The babies have no idea the extent to which the daily choreography by mom and grandmom and dozens of volunteers ensures that they have everything they need -- at just the moment they need it.
"I couldn't do it, I couldn't do it without help," Bonnie said, as the door bell rang.
Bonnie and her daughter Brooke, who is 2-1/2-years-old, greet Rosalee Newton at the door. Newton is among 30 volunteers scheduled to help care for the Selby babies. Collectively, they cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making sure someone is there for feedings every four hours.
"It would be nice to say I'm doing this for Bonnie, or the good of the church or something, but I'm doing it for me!" Newton said. "I'm here to feed babies; It's the highlight of my week."
Another volunteer, Heidi Leachman, has two boys, so coming to the Selby's house is quite a treat.
"I miss the fun of cuddling, holding, feeding, Leachman said. It's just an awesome feeling. We're such a small, small part of everyone that helps out."
Grandma, Minnie Byrd, is the most dedicated volunteer. She spends three-quarters of her week and three all-nighters caring for her grandchildren.
"It's about loving babies and helping my daughter," Byrd said, adding "The whole thing has gotten down to a routine. It's really not that hard."
The Selby's have baby care boiled down to a science. Brian Selby, the dad, is an accountant. They've designed a spreadsheet to keep track of how all the girls are doing. It shows when they're fed, how much they ate and the charts are color-coordinated to match the color painted on their big toe, pacifier and bottle.
Big sister Brooke is sometimes skeptical and a little jealous of her new sisters, but she's also a big helper. She has learned how to feed her little sisters a bottle and even burp them. She likes to tell each person in the room, "Brooke feeds Sydney!"
It's often a quiet, peaceful scene in the living room of the Selby house. That's the location of the crib where all four newborns like to sleep side by side.
"You haven't been here when it's been out of control! That's usually when we're in charge," said Brian, who recently found full-time employment close to home.
Brian says the routine feedings and changings are relentless. And then there's the housework.
"I have it easy, I get to go to work," he said.
But, when dad comes home, it's playtime for Brooke, and dad and daughter wrestle in the living room until bedtime.
Bonnie says while the routine is repetitive, it's also very rewarding. She says she's more well-rested than most singleton moms because she has so many volunteers help her. The Selby's even have a few volunteers who softly knock on their front door at 2 a.m. to help with the overnight feeding.
"You take the time in life to hold your baby because that baby won't be a baby very long," Bonnie said.
She says it still doesn't "feel real" to have the babies home. Maybe it will feel real once they all start walking.
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