peter 4:10
Welcome to our "volunteers' corner". This will give you an opportunity to get to know our dear friends and family who help us so much daily/weekly/monthly. Here we go.
At the beginning of 2007 we asked the Lord how He would like us to service Him in the coming year. We had no idea how our lives would be changed, enriched, fulfilled, and loved over the next year. Our prayer to make a difference in kids’ lives came to light in five precious babies. There have been so many special moments but we will highlight a few. Watching Hanna take her first steps being so careful and graceful was so precious. Her concern and love for Mate as she patted him on the head was beyond words. Tomi doing his army crawl, using his elbows, was fun to watch. His contagious smile that greets you in the morning is so sweet. Annabelle is a determined little girl. Her little laugh and desire to be squeezed is a special joy. Her discovery and exploring what snow was about was fun to watch. Lili is a quiet Queen whose darling laugh, disposition and smile brighten up the room. Her love of books is special because we would read books to her so she would finish her bottle. Mate is nothing short of a continued answer to prayer. We will never forget the day he started to crawl, it brought tears to our eyes. He has the most precious smile and will steal anyone’s heart.
Cliff and Debbie
Welcome to our "volunteers' corner". This will give you an opportunity to get to know our dear friends and family who help us so much daily/weekly/monthly. Here we go."I am Barbara Manley, grandma ma of the beautiful Manley Quints. I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful experience of Love and Life seeing this tiny , tiny infants become these beautiful children , so different each and every one with gifts and personalities that are so unique. I can see how God creates each one of us into the image and likeness of his Spirit . These children have the most amazing little spirits. They are so much fun and touch my heart each and every time I am with them. I play and dance like I never do at other times. They make me feel young and love in my heart. I feel they are Blessed with the most wonderful parents to see that they are loved and protected at all times. Dave and Manna have built the most loving community around the children to know what living on earth is really about.Serving God and Serving the World. I am so happy to be a part of this grand plan of Loving Service.
Namaste, Love and BlessingsBarbara"
Namaste, Love and BlessingsBarbara"
At the beginning of 2007 we asked the Lord how He would like us to service Him in the coming year. We had no idea how our lives would be changed, enriched, fulfilled, and loved over the next year. Our prayer to make a difference in kids’ lives came to light in five precious babies. There have been so many special moments but we will highlight a few. Watching Hanna take her first steps being so careful and graceful was so precious. Her concern and love for Mate as she patted him on the head was beyond words. Tomi doing his army crawl, using his elbows, was fun to watch. His contagious smile that greets you in the morning is so sweet. Annabelle is a determined little girl. Her little laugh and desire to be squeezed is a special joy. Her discovery and exploring what snow was about was fun to watch. Lili is a quiet Queen whose darling laugh, disposition and smile brighten up the room. Her love of books is special because we would read books to her so she would finish her bottle. Mate is nothing short of a continued answer to prayer. We will never forget the day he started to crawl, it brought tears to our eyes. He has the most precious smile and will steal anyone’s heart.Cliff and Debbie
Milk...milk and milk
This post is dedicated to a very special organization to Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank. Through them a dream of ours came true because with their help we were able to supply our children exclusively with breast milk up 15 months of their life.According to their calculations, they have provided 15,892 ounces of milk to the quints since they started receiving milk as an outpatient on 1/28/08. That is about 125 gallons (473.2 liters) of donor milk! Amazing! In addition to that, they provided milk for the first three months of our baby's lives as well, with 1,108 ounces. Thus, the grand total is 17,000 ounces. Right on the dot!
The beauty of our story is that during all these months the Milk bank kept supplying us generously not knowing if insurance will reimburse them while our paperwork was pending for months. In the very beginning while we were still adjusting to our five babies at home they delivered the milk personally, which led to a very good and personable relationship between us.
One of our sweetest experiences with them is the following.
Last fall we flew to Hungary with all five of them. We were firm about not giving them formula overseas. The Lord provided through the Milk Bank again. They took care about us even though their pasteurizer machine just broke down before our trip.
They supplied us with two huge boxes of frozen donor milk on dry ice. 540 oz total.
You can imagine the logistics of it and the joy of the airlines .
They supplied us with two huge boxes of frozen donor milk on dry ice. 540 oz total.
You can imagine the logistics of it and the joy of the airlines .
Due to the overwhelming demand for pasteurized donor human milk, the milk bank needs more donors! The screening process is fairly simple and the milk bank covers all costs associated with donation - blood draw, shipping, bags, etc. We can accept donors from throughout Indiana and all over the midwest. For more information, please visit the "How to Donate" tab of the milk bank's website at http://www.immilkbank.org/or contact Dane at 317/329-7146.
If you would like to read a beautiful story about extremly premature triplets and an amazingly dedicated mother please click on this link http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200903_omag_milk_bank/3 You will also learn fascinating details about the milk banks in the U.S.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Happy Due date!
January 12th is a special day for us. It was our original due date. Wow, I can not imagine how big I would have been with them by then...
They are 12 months developmentally. They are nicely catching up with their peers. This last couple weeks Lili mastered her walking as well while we are diligently coaching Matthew, who is getting around really nicely. It's a joy to see him getting into stuff now. He loves his new red rubber donkey "Roddy". He loves bouncing on him.
They are 12 months developmentally. They are nicely catching up with their peers. This last couple weeks Lili mastered her walking as well while we are diligently coaching Matthew, who is getting around really nicely. It's a joy to see him getting into stuff now. He loves his new red rubber donkey "Roddy". He loves bouncing on him.
Both Mate and Hanna have their first mauler while the others are still dealing with the swollen, itchy gums. At night though they sleep really well.
