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Keeping up with the Georges: 13 years after birth of quads, family adjusts
By REBECCA S. NIEMINEN
AUSTINTOWN
They say raising a teenager is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
If that’s the case, Brian George of Austintown will be nailing a lot of Jell-O to a lot of trees, all at the same time.
Brian is the father of Moira, Gretchen and Emma George, all 13. The teen trio, along with sister Allison, who died at 2 months, became local celebrities in 2004 as quadruplets born to Brian and his wife, Becky George, at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
Fertility drugs and artificial insemination caused Becky to conceive quadruplets, and when the tiny infants were born, the Georges became instant local celebrities, receiving plenty of curious interest and media coverage.
A lengthy Vindicator series detailed the intimate journey of bringing multiples into the world, and follow-up features highlighted the family’s progress and changes, including the addition of a baby brother, Seth, in December 2005.
It’s been a decade since The Vindicator has connected with the Georges, and during that time Brian and Becky say they’ve gone from being an area novelty to just another regular family.
“At first we were a novelty, but people have gotten used to us. We keep things pretty low key,” Brian said.
father’s day plans
For Father’s Day today, Brian doesn’t have any momentous plans. Asked how he would spend his special day, he smiled and wryly replied: “However I’m told.”
The wisecrack sparked peals of laughter from Brian’s children and wife as the family gathered in the living room of the Georges’ five-bedroom Nottingham Avenue home, where they have lived since 2008.
The girls, whose newborn baby photos once graced the front pages of The Vindicator, have matured into lively, freckle-faced, soon-to-be eighth-graders seemingly in the blink of an eye.
“Thirteen years have literally flown by,” said Becky, a stay-at-home mom. “You always hear parents say that it goes fast, and it truly does.”
Brian said the early years of raising multiples were more challenging than the teen years – so far.
“Those first five years were probably the hardest,” he reflected. “There were a lot of adjustments and demands. There were certain things that were just more difficult simply because of their ages – like taking all the babies somewhere at once, for example.”
Becky does acknowledge, though, that junior-high drama among pubescent girls brings its own unique brand of woes.
“At this age it can be really tough for girls. There’s a lot of drama in middle school, especially as hormones kick in,” Becky said, adding with a laugh, “I sometimes joke that it’s a hormonal hoedown around here.”
Seth, 11, who has the unique position of being younger brother to three 13-year-old sisters, heartily agreed.
“Having three older sisters is hard!” Seth exclaimed. “They bother me and try to tell me what to do!”
“Your wife will bother you and tell you what to do, too!” Gretchen fired back, eliciting another eruption of family laughter.
Three personalities
Asked to describe his sisters, Seth labeled Gretchen “stubborn,” Moira “motherly,” and Emma “whiny.”
Neither Gretchen nor Emma approved of Seth’s descriptions, and a playful squabble immediately ensued.
“They do fight sometimes,” Becky said with a laugh. “Overall, though, they’re close. They always have each other.”
Brian said people tend to make a lot of assumptions about multiples, but people shouldn’t assume that just because the girls were quadruplets that they have cookie-cutter personalities.
“They have distinctly different personalities and interests,” Brian said. “They act like siblings, not like twins.”
Although the girls have distinct differences, one thing they do have in common is their love of soccer.
One wall of the George living room is plastered with soccer photos, many of them also featuring Brian, who is a soccer coach.
“I have been coaching soccer for several years,” Brian said. “Coaching was a way to simplify time management – a way for me to be with them and to do something we all could enjoy. I would say that is probably the biggest challenge – the time management. Making sure you remember to keep things on the calendar. Keeping everything straight.”
The girls, who are students at Austintown Middle School, also have participated in other sports, as well as robotics.
“It can be challenging to get them to their activities when they want to branch out in different directions,” Becky said. “They really love their sports and are very tough about it and not afraid to compete.”
Achievements and abilities
Because many premature babies face developmental challenges, Brian and Becky are particularly proud of the girls’ achievements and abilities. The George girls ranged from 2 pounds 7 ounces to 3 pounds 2 ounces at birth, but they have experienced no developmental problems or delays.
“Academically, socially and athletically, they have done great,” Becky said. “They are very intelligent, and we are very lucky that they’ve had no problems.”
In kindergarten, the girls were in the same classroom, but by third grade Brian and Becky requested the girls be in different classes to help them learn independence and build social skills.
Becky, however, said she reminds her daughters often that “friends are fleeting but sisters are forever.”
The memory of Allison, who died April 22, 2004, of spinal meningitis, is also forever.
“We talk about Allison all the time,” Becky said. “Every April 22 we go to the cemetery and release balloons in honor of her memory.”
Becky recalled one occasion when the family had gone to dinner and each child had left the restaurant holding a balloon. Outdoors, Emma accidentally let go of her balloon and instantly began to cry. Becky quickly intervened.
“I said to Emma, ‘Oh look! How wonderful! You let your balloon go up to heaven for Allison!’ And immediately all the other kids let their balloons go, too,” Becky said.
The girls said Allison’s death has made them more aware of how strongly a child’s death can affect a parent.
“If you do something to cause yourself to pass away, you’re leaving everyone behind to mourn you,” Gretchen said. “So you should make good choices.”
Brian and Becky learned they were pregnant with Seth one year to the day after Allison died.
“There was a chance we could have another pregnancy with multiples, but it was a risk we were willing to take,” Becky said.
As for Father’s Day, Seth has announced he wants to go see the movie “Captain Underpants” – a request that’s met with immediate groans of protest from the rest of the family, including Brian.
So maybe, in this case, Brian won’t do whatever he’s told after all.