Athens couple Julianne and Matthew Kirkland had quadruplets last weekend at Georgia Regents Medical Center in Augusta.
Ashton Blake, Bradlee Ann, Walker Hayes and Meyers Wayne were born Saturday and are now in Children’s Hospital of Georgia’s neonatal intensive care unit. They join the Kirklands’ two young boys to make a family of eight. The babies range in size from 2 pounds 11 ounces to 3 pounds 11 ounces and were born via cesarean section
Julianne took a few minutes Wednesday to talk with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about some aspects of the rare experience:
Her first reaction at getting the news she'd have quads: I was in complete shock. I started to panic. Who has four babies? Nobody has four babies. Well, people do.
The good and and bad of having the babies at a hospital in Augusta: (My doctor) took great care of me. But I was away from my family for eight weeks. That was the hardest part. And it was hard on (Matthew). All of a sudden, he was a single dad.
Dealing with the physical part of carrying quads: I hurt all the time. I remember before thinking, how do people go through this with two.
A most precious moment: (Early in the pregnancy) They told us it was very unlikely that (all) four would go on. And there would just be triplets. Then, the moment we heard that fourth heartbeat …
What she's looking forward to: Getting home and having our whole family together. Our (two) boys haven't even seen the babies yet. (She estimates they all could be home in 6 to 9 weeks).
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