Submitted photo Canfield resident Melissa Beadle will celebrate Mother’s Day today with her quadruplets, who are 7. From left are Gia, Leo, Lea and Geo, who are in their birth order — which she calls their standard photo position.

CANFIELD — Changing 12,000 diapers per year and making more than 6,600 bottles annually was challenging for Canfield resident Melissa Beadle when her quadruplets were first born.

But today, she looks forward to Mother’s Day with her now 7-year old sons and daughters.

That first year was challenging, Beadle said. That year included working full time. Geo, Gia, Lea and Leo share a May 1 birthday.

“Mother’s Day is a special day for me because that was the month that my children were born. That Mother’s Day was the day that I was able to hold my babies for the first time, seven days after they were born,” she said.

She said she will remember and cherish for a lifetime Mother’s Day 2016.

“Each of them only weighed 2 pounds with a diaper the size of a pack of saltine crackers. Holding them one by one was the moment when I felt the unconditional love of being a mother,” she said.

Of the four, Gia is the oldest by two minutes while Lea was the smallest baby.

Beadle said her own mother, Mary Johnson, is her rock. “I would have never made it through this ever-changing life without her,” Beadle said of the support from her mother when she herself became a mom.

Beadle said she often is asked what it’s like being the mother of quadruplets. She said she doesn’t know what it would be like not being a mother of four.

“In the beginning, it felt very overwhelming. I worried every day about my children’s health, whether or not they would make their milestones and keep gaining weight and of course, how we would financially support them,” Beadle said.

She said she and her husband, Bob, are forever grateful to her parents and sister as their household of two in 2016 quickly became a family of six.

“Being able to lean on our village of friends, family and loved ones to help us every day brought support and love to our lives, while making memories that we will all cherish for a lifetime.” Beadle said. “We could’ve never done it without them.”

Beadle said she remembers someone once told her that in life, when you get to choose between the merry-go-round or the roller coaster, always choose the roller coaster.

“Well, being a mother of quadruplets is a lot like that, I’m riding the roller coaster every day,” she said.

Beadle said there’s never a dull moment with four children.

“At the end of every day I sit quietly and think to myself how thankful and blessed I am to have four healthy children who are carefree, fun-loving and compassionate about others,” she said.

Beadle said each of the children has his or her own interests and personalities.

She said Gia wants to grow up and be an ice cream truck driver because “everyone smiles for ice cream and they will love to dance to my song!” Gia is a yellow belt in karate.

Lea wants to be a baby doctor during the week and on the weekends go to the zoo and be the “flamingos keeper who feeds them shrimp.” She enjoys ice skating and Girl Scouts.

Geo wants to be an animal biologist in Madagascar, taking care of leopards like the PBS kids show “Wild Kratts.” He loves basketball and Ninja Warrior obstacle courses.

Leo wants to be an astronaut and an author to write a book “about me so other kids can hear about how I love all kinds of cookies.” He loves 4-H and animals.

Beadle said Geo and Leo also both say they want to be LEGO Master Builders.

“Each of my children has different personalities, but they are the same as they were in the womb … active, loving and adventurous children who are bonded together for a lifetime,” she said.

This Mother’s Day, Beadle said she looks forward to another special day of being with her quadruplets, who have changed her and her family’s life.

“I am thankful to have their four little voices say “Mommy, I love you” every day, especially on Mother’s Day!” she said.