The Quad Squad: Utah couple manages life with quadruplets


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AMERICAN FORK — From the outside, it looks like any other house, but on the inside, it's a madhouse.

"We adjusted rather quickly," said Tyson Gardner, proud father of 1-year-old quadruplets. "We didn't really have a choice."

Their mother's been known to refer to them as an adorable pack of wolves. Each one is relatively calm, but when their powers combine, they're a force to be reckoned with.

"I don't know of anyone who really plans to have quadruplets," said Ashley Gardner, mother of four girls: Indie, Esme, Scarlett and Evangeline.

The Gardners tried to have a baby for eight long, frustrating years and even started the adoption process. They decided to make one final attempt.

"That was my last shot," Ashley said. "I don't have any eggs left. That was it, I wasn't going to be able to do this again."

The result of that attempt? Two sets of identical twins.

'Intertwined together'

"They'll tackle each other, and one'll get hurt, and you're just constantly comforting them," said Ashley Gardner. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)
"They'll tackle each other, and one'll get hurt, and you're just constantly comforting them," said Ashley Gardner. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)

"They're all friends," Ashley Gardner said. "They're all best friends. A lot of people ask me if the twins kind of pair off together, and that's not ever the case. They're all just kind of intertwined together."

Beating the odds the doctors gave them, all four are quite healthy.

"They take after their daddy," Tyson Gardner laughed. "They got a little meat on their bones."

Although both parents agree the girls are relatively well-behaved, caring for four toddlers isn't easy.

"It changes over the months and as they develop," their mother said. "The hard parts change. When they first came home, they slept all the time, but they were up every three hours, and you were feeding and changing and burping every three hours. So that was really hard. We were super sleep-deprived. Now, they sleep through the night, they take great naps, but they're super mobile. They'll tackle each other, and one will get hurt, and you're just constantly comforting them."

The Gardners have a system for dealing with what some may call a herd of babies.

"We take turns," their father said. "We definitely take turns. Having quadruplets is a lot of work. You've got to each put in equal time. Not one of us changes more diapers than the other, not one of us does more laundry or more feedings. We split it equally."

Snack time for the quadruplets. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)
Snack time for the quadruplets. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)

Swaddle blanket business

There's a big reason this division of labor is successful: Ashley Gardner is a stay-at-home mom, and thanks to his wife's ingenuity, Tyson is a stay-at-home dad.

"When the girls were in the NICU, I started making swaddle blankets that were really good for swaddling babies," Ashley said. "I mean, to reswaddle four babies constantly was a nightmare. So I found this material I really liked that kept them swaddled, and yet, they could move, and it was really breathable, and I thought, 'Maybe some other people might like these too.'"

The blankets do big business on Etsy because these babies are international superstars.

"They're our models for it and everything," Ashley Gardner said.

They have a website, called the Gardner Quad Squad. They also have a large presence on social media, through Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

"The babies have had a following since, you know, before they were even here," Tyson Gardner said.

Their story's even attracted national media attention on CNN, in People magazine, and even the "Today" Show.

"We've received postcards, gifts, letters, packages from all over the world," said Tyson Gardner. "It's been amazing to see how far social media can take your story."

Soon to be 'Rattled'

The Gardner's TLC show "Rattled" premieres February 2nd. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)
The Gardner's TLC show "Rattled" premieres February 2nd. (Photo: Ray Boone, KSL-TV)

And now, these pint-sized Kardashians are about to take the next step, with a new show premiering on Feb. 2 on TLC. It's called "Rattled," a reality show following four groups of first-time parents.

"We had several production companies contact us for a show," Ashley Gardner said. "It's going to be so much fun. I'm super excited to see how it all plays out."

The Gardners decided to be selective, turning down offers until they found the right fit.

"A lot of them wanted to be here 24/7; they wanted cameras everywhere in the house; it was just very excessive," Tyson Gardner said. "We're first-time parents. We wanted to have something for ourselves."

"They would come out about every six to eight weeks," Ashley Gardner said. "They'd just stay for a couple of days. They'd come in the morning, we'd break for lunch, they would work around the girls' schedule to make sure they were getting their naps and their feedings and all that in."

The Gardners believe they found the right production company and say have plenty of private time — private time to care for their lovable pack of wolves.

But after eight years of waiting, these first-time parents wouldn't have it any other way.

"We hope people at home will take from our story that there's hope," Tyson Gardner said. "Never give up. They didn't necessarily happen in the timeframe we wanted them to, but our dreams came true."


Ray Boone is a photojournalist for KSL-TV. Contact him at rboone@ksl.com

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