Special Delivery: How We Are R

A second birthday celebration recounts the pregnancy, delivery, and raising of the Dilley sextuplets and describes the Dilley's bustling daily challenges of schedules, budgets, and love. 50,000 first printing.

Attempting unsuccessfully to get pregnant, Becki Dilley tried the fertility drug Pergonal-though she was aware of the risks involved in carrying multiple fetuses-and the couple's wish for a child was granted, six times over. Becki looked full-term at five months while suffering from partial paralysis and a host of other maladies, quit her nursing job and was hospitalized for the rest of her pregnancy. Her medical bills left the Indianapolis couple nearly bankrupt. Their infants were all born premature on May 25, 1993, but only Julian suffered problems severe enough to prolong his hospital stay. Today, Julian, Brenna, Claire, Quinn, Ian and Adrian, America's only surviving sextuplets, are healthy toddlers. The Dilleys, writing with Stall, who edits Indianapolis Monthly, recreate their parenting experiences, their children's emerging personalities, their decision to have Keith become houseparent while his wife resumed her nursing career. This highly entertaining, hope-filled book will gladden readers' hearts. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

And babies make eight.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the trauma of infertility to the special blessing of six newborn is a journey described in joyous detail by Becki and Keith Dilley (with coauthor Sam Stall, editor of their hometown Indianapolis Monthly magazine). The parents alternate in telling the story of the birth and first two years of their sextuplets, an excellent technique since they also alternate in the care of their family. For the first months, child care was Becki's obligation (aided by her mother). When Becki returned to work, Keith decided to take on child and house care full-time. Beyond the sheer monumental amount of work involved in ordinary tasks, such as laundry and meals, the parents stress the funniest aspects of life with six pint-size personalities. Let us hope the parents can steer them clear of a Dionne-type tragedy. Denise Perry Donavin