Growing Your Baby - Parenthood from Pregnancy to Pre-school » Jessie and Rory Mrozek

Mrozek Quintuplets Celebrate 1st Birthday!

Lisa — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:15:37 +0000

Today, the Mrozek quintuplets — Matthew, Jackson, Breah, Lainey and Nathan — will turn one.

Kare 11, a local news outlet, had the opportunity to speak with parents Jessie and Rory about their first year with 5 babies and a toddler.

“We’re extremely lucky. I didn’t think we’d see this day when we’d have all five big healthy, happy babies,” said Jessie Mrozek, the babies’ mother.

But getting five babies to their first birthday hasn’t been easy. It’s taken parents, a big sister — Kaylie, grandparents and so much more.

“Just looking back and we had to feed them every three hours, and we were only sleeping four hours a night each and rotating shifts. I don’t know how we did it. I don’t want to do it again,” says Jessie, laughing.

Even though the babies now mostly sleep through the night, caring for six children under four (Kaylie is 3 and a half) requires careful choreography.

At dinner time, two babies are fed at a time, with the rest waiting their turn. But through all the eating, playing, napping and crying — five babies are also becoming their own people.

Jackson is a “happy” baby.
Breah is “independent.”
Nathan is “Grandma’s boy.”
Matthew is “very affectionate.”
And Lainey — Lainey is the leader… and survivor.

“She was the one in the beginning who almost didn’t make it but pulled through,” said Rory Mrozek, the babies’ Dad, adding that Lainey turned out to be the “first to get a tooth, first to crawl, first to stand against furniture.”

The Mrozek family is celebrating the quints birthday with a private party on Saturday.

On Sunday, they’re inviting EVERYONE interested in celebrating with them to the St. Francis Xavier Church in Sartell. The church is hosting a birthday party for the children following the 10:30 mass.

The Mrozek Quints: 6 Months Later

Lisa — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:11:18 +0000

On Oct 18th, 2007 Jessie and Rory Mrozek’s lives changed forever when they welcomed a set of quintuplets.

The babies, who arrived at 28 weeks gestation, only needed to be hospitalized for 8 weeks before they were given the OK to go home.

Now six months later, the quints are thriving are growing.

Rory is back working full time as a mechanic at St. Cloud Truck Sales and mom, Jessie picks up one shift a month at Walgreens, Sauk Rapids.

The couple learned early that being parents to such a large group(the quints plus their first child 2year old Kaylei) would require some lifestyle changes.

They have given up their upstairs bedroom and moved into the basement. The babies’ five cribs are now in the couple’s former master bedroom. The living room has neatly organized piles of toys and four rocking chairs for cuddling.

They upgraded their truck to a 2008 Nissan Armada — maybe the only vehicle big enough for six car seats. The family spent 12 hours at the Auto Mall trying every model of SUV, van and truck.

They are lucky enough to have great family and close friends who help out most days of the week. This allows the couple to spend some quality time with Kaylei, run errands and occasionally grab a quick bite to eat together.

Each day, the family washes four to five loads of laundry, changes about 32 diapers and eats two cans of powdered formula, Jessie Mrozek said. Baths happen two to three times a week (depending on how messy the babies get). Meal times and bedtimes are staggered.

Now that they are getting older, the babies are starting to develop personalities.

The characteristics have become more noticeable in the past month, Jessie Mrozek said. “Every baby is different,” she said. “We always have to keep that in mind in every aspect.”

Lainey

She has a dreamy look to her and is “kind of nosy,” Jessie Mrozek said. She likes to look around and watch what people are doing.

Breah

Breah is a spitfire and has a little edge. The baby with crazy hair might have a rebellious streak. “Breah is the one we’ll have to get off the roof,” grandmother Darlene Mrozek said with a laugh.

Jackson

Jackson is a happy baby. He loves to smile, talk and giggle. “He’s a ham,” Jessie Mrozek said.

Matthew

Matthew is quiet and laid back. He’s an easy baby, Jessie Mrozek said. He also watches out for his siblings, Darlene Mrozek said. “Matthew is the keeper of the babies,” she said.

