The “Incline Five” have been in the spotlight since before they were born five to seven months ago. Dela Preaseau, 7 months, Cody Koch, 6 months, Jasmine Shoemaker, 6 months, Katie Ferrall, 6 months, and Sam Browder, 5 months, had their first picture taken inside their mothers’ tummies around Halloween.

Now, the five are working on crawling, laughing and enjoying the care-free lifestyle diapers and hip-side transportation affords them.

Their moms have grown a lot too in the last half year, learning to enjoy kid food, television and enjoying the rapid changes that occur in the first few months of life.
Cody’s mother Nicole Koch said the best part of being the mother of a new baby is being able to eat peanut butter and jelly and grilled cheese sandwiches again.
“The best thing about being a mom is watching the daily changes and hearing my baby’s giggles,” Maggie Browder, Sam’s mother, said.

Browder said motherhood is the most challenging and rewarding job she’s ever had.
And these babies are a challenge, constantly vying for mom’s attention at the Tahoe Children’s Foundation ball pit. Some sat for a picture on the side of the small ball pit, calmly waiting for snapshots. Others take the opportunity to exert the power of dead weight and slide into the pit face-or-bottom first, squirming in the multi-colored plastic and giggling.

Since the moms of the Incline Five are all on their second baby, siblings have played a role in the little one’s development to this point.

“I think the best part of being a mom is the joy of watching both of my girls interact, learn, experience and love life,” said Dorea Shoemaker, Jasmine’s mother.

She also said she’s learning to harness her patience with Jasmine.

Kristen Ferrall said the best part about having Katie in the family is how much she enjoys time with both of her children.

“One thing I learned about being a mom is how fun it is to spend time with my kids- everything else is secondary now,” Ferrall said. “The best part is cuddling in awe of God’s little miracles and stomping in puddles in the rain.”

Learning that there is a new level of love is what Cassie Preaseau said she has got the most out of Dela’s first half year.

“The best thing I have learned is how to love unconditionally, and the one thing I love most about being a mom is everything,” Preaseau said.