When Denair couple Rene and Tania Villanueva talked about starting a family they envisioned maybe two children, but they say Gᴏᴅ had other plans for them because they are now parents to the Qᴜᴀᴅ Sǫᴜᴀᴅ. The Qᴜᴀᴅ Sǫᴜᴀᴅ are the Villanueva’s four sons — Andrew, Julian, Samuel and Robert, who was named after the couple’s doctor.
The couple wasn’t sure if they would be able to have children because Tania said she had ɪɴꜰʀᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴛ ᴏᴠᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. But their doctor thought there was more than a good chance and started Tania on a ʟᴏᴡ-ᴅᴏsᴇ ꜰᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ ʀᴇɢɪᴍᴇɴ. It didn’t take very long before a ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴛᴇsᴛ came up ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ. Rene said: “The doctor told us later that it was just like a ʙᴏᴏsᴛ, ninety percent was from us and 10% from the ʙᴏᴏsᴛ.” The news that they were expecting was just the first in a series of ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇs for the couple.
Rene said: “We weren’t really sure if it would happen, so we would have been so happy if Gᴏᴅ gave us one,” Because of the ᴘᴀɴᴅᴇᴍɪᴄ only Tania could go in for the doctor appointment, so she was alone when the doctor told her there were ꜰᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛs. Tania said: “I was in sʜᴏᴄᴋ, then I heard all the ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛs. I was still in ᴅɪsʙᴇʟɪᴇꜰ.”
The next big sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ for the couple would come at the gender reveal party. First there was a balloon to pop, which came out ʙʟᴜᴇ. Then there was a ᴄᴏɴꜰᴇᴛᴛɪ sʜᴏᴏᴛᴇʀ, which again came out ʙʟᴜᴇ. A ball was broken open and it spilled out ʙʟᴜᴇ powder. Finally, there was a cake to cut into. Rene said: “I cut into it and it was ʙʟᴜᴇ, all the guys at the party were going ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ and the girls were all ᴄʀʏɪɴɢ. I thought there would be at least one girl, but everything kept coming out ʙʟᴜᴇ. I thought if Gᴏᴅ was sending me four boys, then it would be for a reason.”
Carrying four babies meant a ʜɪɢʜ-ʀɪsᴋ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ for Tania. She had ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ sɪᴄᴋɴᴇss all through the ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ, even on the day of the ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ. There were numerous sleepless nights and at one ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴘᴀɪɴ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏ ʙᴀᴅ Tania had to use a walker and a wheelchair. Tania said: It was very ʜᴀʀᴅ but the sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ was worth it.” The couple is looking forward to the day when they will be able to bring their four sons home. And while there is some nervousness about the workload that awaits them, they have a line of ready and willing helpers in new grandmothers, aunts, cousins and church friends. Rene said: “We just can’t wait for them to be home and we can embrace and cherish every moment with our babies.”
Tania said: “It was all very fast. I was ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ at 11:30 a.m. and had my first baby at 2:36 p.m. I was very happy.” The first to be born was Andrew. Then came Julian, Robert, and Samuel. At the time, she was 28 weeks ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ. That is, the little ones in a hurry got ahead in 12 weeks. Despite this, the four appeared to be in good health. What also sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇd everyone was that the siblings ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴏʀɴ at two-minute intervals. In other words, the difference between the firstborn and the youngest is only eight minutes. Something rare in a ǫᴜᴀᴅ ʙɪʀᴛʜ.
The couple is making the adjustment of having all four sons at home with help from an army of helpers. They come for shifts of three hours to help from the morning until early evening. Rene said: “It’s such a good feeling to have all this help.” All four of the boys are doing well and growing. Robert is the smallest and has a ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴍᴜʀᴍᴜʀ but doctors expect it will go away one day. Until then, his ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴛs ꜰᴀsᴛᴇʀ and he burns more calories because of it, Rene explained. The Villanuevas also are adjusting to what it’s like buying for four babies. Rene said he’s getting pretty experienced at clearing off shelves.