Nathan

His parents describe him as “soft-spoken” and “sensitive.” He likes to be held. Nathan has just discovered how to use his hands.

Jackson was born weighing 2 pounds, 7 ounces – now he weighs 11 pounds, 11.4 ounces.
Lainey was born weighing 2 pounds, 8 ounces – now she weighs 10 pounds, 15.2 ounces.
Matthew was born weighing 2 pounds, 6 ounces – now he weighs 11 pounds, 13 ounces.
Nathan was born weighing 2 pounds, 10 ounces – he now weighs 12 pounds, 1 ounces.
Breah, the smallest at birth weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces – is still the smallest at 9 pound, 7.8 ounces.

SOURCE

Mrozek Quints All Home

Lisa — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:14:09 +0000

The five babies born to Jessie and Rory Mrozek are now all home.

After arriving 3 months early (28 weeks gestation), the five babies stayed in hospital for just 8 weeks, which means that they did very well during their time in the NICU.

Just 3 weeks after they were delivered, 4 of them were already feeding on their own and 4 weeks after that the babies were transferred to a special care nursery closer the the couple’s home.

The Mrozek quintuplets spent Christmas at their Sartell home with their mom and dad, Jessie and Rory Mrozek, their big sister, Kaylei, and their grandparents.

In the photo Grandpa Phil Mrozek, holds Nathan (left) and Lainey, while Grandma Darlene is holding, from left, Breah, Jackson and Matthew.

PHOTOCREDIT & SOURCE

Mrozek Quints Doing Well

Lisa — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:11:28 +0000

The Minnesota quintuplets born to Rory and Jessie Mrozek on October 18th are hopefully close to being transferred to the St. Cloud Hospital, which is closer to their home.

All five babies, Matthew, Lainey, Jackson, Breah and Nathan have been transferred from the NICU to the infant care center, which prepares parents to bring the babies home by allowing them to do more of the care when they are in visiting.

The nurse ratio is usually much lower 1:4 as opposed to 1:2 in the NICU and the pace is more laid back because the babies don’t need as much medical attention.

Matthew, Jackson and Nathan Mrozek have been moved into cribs, which is a huge achievement, considering the babies needed to have a consistent body temperature and weigh at least 1,800 grams, or about 3 pounds 15 ounces, according to Jessie Mrozek. Lainey is expected to be in a crib within the next few days. Breah still needs to grow, she said.

“It feels like you can interact with them better,” Jessie Mrozek said. “They’re not in a box anymore. They’re part of our world.”

The children’s appetites are getting bigger. They are now eating 30 to 45 ccs every three hours, Rory Mrozek said. Last month, the babies ate 10 to 25 ccs every three hours.

Doctors are giving the babies a combination of Jessie Mrozek’s breast milk and formula.

The family has been bringing breast milk to the hospital at least every other day, Jessie Mrozek said.

Jessie and Rory Mrozek said they may be able to start feeding all five this week. It’ll be a chance for the couple to bond more with the babies, Jessie Mrozek said.

“They’re doing really well,” she said.

The babies are expected to stay in the hospital until mid-January, which is close to their due date, Jessie Mrozek said.

“We’re excited they’re going to come home,” Rory Mrozek said. “Once they get home, it’ll be like they were never gone.”

The Bylers All Together
One of The Baker Quintuplets Passes Away
The Morrison’s Talk About Losing Their 5 Babies For The First Time
John and Kate Plus 8

SOURCE

4 Of The Minnesota Quintuplets Feeding On Their Own

Lisa — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 07:46:08 +0000

The Mrozek quintuplets continue to improve in the NICU at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, according to Rory Mrozek, the babies’ father.

Breah, Lainey, Nathan, Matthew and Jackson were born on Oct. 18 to Rory and Jessie Mrozek. At birth the babies weighed between 1 pound, 15 ounces and 2 pounds, 10 ounces. Doctors gave them a 95% chance of survival at birth because they were in utero for almost 28 weeks.

