It started with ғᴇʀᴛɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs and then when they were Pʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ with ᴛᴡɪɴs it ended up being a ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇs which was very ᴅɪsᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛɪɴɢ to the couple. Followed by other ᴍɪsᴄᴀʀʀɪᴀɢᴇs. Chad and Amy Kempel were finally able to have two healthy 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. As happy as they were, they wanted a few more kids. Eventually, Amy was Pʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ again and this time with more 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren than they imagined. 5, at one time. The couple had ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴜsɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛʀᴀᴜᴛᴇʀɪɴᴇ ɪɴsᴇᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, where sᴘᴇʀᴍ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴsᴇʀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ’s ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs ɴᴇᴀʀ ʜᴇʀ ᴇɢɢs. Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs had warned the process could result in ᴛᴡɪɴs or even ᴛʀɪᴘʟᴇᴛs, but the family didn’t expect to see five ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛs.

An early ᴜʟᴛʀᴀsᴏᴜɴᴅ confirmed their suspicions, but never did they imagine what came next. Chad Says: “The ᴜʟᴛʀᴀsᴏᴜɴᴅ lit up like the 4th of July with ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴇᴀᴛs just all over the place. The ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ just goes, “Okay, so, here we go. Baby A, Baby B.” We’re sǫᴜᴇᴇᴢɪɴɢ each other’s hands, and I don’t think there’s any words said at that point.” Recalls Amy: “After reaching Baby D, the ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ told them, “Wait, I think I found another one. He recounts, and this time, he goes up to E.

Says Chad: “At that point, Amy’s ʜʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴄᴀʟ, ᴄʀʏɪɴɢ. And I’m ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ — we knew that that kind of ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ usually doesn’t last. You’re ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏsᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.” Despite the urging of Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴏ ᴀʙᴏʀᴛ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴇᴛᴜsᴇs ᴛᴏ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇs, called ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ, the Kempels refused. The Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs went right into saying, you know, the best chance at having any kind of ʙɪʀᴛʜ out of this is if you guys go in and sᴇʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴅᴜᴄᴇ. Adds Amy: “You’re ᴀʙᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ whether they’re healthy or not. And you’re not even guaranteed that the one or two that are remaining will actually make it.”

The next five months were a ᴡʜɪʀʟ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ’s ᴠɪsɪᴛs and phone consultations with a specialist in Aʀɪᴢᴏɴᴀ to increase the chances that all five 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren would be 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 healthy. At 27 weeks and 3 days, on Jan. 11, 2018, Amy gave ʙɪʀᴛʜ to three boys and two girls — Lincoln, Noelle, Grayson, Preston and Gabriella. says Chad: “We were so relieved. After up to 73 days in the N.I.C.U, all appeared healthy and had come home.

But even as the couple was elated that the 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ, Amy found herself ᴏᴠᴇʀᴡʜᴇʟᴍᴇᴅ with a flood of mixed emotions over what lay ahead. She recalls wondering: “How do you care for seven, all 3 and under?” It hasn’t been easy. In May 2019, the family moved from their nearby extended family in Cᴀʟɪꜰᴏʀɴɪᴀ ᴛᴏ Iᴅᴀʜᴏ, where they could afford to buy their four-bedroom home. Living solely on Chad’s salary — he works remotely from a home office — doesn’t leave much money for 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥care. A weekly trip to the grocery store easily tops $300 to $400, and Amy buys their clothes at second-hand shops.

Chad came up with 7 creative hacks for parents with a lot of babies to make their lives easier, and to streamline the parenting work to hopefully make things a bit simpler and more manageable. He created a new prop feeding system and even built a table with high chairs built right into it! He also retrofitted their van and added a changing table in the van for ease of use. Chad now shares his inventions on his youtube table and calls them “Quint Hacks.” Chad shares “It’s awesome. I was terrified of having all of these kids but having them here, healthy and happy now. It’s amazing.”