Brooklyn MacDonald, 3, has plenty of company this Christmas, after his mum gave birth this year to quadruplets, from left, Quinn, Indie, Hudson and Molly. Photo / Cassandra English / Hazel & Cass
Just before last Christmas, Kendall MacDonald thought her son Brooklyn was going to be an only child forever.
This Christmas, the almost 4-year-old is a doting big brother to three baby sisters and one baby brother.
So much has changed in a single turn of the calendar for MacDonald and her husband Josh.
And on Tuesday the Timaru couple will celebrate the pinnacle of annual family celebrations in the company of four precious, much-wanted new people in their lives.
Four-month-old quadruplets Indie, Quinn, Molly and Hudson are blissfully unaware of Santa's imminent arrival, and the babies have been keeping their mum so busy that a week out from Christmas she hadn't found time to shop for presents.
"We've been so busy, and because our days and weeks are so chocka with appointments for [the quads], we haven't really got anything yet."
Brooklyn, because of his age, was a focus, but she expected to also buy a few toys for her youngest children.
The family had also faced ongoing health challenges, most seriously when Molly was flown to Christchurch Hospital with lung problems soon after the babies were discharged after spending their first three months in neonatal units.
This week both Molly and her fraternal twin brother, Hudson, had bronchiolitis and their identical twin sisters Indie and Quinn, along with Brooklyn and Josh, had colds, MacDonald said.
But despite the challenges the babies were growing — each now weighed between 3.45kg and 4.9kg, compared to 1.1 to 1.3kg when they were born at 28 weeks and four days gestation — and were hitting the milestones of their age-corrected six weeks, their proud mum said.
"They're smiling, cooing and starting to [baby] talk. And Molly and Quinn are trying to roll over."
It's all so far from a year ago, when the couple — struggling for three years to have a second child — decided she would use the fertility drug clomiphene for only a few months and, if unsuccessful, they would give up on their dream of growing their family, MacDonald said.
"I thought Brooklyn was going to be an only child forever. I still don't quite believe it. It's definitely not easy, but it's worth it. I can't wait for them to be running around and talking."
For now, the 27-year-old wanted to thank everyone who had been so kind to the family, including those who had sent Christmas presents for the children, including elf, Santa and reindeer outfits from Postie for all five, and which she planned to debut for family on Christmas Day.
The busy household of seven will host Christmas for immediate family on Tuesday — leaving the house with four babies and a preschooler was too daunting — but with guests each bringing a plate MacDonald wasn't expecting to be rushed off her feet.
In fact, the onslaught of relatives might actually be a lull from the demands of 30 nappy changes and 24 — or around eight hours — bottle feeds each day.
Guests shouldn't be surprised if they're handed "a baby and a bottle" as they come in the door, MacDonald said.
"And I've told them all to stay as long as they like."
The new free open-air saltwater pool is already proving popular.