Quadruple the love!

There is a very special little family in Hico who I've had the pleasure of getting to know this past year. The mama, Tina, is a spectacular woman who gave birth to quadruplets a year ago on Aug. 18. These four little bundles of joy are, well... just that, amazing, unique, little bundles of joy! I had the pleasure of interviewing and photographing the crew this week in honor of their very special first birthday and the pictures are just too cute not to share. I'll also add the story to the bottom of this post in case anybody wants to read it.

Without further adieu..

The McLean Quad Squad: Ricky, Heath, Tyler and Leah

I took so many cute pics of each baby, but I managed to narrow it down to my fave three of each sweet little dumplin'.

Ricky Shane

Heath Allen

Stephen Tyler

Leah Grace

Now seriously, don'tcha want to just pinch their cheeks and smother them with lots and lots of hugs and kisses?!?! I can't believe these babies are a year old. It's just amazing to think how far they have come in their short little lives. I can't wait for their birthday party!!

And for those who are interested, here's the feature story that will be in this week's paper...

Quadruple the love:

Happy Birthday to You, and You, and You and You!

By ANNA BELEW

Hico News Review Managing Editor

One year ago on Aug. 18, Tina and Randy McLean’s life changed forever. It became a crazy life, with four times the diapers and four times the bottles, but also four times the hugs and four times the kisses. But no matter how different life may be with four active babies, it’s their life, and something they say they wouldn’t change for the world.

“I’m a little in denial,” Tina said. “It just amazes me how fast it’s all gone by and that they could be this old. And to think about where we started and how far we’ve come — we’re just so blessed to have them and that they are all so healthy with no major health problems. God really does answer prayers.”

It was the early morning hours of Aug. 18, 2008, at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital when Ricky Shane, Heath Allen, Stephen Tyler and Leah Grace made their grand entrance into the world via Cesarean Section. Each tiny baby, perfect in its own way, weighed in ranging from 1 lb, 12 oz (Leah) to 2 lbs, 7 oz (Heath).

Born premature at 26 weeks, 3 days, each of the babies had to have help with breathing and feeding for the first few weeks of life. The babies remained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cook Children’s Medical Center for 11 weeks until their release to home in Hico on Oct. 30.

Now, just shy of one year old, the McLean Quad Squad is constantly on the move and still powering through 16 bottles and 32 diapers per day. For those keeping count, that means the McLean quads have put away 5,376 bottles and 10,752 diapers in their first year of life — no small feat for a stay-at-home mama who only has a helper come in once a week.

“For the most part, it’s just me here with the babies,” Tina said. “Randy works nights and is sleeping most days, but my aunt comes by every Wednesday afternoon and there is a lady from our church who comes by to help when she can — sometimes once a week or so. It’s also been a blessing to have help from the grandmothers and my sister.”

Tina said the babies are on a napping and eating schedule that helps keep the day-to-day life a bit more routine, though life with quadruplets breaks the mold in many ways, she said while sitting indian-style in the floor with all four of the babies tugging at her arms, legs, back and Heath plopped down in her lap.

“This is pretty normal,” she laughed. “It’s just easier for me to sit in the floor and play with them and comfort them. Sometimes it gets a little crazy but this way everybody can get their loving when they need it.”

Each of the four babies are singles, meaning each developed in separate sacs while in utero. Tina says their personalities are just as different as their looks.

“Ricky is my easy going guy, but the big bruiser of the bunch too. He’s the best eater and has been the first at just about everything from crawling to getting his first tooth,” she said. “Leah is very much the high-maintenance girl. She’s always being mean to the boys and will pull your hair and laugh about it — then give you a little sly look afterwards. She also knows how to throw a good fit!

“Heath is always just a very happy baby. He was a little slower to crawl than the rest because of some muscle tightness, but was the first to wave and shake his head ‘no.’ And Tyler is my little monkey man always crawling and climbing. He’s definitely got the red-head temper, but he’s more cautious than the rest of the babies. We call him ‘grandpa’ because he grunts so much while he’s doing things.”

The McLeans also have two other children Jenna Donley, 7, and Ashley McLean, 13. Tina said Jenna is quite the helper and sometimes like the “little mama” of the crew.

“Jenna has been such a great help over the summer, I told her I didn’t know what I would do when she went back to school,” Tina said. “She plays with them and goes in to get them when they wake up. She helps feed them and gets their clothes. She is good entertainment for them and will watch them if I need to leave the room for a minute, and she’s also a very good comforter if they’re crying.”

Life with quadruplets has become the new normal for Tina, something that took some getting used to since before the quads she was an active surgery nurse — a job that she loved.

“I never thought I’d be a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “This change in our life has been trying at times but it’s nothing I’d ever want differently. One of the biggest changes has been for me to not be around people all day that I can talk to and have adult conversations with. I miss my co-workers because they’re my family too. I do love being at home with the quads all day and some days are crazier than others — especially when nobody is happy or when they don’t feel good. The days when everybody wants to be in my lap are definitely the harder days.”

Tina said the help from the Hico community has been such a blessing for her family and she is so grateful and thankful for everybody who donated clothing, diapers or other items to the family. Volunteers also worked to construct an additional bedroom and bathroom for the McLeans just prior to the quads arrival.

“God definitely provides when needed,” Tina said. “We’ve been so blessed this year over and over again from Randy’s new job, to the people who helped with the room, to meals and clothes. The hand-me-down clothes have been the best — I haven’t had to buy any clothing except for a few special outfits. The Lord does provide for all your needs.”

Tina describes the past year as “good,” “trying,” “emotional,” and “exhausting,” but through all that knows without a doubt the babies were meant to be a part of her and Randy’s life.

“When we first found out I was pregnant with quads, there was no question in our mind about what to do,” she said. “The specialist said we had the choice to do a reduction and that was never an option for us. We didn’t even have to discuss it — we just knew. God gave us four and we were going to have four. He decided we were supposed to have four babies and that was His plan for us and that’s what He blessed us with. I couldn’t imagine not having them — they’re all so different with different personalities. Each one is so unique and perfectly made. We really got lucky.”