Page A6
Quintuplets
Continued from page A1 New Day Northwest. Today, the quintuplets — Aniston, Belle, Camilee, Scarlett and Weston — pursue their individual interests. They are in different
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classes at school and enjoy a variety of after-school activities: gymnastics, ballet and hockey. You might see the children and their 11-year-old sister Lilli at the Vintage Housewife, which their mom co-owns. Lilli likes to help out at the cash regis-
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ter and the children create refrigerator magnets to sell. Mom puts their earnings into a savings account. Courtnee Stevenson said the experience of raising six children is not much different from that of moms of fewer children, except there’s just so much more of everything. “Every mother goes through the same exact things as I do. It’s just that mine is times 6,” she said. “When the quintuplets were going through the ‘Terrible 3s’, it was times 5.” Stevenson was initially told that she would not be able to have children without fertility treatment. Her first treatment resulted in her first pregnancy with Lilli. She and her husband expected the same result the second time around. But, nine weeks into her
Woodson
Continued from page A5 been grateful ever since I got arrested. I was reunited with my family. My parents forgave me for the craziness I put them through. I never thought I would become homeless, but getting back with my family has pulled me out of the pit I had put myself in. I learned a lot
“I see three babies. No, I see four. Wait, there’s five!”
Friday, March 21, 2014 | North Kitsap Herald
“[My children] say, ‘Mommy, you saved all of us.’ ”
— Ultrasound technician, upon determining that Courtnee Stevenson was pregnant with quintuplets
— Courtnee Stevenson. She decided to carry all five of her children while pregnant, rather than end any of the pregnancies.
pregnancy, Stevenson got really sick and had terrible headaches. During an ultrasound to check her condition, the technician said, “I see three babies! No, I see four. Wait, there’s five!” Stevenson’s 80-year-old grandmother was in the exam room with her. She started jumping up and down and said, “I knew you’d do something great!” Stevenson’s doctors at UW wanted her to carry two babies and terminate the other pregnancies; she said her doctors told her
she was doing a disservice to her husband and daughter by keeping all five babies, that a woman’s body is not meant to handle such multiple pregnancies. Once she saw a baby’s face on the ultrasound, she said, there was no way she would make that choice. Stevenson found a support group, MOST, for women with multiple pregnancies. Through the group, she made contact with Dr. John P. Elliot in Arizona who specializes in multiple births. It was
at Swedish Hospital that Stevenson found Dr. Tanya Sorenson, who agreed to work with Elliot. Stevenson spent four months on bedrest in the hospital and all the babies were born just fine. The Stevenson quintuplets consider their mom their hero. “They say, ‘Mommy, you saved all of us,’” Stevenson said. “My children are more of an asset than a burden.” What will the quintuplets do for their birthday? They will have their first slumber party. Each girl has invited two friends, while brother Weston made the case to his mom that he should be able to invite three friends. So, yes, on March 30 the Stevenson home will be a household of 16 children — likely giggling instead of sleeping.
from my experiences out there, and I know life could have been a lot easier without the needle in my arm.
and May 1, at 6:30 p.m. Speakers include Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder, Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson, county public health officer Dr. Scott Lindquist, Coffee Oasis executive director David Frederick, and youth who have been going to The Coffee Oasis. These community forums are a project of Leadership Kitsap Class of 2014 and are spon-
sored by the Kingston Rotary Club, the Greater Kingston Kiwanis Club, and the Kitsap Community Foundation. All forums will be catered by The Coffee Oasis with light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. RSVP to coffeeoasiskingston@gmail. com. Additional information is available on Facebook. — Ian Woodson’s column will be published once every three weeks.
Upcoming forums If you wish to help homeless youth in our area, there will be a series of forums at Kingston Middle School about bringing The Coffee Oasis to Kingston. Forums are scheduled on March 20, April 10
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