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Happy Birthday x 5!

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Rachelle and Jayson Wilkinson of Cedar Park have a lot to celebrate this week. Tomorrow will be the first birthday of their quintuplets, born on July 31, 2007.

When they were born, the quintuplets weighed a total of 21 pounds, 7.2 ounces, a new record in the U.S. Now they are bundles of energy and curiosity, rushing to untie a visitor's shoe or examine anything new that turns up.

The family planned an open house-style birthday party for the babies for Thursday, inviting all those who have helped them out over the past year (up to 150 are on the guest list).

The Wilkinsons face the same challenges as any family with babies, but on a very large scale. Take their whopping diaper count, for example. The family uses 25 to 30 diapers a day. They go through 15 jars of baby food and 20 baby bottles each day, between one and two boxes of baby cereal, and three big boxes of Cheerios each week.

Rough as that sounds, “It's been easier than I expected,” said Rachelle. “I actually used to wonder if I would make it through the first year. When I first found out I was pregnant with quintuplets, it seemed like such a huge, daunting task. But you adjust to the situation. You get used to it. The babies have also adjusted.”

Even as babies, the quintuplets have figured out that they can't expect total attention from their mother 24/7. “They know I can't hold all five at a time,” said Rachelle.

Thankfully, the Wilkinsons have received a lot of help from friends and relatives. Rachelle's mother, Betty Ann Curtis, who lives in Arizona, has traveled to Texas frequently, spending weeks at a time with the babies.

Friends have spent time with the babies, giving the Wilkinsons a chance to get out of the house with their two oldest children, Riley, 8, and Kaiya, 5. The older brother and sister have also been a big help. Jayson reads bedtime stories to Riley and Kaiya, making sure they get enough one-on-one time.

The biggest challenge is finding enough time to get everything done, said Rachelle. “I still have to spend time with the older kids and take care of the rest of the household,” she said.

The family manages by sticking to a strict schedule. All of the quints eat and nap at the same time. They are also color-coded - purple, yellow, pink, blue and green. Everything from clothes to spoons to diaper bags, are coded to help the family keep track.

Their young lives might be regimented, but the quintuplets are anything but identical. They have very different personalities. “I noticed that from the first day they came home from the hospital,” said Rachelle. “As they get older, they have even more distinct personalities.”

Rustin (blue) has a temperament to match his red hair. He's the bully of the group. He was the first to crawl, and likes to snatch toys from the others.

Ryder (green) wants as much one-on-one as he can get. “He can be charming, but he needs a lot of attention,” said Rachelle.

Kassidy (purple) is the thinker and a “momma's girl.” She is the first to figure out how the toys work.

Kaydence (yellow) is the one with the funny bone and the biggest snuggler. “She's the easiest one to make laugh. She's a lot of fun,” said Rachelle.

Kyndall (pink) is the most contented and laid-back of the group - but if someone takes her toy, look out! She'll put up a fight for it.

As might be expected, the babies are very competitive. Jayson recently made a video of an “Olympic-caliber” Cheerios eating contest. Rustin won, receiving a gold-medal bib. Riley and Kaiya performed as emcees on the video.

YouTube videos of the quintuplets in action can be seen through Jayson's blog, via the family's website at www.wilkin sonquints.com

The Wilkinsons aren't actively seeking donations like they were a year ago, but they won't turn them down either. “We could always use some more diapers,” said Rachelle.

E-mail charles@hillcountrynews.com

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