Baby Times Four: The First Year

Last year, The Early Show introduced you to a set of quadruplets born in the rarest of ways. The Hulford girls of Bellingham, Wash., - Anya, Emily, Constance and Andrea - are identical, born from a single egg! There are less than 30 such identical sets of quads in the world.

The Hulford quads have just celebrated their first birthday and The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman has an update.

Keeping the identical quads in order has never been easy. But Scott and Korie Hulford say life is almost back to normal.

"They're easier now. We don't have to hold them 24/7, so they're off and running," says Korie Hulford with a laugh.

Scott adds, "Plus they have each other, too, and they kind of follow each other around. Kind of like little ducklings."

Looking at them going around in several directions and ending with one on her lap, Kauffman concludes they are truly like little ducklings.

So how do the parents keep calm?

Korie, almost in stunned silence, asks, "Are we calm?"

Scott just laughs.

Scott and Korie still find it hard to believe that this time last year, their family of four suddenly became a family of eight.

If you wonder how many Pampers have they gone through in the last year, Korie says, "Someone calculated it for us, like anywhere from 10,000 to 14,000. We go through at least a garbage pail a day.

She adds, "You love them to death. They're absolutely wonderful. But MAN, (laughs then composes herself) it's massive wear and tear on your body and everything else."

The "everything else" includes older brothers, Michael and Christopher.

Korie says, "Last time, the boys were figuring out how to keep these little girls out of their room. They had things like, oh, a volcano, a cement pit - all kinds of evil things devised."

Back in October of last year, CBS caught Christopher and Michael plotting their strategy. Christopher said, "We'll put booby traps." Michael added, "Why don't you just put glue to the floor and they'll get stuck?"

When asked if they have gotten used to the girls, Scott says "yeah." Korie, "no."

But after seeing Michael hugging the girls, it is easy to deduct, the girls do seem to have finally won the boys over. But the babies have their moments.

The can get fussy at the same time and if they all want the same toy? Scott says with a laugh, "One of them wins, the other three cry."

In the Hulford household, quiet moments are few. And for Korie and Scott, here's a quick summary of their time alone.

"We've gone out a couple of times," Scott says. Korie adds, "We went to the movie theater once." Scott says, "We went to the Marina." Korie condescendingly notes, "That was in the daytime!"

Overall, Scott says it has been tough on the marriage. "We had it pretty good before." Korie adds with a laugh. "We were." Scott continues, "And now it's really strained it and it does to any parents of multiples, I'm sure."

Last time The Early Show talked to them, they said they were finished with making children."

End of discussion, right?

Scott says, "We could do lucky seven" and burst out laughing. Actually, what Korie wants most of all is something just about everyone else takes for granted.

She says, "Sleeping through the night again, some night!"

Korie Hulford did not take fertility drugs. Doctors say the odds of conceiving identical quadruplets naturally like this is one in 600 million.

The Hulford family is being aided by the Mother-Baby Center of Bellingham, Wash. That organization is accepting donations of any kind. To help out, contact Stacy Phelps at stacy@motherbabycenter.org.

Tax-deductible donations can be addressed to Mother Baby Center (note "Hulford Family" on the memo line of your check), 2183 Alpine Way, Bellingham, WA 98226. Or call (360) 647-1544 for more information.