Two weeks ago 4 of the babies were taken off their ventillators, with the smallest baby Lainey needing just a bit of help.

The children are now eating 10-25 ccs (about one-third to eight-tenths of an ounce) every three hours, the couple said. That’s increased from about 1 cc every eight hours shortly after birth. Doctors are using a combination of Jessie Mrozek’s breast milk and nutritional and calorie supplements, they said.

Once they are able to take all feeds by mouth, doctors will start to plan their discharge.

I am really impressed at how well these 5 are doing. I hope this couple has their room set up. It sounds like it won’t be long until the babies are home.

UPDATE:Minnesta Quintuplets Doing Well
Minnesota Mom Gives Birth To Quintuplets
Remaining Soldani Sextuplets Doing Well

SOURCE

UPDATE: Minnesota Quintuplets Doing Well

Lisa — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:19:20 +0000

The five babies born to Jessie and Rory Mrozek in Minnesota last week are said to be doing okay.

Four of the babies were taken off the ventilators over the weekend, with little Lainey waiting until Monday night. She was put back on Tuesday, which is not uncommon for babies born this early. (28 weeks gestation)

Three are said to be breathing by CPAP(an non-invasive method of keeping the lungs open while pushing air into them), Lainey is on a ventilator and Breah Lyn is breathing on her own.

Jessie, the babies mom, has been released from the hospital but plans to stay in the area to be close to the quints. They are not expected to go home for a few months yet.

The Sartell, Minn. community, where the family lives, has rallied around the Mrozeks. Dozens of parishioners at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church are praying as a group for the babies.

“They are going to be praying for these five little quints, so they develop well and healthy,” St. Francis pastoral minister Sister Cordy Korkowski.

On Tuesday, Rory Mrozek set up the Mrozek Quintuplet Trust on Tuesday at Wells Fargo banks to handle money donated for the quints. The family knows it will need a bigger vehicle, cribs and lots of supplies, he said.

The family will need more than money.

Rory’s sister, Netta Hodgkins, has started three diaper drives in the Twin Cities. She’s already received eight packages of diapers this week at her home in Shakopee. Her husband’s workplace and a friend’s running group have also started diaper drives for the family.

SOURCE

Minnesota Mom Gives Birth To Quintuplets

Lisa — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:37:03 +0000

Jessie Mrozek, a Sartell, Minn. mom gave birth Thursday to a rare set of quintuplets, one day short of three months before their full-term due date.

The five babies — three boys and two girls — were born at 7:52 a.m. Thursday to Jessie, 29, and her husband Rory, 30, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis. This is the same hospital that the Morrison Sextuplets were born at as well.

The babies weigh between 1 pound, 15 ounces and 2 pounds, 10 ounces. Each baby is between 12 and 14 inches long.

Doctors told the Mrozeks that four of the babies have a 95% chance of survival based on their birth weight and gestation period of 27 weeks, the couple said.

Steve Linders, spokesman for Abbott Northwestern, confirmed that Jessie Mrozek delivered five babies Thursday morning. She is recovering and doing well, he said.

“The babies are essentially as we would expect given the length of Mrs. Mrozek’s gestation,” said Allison Sandve, media relations lead for Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The babies are the neonatal intensive care unit of Children’s hospital, which works closely with Abbott.

Lainey’s water broke at 4 a.m. Thursday. That forced the emergency Caesarean section.

The five babies Jackson Nelson, Lainey Ann, Matthew James, Breah Lynn and Nathan Dean were born in that order between 7:45 and 7:57 a.m.

When the parents saw Lainey was not getting enough oxygen to her heart so she was pale and the doctors didn’t think she was going to make it.

They told Jesse that she would only be able to hold her foot. The new mom must have the touch because as soon as she touched her, her stats went up.

“She needed her mom,” Jessie said.

Three sets of quintuplets have previously been born in Minnesota, according to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. In two sets, all five of the children survived. In another set, one of the children died.

SOURCE