One year old

The first birthday bash was a big success!  We had a big crowd of about 100 volunteers, friends and family in attendance.  The party was held at the church family center.  We supplied drinks; many guests brought things to eat so there was plenty of food... and then some.    The quads enjoyed their personalized cakes, as you can see.  A large team of workers was needed for chocolate cleanup duty.

December, 2001  (Christmas Letter)

Greetings everyone,

It's hard to believe that this year is at its end; it has passed so quickly.  We hope that it has been a good year for you and your family.  For us, it has been a year of many changes and challenges.  Pam's one-year leave of absence has expired and she decided to go back to work part time.  The kids enjoy day care three days a week.

The quadruplets are about nineteen months old and continue to develop very well.  During the past year they have learned to crawl and to walk.  Their vocabulary has grown considerably with many words and phrases such as: daddy, mommy, hi, bye-bye, yes, no, oh-no, uh-oh, nose, eye, outside, car, woof-woof, quack-quack, cat, cookie, cracker, ball, shoes, juice, thank you, more, all gone, and the list goes on.  It is easy to tell that they each love to "read" because many of their books look like they've been through a tornado.

When we say "cookie", the little people literally drop everything they are playing with and come running.  They are big helpers by putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket and picking up things from the floor.  It's amazing to see them express compassion at an early age, comforting one another by hugging, patting a head, or giving a kiss.  They are Pooh's #1 fans.  There is no doubt that they have inherited Pam's sleep genes since they have no problem sleeping soundly through the night.

A few church volunteers continue to help feed and watch the toddlers, which is a big help.  As the four musketeers approach their terrible two's they are getting increasingly difficult to handle as experienced by mommy and daddy during this year's annual Christmas photo shoot.  They are full of energy and are constantly exploring.  Keeping them all content and preoccupied requires a great deal of creativity.  There is usually somebody -- sometimes all four -- trying to crawl up a leg or competing for a lap or a toy.  They have a playroom but they like it best when we allow them to freely run around the house.  There's rarely a dull moment around here.

Teddy bear Christopher went from 16lb 8oz to 22lb 1oz this year. He was the first to hold his bottle.  Although Christopher was second to cut teeth, he was first to get a mouth full (16 teeth at 15 months).  He continues to produce about a gallon of slobber a day and loves to chew on everything he can get his chubby little hands on: Big Bird, Elmo, you name it he's chewed it.  He is still our anchor for the quad stroller.

Bright eyed, rosy cheeked, Alyssa, went from 12lb 7oz to 19lb this year.  She was the first to stand at the crib rail and the first to crawl but last to walk.  She continues to impress us with her leg extensions.  Miss Congeniality is still thin in the hair department.  She went from really liking cats to really disliking them.

Tiny Emily went from 12lb 5oz to 19lb 4oz this year, surpassing Alyssa.  She surprised us by being the first to walk.  Little princess still has the most demanding cry and has learned to effectively throw tantrums.  When she's not throwing tantrums, she's busy being a giggle box.  She is very tidy and likes to pretend to cook.

Smiley Nicholas went from 15lb 1oz to 22lb 1oz this year, catching Christopher in weight.  He was the first to say "mommy". Nicholas no longer talks to lampshades.  That might be because we had to remove them in the process of child proofing part of the house.  Nicholas is our groovy dancer.  He surely inherited Lee's dance genes, hee hee.

This year's many changes and challenges have allowed us to grow and cherish God's blessings in our lives even more.  May love, joy, and peace fill your hearts this Christmas season and in the new year.

Love,
Pam, Lee, Christopher, Alyssa, Emily, & Nicholas Deschler