From this week we started them on some dairy. After 14 months of supplying breast milk the Milk bank stopped providing since our children are 1 year corrected age now.
We still have some reserved pasteurized
milk and Manna is still pumping+ nursing them :)
We still have some reserved pasteurized
milk and Manna is still pumping+ nursing them :)So far they have not been sick. Huge praise!
Annabelle (16 lbs-9oz) is still very sensitive when she sees people she is not used to being around. Separation anxiety. I am sure many moms can relate. She is so much fun to be around. She is still very dainty and extremly playful.
It's fun to see how different they are when we take them out (very sometimes)
Lili (17lbs-12oz) is usually the cream of the party. She goes up to anyone.
Hanna (17lbs-9oz)needs to take everything in first then she loves venturing out. If she doesn't like something or not ready for something she tells us right away.
Tomi (19lbs-1oz)is still very charming and so full of joy. When he wants something nothing can stop him. (maybe our fenced family room).
Mate (19lbs-4oz)is so sweet as he can be. He is a flirt. Taking thin liquid is still an issue but we work with him on that very patiently 3 times a day. He has the best therapists! Not only him enjoy their sessions but we do too.
Explanation for the pics:
1)Our messy big boy is Máté (he had some prunes)
2)Our adventuresome buddy is Tomi who used the therapy ducky to look out what's going on...
3)Hanna needed a place to rest. The box with socks came handy for a little siesta.
4)"Papa Cliff" as the judge of the "skirt contest". Their tights won :) They are from their Hungarian great grandparents
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Who can guess what country's outfits do they wear in the picture?Here is a hint. These adorable outfits with fuzzy sleeves and little metal bells are from our friends who are in the missionfield until this summer. We thought we will welcome the New Year dressed up some kind of special way.
To help you guess we post this family's photo also in local costumes and their blogsite as well. They are our dear friends the Miyakawas.
If you have the chance visit their website. There are some really cool photos and videos on it.
Tom, Robin, Kristen, Evan and Kendall we can't wait to see you this summer! We love you guys and thanks for the outfits. 
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Some thoughts from home
After our visit with our Hungarian folks the quints' grandpa (Misi papa) and their great grandpa shared the following thoughts with us.They are too precious to be only kept in a journal book. Here they are:
Grandpa's thoughts (by the way he will be visiting us this spring:) We are counting down the days!
Our two weeks together in September were short but on the other hand it had a lasting effect because I can still remember very vividly how I fed them, comforted them, held them in my arms, traveled with them, they were pinching and trampling me. When I got into their little fenced playground I heard them laugh, cry, I saw them standing up, crawling, fighting and working together.
Since I met your big family I appreciate all the perseverance, strength, gentleness and professional care you do with your little ones even more.
Two weeks are more than 14 days because you are still “here” with us. These two weeks showed how wonderful it is to meet in person. So I will try even harder that it will happen again. I am patient because waiting is also a great thing if I know that we will have wonderful memories when I will get to visit you.
Another thing, which touched me, was to see how many people love you.
Since I met your big family I appreciate all the perseverance, strength, gentleness and professional care you do with your little ones even more.
Two weeks are more than 14 days because you are still “here” with us. These two weeks showed how wonderful it is to meet in person. So I will try even harder that it will happen again. I am patient because waiting is also a great thing if I know that we will have wonderful memories when I will get to visit you.
Another thing, which touched me, was to see how many people love you.
Quotation from Great grandpa's letter
(He is 92 years old and sharp as a tack:)
On September 12th 2008 we were blessed with some unforgettable days. Our great grandchildren came to visit us. Praise the Lord our Almighty God that we are still alive to experience all of this. We were personally able to hug them, kiss them and cherish these sweet little angels. Hanna and Annabelle are always on the go and they are curious about everything. Lili is a bubbly little girl, always cheerful and full of smiles. Thomas is like a little soldier who is always ready to fight to get some toys. Mate is calm and always has a smile for whoever is with him. Everybody is smiley they don’t cry and have no fear when they are surrounded with strangers. These were wonderful days. Now all the beautiful and unforgettable memories stay with us in our hearts. They brought so much happiness in our life. However everything comes to an end. We had to say goodbye to our great grandchildren because it was time for them to fly home. Physically a huge ocean separates us but under the same blue sky we are always there with you in Spirit. We are collecting and looking at photos of our darling great grandchildren and we cherish them as we remember…
Dear Marianna and David! As long as it’s possible and we can let us love and embrace each other together with our great grandbabies.
Our darlings! You are the continuation of our lives! One day I will be standing among you. I will be standing there and saying while I am pointing at them “Look at them Lord! They are the milestones of my life’s journey. This was my journey, which led to you. Please forgive me. They continue to live and love after me.
„Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”- Psalm 37:4
Dear Marianna and David! As long as it’s possible and we can let us love and embrace each other together with our great grandbabies.
Our darlings! You are the continuation of our lives! One day I will be standing among you. I will be standing there and saying while I am pointing at them “Look at them Lord! They are the milestones of my life’s journey. This was my journey, which led to you. Please forgive me. They continue to live and love after me.
„Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”- Psalm 37:4
Quint friends
What a beautiful family!How many babies do you see in the picture?
These are our friends. Paula and Jamson. Their quints are 6 months younger than ours.
They have also three girls: Addison, Ariel, Gabriella and two boys: Micah and Brayden.
It was fun to first find out about them and walk along side with Paula during her pregnancy.
We visited their babies while they were in the NICU and this fall we visited them at home.
We don't have any pictures about all ten of them yet but I am sure we will have those pictures as the kiddos get together to play.
Here is their blogsite: http://www.paulaandjamson.blogspot.com/
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