Ashley Ness is a mom of an 8-year-old and a stepmom to a 10 and 7-year olds. One day, she went to get a refill of her daily pills and she found out she was actually pregnant. Initially, she was calm and decided to just go with the flow. However, things got wildly different for her at her first ultrasound appointment when she found out she was expecting twins!

Finding Out About the Twins

During the ultrasound, Ashley got worried when the technician stepped out of the room, leaving her alone in there. She recalled being worried that something was wrong with the pregnancy and that she waited for what felt like an hour before the technician came back to the room. The technician then asked a non-comforting question about whether the expecting mom has told anyone she was having twins. Ashley was not surprised by this news because twins run in both her and her husband’s families, but what came next was the real shocker.

What Happened Next

After the initial news that she was having twins, Ashley received the actual news that made the ultrasound technician go out of the room – she was expecting not one but two sets of identical twins! The technician saw two placenta sacs, which is so rare that she had to make sure she saw things properly before telling the expecting mom. The technician even said she stepped out of the room to Google it and be sure that she saw it correctly. The odds of this happening is about 1 in 10 million.

The Mom’s Reaction

Like everyone who’s expecting twins, triplets, or like in this case – quadruplets, the mom was initially stressed out about raising four babies at the same time. Although she has parenting experience, having so many little ones is stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. However, she got so much support from her clients (she’s a hairdresser) and other members of the community that she’s now feeling much better about being a mom to seven children.

Everyone enjoys simple buttered noodles. However, eating it regularly can get boring. Pasta is a quick and easy meal to prepare and can always be elevated for a fancier taste, even when the kids are cooking. All they have to do is throw in a few ingredients and come up with their own combinations.

Pasta and the Sauce

There are different kinds of pasta types and shapes out there, which leave a lot of room for experimenting. Whether you want regular pasta, chickpea, black bean, lentil, or gluten-free noodles, the options are endless. You can even try frozen or fresh options like cheese or meat-filled tortellini, gnocchi, and ravioli. These are typically precooked and can make meal preparation even faster.

In terms of the sauce, there are homemade marinara recipes that you can follow or you can keep things simple with a jarred or premade version. Simply adding some olive oil to the pasta and some herbs can complete the pasta dish.

Add Frozen Veggies

Adding frozen veggies to your pasta is a great way to encourage kids to eat their vegetables. Fresh veggies typically taste better, but frozen have just as many nutrients.

Here are some to consider:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Chopped Broccoli, Asparagus, or Peas
• Sliced Mushrooms

Add Meat of Choice

While meatballs are a common pasta staple, they’re not the only type of meat to add to your dish. Here are some other options:

• Leftover rotisserie chicken
• Salami or ham
• Fully cooked sausage
• Frozen shrimp or scallops

Don’t Forget the Cheese

Don’t just bake the cheese into your pasta dish. You should also be adding it on top of your dish so that the residual heat from the pasta can melt it. Try the following cheese options:

• Small mozzarella pearls
• Crumbled feta
• Gorgonzola
• Sliced or cubed brie or camembert
• Cubed smoked cheese like gouda