THE QUADS ARE READY TO PARTY!
Healthy,bonnybabieswereall theirproudmumwishedfor
It’s hard to believe just 12 months ago four tiny Timaru tots arrived into the world three months early, each barely weighing a kilogram and relying on machines to help survive the first fragile weeks of their young lives.
But as the MacDonald quads celebrate their first birthday this week with a fun emoji-themed party and 100 friends and family, Hudson, Indie, Quinn and Molly are making up for lost time, hitting baby milestones and growing more bonny by the day.
It’s a special moment for young Timaru parents Kendall and Josh MacDonald as they
look back on the year their lives changed forever with the addition of four wee bubs following emergency surgery at just 28 weeks into the pregnancy last August 15.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” tells Josh, 28.
“Yeah, whirlwind is exactly the word to describe the last 12 months,” agrees Kendall, 28, who is also mum to Brooklyn, four. “I’m more tired now than I was when they were newborns and they first came home!”
And while family life with four babies is not without its challenges of sleepless nights and sickness, including a mercy dash to Christchurch Hospital more than 165km away last November when their littlest daughter fell gravely ill, the mum-of-five says thanks to the aid from their “village” of helpers, she’s managing to hold it together.
“This might sound crazy, but although it’s really, really challenging, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. Some days are better than others – and it could get worse once they start walking and talking – but for the most part, it hasn’t been too hard and a lot of that has to do with all the help we get.
“Before they came home from hospital, I’d sit awake dreading how hard nights would be, but we’ve been really lucky with our nanny.”
And it’s because of this generosity from all over New Zealand that a small family gathering has ballooned into a full-scale party at a nearby hall, complete with an entertainer and face-painting for 30 children, and food decorated with the colourful animal, insect and flower emojis Kendall uses on her popular social media accounts Quad Mum Plus One to
identify the order of each lookalike child in her photos.
“I started it to make a difference in posts when I was naming their weights – and it just stuck,” explains the doting mum. “Quinn is a pink flower, Indie is a butterfly, Hudson is a fox and Molly a sunflower, so their party cakes, decorations and cookies will be made with them, and we’re having that theme throughout.
“At first, we were going to have a small party with immediate family, but then we realised there’s been so many people who have been involved with helping us with babysitting and giving us gifts, and the more people we thought of, the more we had to invite, so it’s turned into a big party,” she laughs. “There’s going to be lots of adults there. It’s probably going to be more about us than them.”
With two of the four tots now crawling, and all teething
We’re sharing their magical day with those who have been us’ there for