Posted on 07/08/2009 4:33:32 AM PDT by Islander7
HURLEY — The Cochran quadruplets have more than quadrupled in size.
And they’re nearing their first birthday in a new house, where each eventually will have his and her own bedrooms.
Mom Sandra and Dad Matt have been scrimping and saving since pregnancy to build the new home on a high school coach’s salary.
They got it finished just in the nick of time, Sandra said, because the Cochran family, with a 4-year-old and four 10-month-olds, has outgrown the house trailer.
The quads were born in August, and since they arrived home in the fall, they have slept in the kitchen of their family mobile home in small, portable cribs.
“But they’re about to learn how to escape,” Sandra said in an interview from their home last week. Their goal was to be in the new, six-bedroom home by Friday.
Each month and each stage of growth brings new challenges, Sandra said, using a blender to punctuate her discourse. She was blending her own baby food lunch for four hungry little ones — mixed vegetables.
“It’s a lot cheaper than buying baby food and they like it better,” she said. “You find out what works and you do it.”
And she does it over and over each day, times four.
They’re able to crawl now and interact, and that’s better, she said.
“They smile at you. They crawl to you, that sort of stuff,” she said.
Their sister, Hannah Noelle, 4, likes them better now that they can do things and are able to express their personalities.
According to Sandra, Cannon is still a momma’s boy and will likely be the first to walk. Gunner is sweet, everybody’s best friend. If anyone gets hurt, he’s the first to give them love.
“Gunner is the biggest and has the biggest heart,” Sandra said.
Lauren is shy and smiles at everybody and everything. And Avery is the most independent.
“She’ll pitch a fit and wail and flail her arms and legs,” Sandra said. “She’s the most demanding, but also sometimes the easiest. It depends on the mood she wakes up in.”
The vital aspect of the new house is room — rooms so the babies can sleep away from the rest of the family and room for specialized furniture like the quad feeding table.
They’ve had it since Christmas with no place to put it.
Sandra has been looking forward to the day when the table with notches cut out so that can be used to feed the babies together would fit into their lives.
There are blessings, like the fact that they sleep from 7:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
“It’s wonderful,” Sandra said.
“I don’t know if it’s because we’ve always been so structured with them or because they have each other. But it works.
“When we get in the house, if I see there’s a problem with them sleeping split up, I’ll move all four cribs back into one room.”
They can crawl, pull up and cruise the den holding onto the couch. They laugh with people and say a few words.
Cannon says “bye-bye,” “momma” and “dada.”
Avery says “momma” and “dada.”
Gunner says, “hey,” “momma” and “dada.”
Lauren likes to say “pawpaw” for her grandfather and will repeat what is said to her.
Matt spent Wednesday of last week assembling cribs and dressers for the big move.
It was his first day off for summer because he had chosen to work the school’s summer program.
The Cochrans have a blog, and Sandra said she’s grateful for the Internet.
That’s where she has found other quad mothers with their wealth of experience.
It’s where she has made her closest friends recently. And in May, 13 of the quad moms took a five-day retreat in Florida.
“We made friends for life,” she said. “We know and understand each other.”
Sandra didn’t quite make the five days.
“I got homesick and came home a day early,” she said. “But we bonded — no plans, no schedules, no babies.”
Great story... I wish Thad would stop voting for liberal bills.
LLS
awwww.....thanks for posting.
Cute babies!
Yes, I did. Thanks for posting it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.