Rago ? Two years after being told it was likely their six babies would not be born alive or would suffer serious defects, Sondra and Eldon Headrick are watching their children’s different personalities emerge.

With the help of more than 40 doctors and nurses, Sondra delivered the three boys and three girls on April 6, 2002 at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Joseph campus. She had undergone fertility treatments the previous summer.

Now, watching Ethan, Melissa, Grant, Sean, Jaycie and Danielle grow reminds their parents — and their older sister, Aubrianna — how fortunate they are.

Sondra rattles off the emerging personalities:

“Danielle loves giving kisses. She turns your head so she can kiss you.

“Sean gives kisses when asked.

“Ethan loves to roughhouse with anyone.

“Jaycie tells on others when they do something wrong.

“Grant likes things neat: Hands clean, clothes clean and diapers stacked in a pile.

“Melissa likes to play alone and do her own thing.”

All six walk — and run.

They’re saying many words, including “Mama” and “Dada.”

They have full sets of teeth, and aren’t afraid to use them, Eldon says.

Recently, they endured their first haircuts.

And, they are still wearing diapers. A lot of diapers. Sondra calculates they have used 33,000 diapers in two years.

In a house of six toddlers, their big sister has not been forgotten. Aubrianna, who just turned 6, wears the title of big sister like a badge of honor. She sometimes enters a home or business before the rest of the family to announce that the sextuplets have arrived.

“She probably knows more about taking care of babies than most kids her age. She has a lot of responsibilities,” Sondra says. “Sometimes it’s hard for Eldon and I to realize that she’s just a 6-year-old.”

The Headricks’ double-wide mobile home in rural Kingman County was too small long ago.

Cribs have taken over two of the three bedrooms. Aubrianna sleeps on a toddler bed in the remaining bedroom she shares with her parents.

The couple shopped for a new home in surrounding communities but found nothing that suited their needs.

“We need big bedrooms, more bedrooms,” Sondra says.

They bought land in Norwich and filled out an application with Habitat for Humanity.

Sometime soon, Habitat will build the Headricks a new home, four blocks from where Aubrianna attends school.

The Headricks were selected based on their housing needs, ability to pay and willingness to work with Habitat. Eldon earns about $34,000 a year working for the city of Wichita. Sondra left her job at the Kingman Community Hospital in 2001 after discovering she was pregnant.

Before construction begins, Sondra and Eldon must donate 200 hours of work to Habitat for Humanity at various job sites. They’ll have to put in 100 hours of work on their own home as well. Friends and family can donate an additional 100 hours.

The Headricks will pay around $350 a month in house payments for the next 20 years.

As children grow, so do expenses.

Many gifts and donations stopped after a year, and more will stop when the children turn 2. In a year, the parents must take over lease payments on a donated van.

Sondra says she’ll need to go back to work when the six enter school.

Until then, both parents enjoy the time they’ll have with the children. Teaching them all they can. How to color. ABC’s. Math.

But of all those lessons, there’s one Sondra’s most looking forward to.

“Potty training has been initiated.”