The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #13

May 2, 2013May 2, 2013Amber 6 Comments

I had a good chuckle yesterday when George’s aunt asked me how the weekend was and I replied, “We had a good weekend, but um…I don’t remember what we did. It was a long time ago.” By the time Wednesday rolled around it took me a minute to even recall what we did just three days prior. I’m going to plea the Quad Mom card on that one. After a short pause, I was able to recall our weekend and it was in fact a good one. Over the past week, we had plenty of bright spots worth remembering so here are the little things!

1. Saturday evening George and I had a rare opportunity for a date night. Thanks to Nisey and Grandpa we were able to steal away a few hours to meet fellow quad parents, Mike and Amber Bell, for dinner. Amber and I became sort of pen pals shortly after I discovered we were expecting quads. At that time I ferociously Googled about quads and I stumbled upon her blog, Texas Tales. I immediately emailed her and was ecstatic when she replied back with words of encouragement and hope. She was about 7 weeks ahead of me and always helped me prepare for “what is to come”. In fact, she still does that! I love checking in with her “Quad Squad” to see what they are up to. Despite our online friendship, Amber and I had never met prior to this weekend. She was living in Houston, which is about five hours away. However, they recently relocated back to Dallas/Fort Worth, opening up a chance for a meet up. George and I had a wonderful time chatting with another couple who has the same normal as we do. Plus, Amber and Mike are so sweet and fun to hang out with. We have hopes of future dinners and quad play dates! Amber and I both fell down on the job and did not snap a single picture over dinner so we will just have to meet up again soon. To check out their story about the Quad Squad, visit http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/

I totally snagged the idea of feeding the babies Ritz from Amber. They LOVED them! Funny thing, the boys crammed them in their mouths like Cookie Monster while the girls nibbled them like little ladies. We are just steps away from a food fight and tea party, I think.

2. Around the time I went on bed rest, our Peke-aPoo, Sasha became sort of lethargic. She turned out to be a fantastic bed rest buddy since she loved to snuggle and sleep the day away with me. When the babies trickled home, Sasha, retreated to our closet most days only coming out for short bursts of time. We chalked it up to her getting older and having trouble adjusting to her new siblings. Several weeks ago, Sasha’s allergies flared up and she got horrible skin irritations all over her body. At first our vet thought it was just her allergies again, but did a blood panel to check. She discovered Sasha had a tick disease (who knows why since we keep her on flea/ tick preventatives). Anyways, she’s been on a round of antibiotics for four weeks and a few days a go she turned a corner. OMG- Sasha is a new dog! Our seemingly cantankerous dog has become spry and friendly again. We love having our Sasha back!

I put the Boppy pillows on the couch to vacuum and this is what happened next. On the birghtside, Sasha got the gumption to jump up there and be in the den with her family.

I put the Boppy pillows on the couch to vacuum and this is what happened next. On the brighttside, Sasha got the gumption to jump up there and be in the den with her family.

3. The babies had their nine month check up this week and in good quad mama fashion, I recruited a reinforcement. This time, our family friend, Terri helped me schlep the babies to see Dr. Knapp. She’s helped me numerous times and knows the drill perfectly. Our appointment went flawlessly and we were done in about 45 minutes. That meant we had some time before the spoon feed. Spontaneously, I asked Terri if she were up for a Costco run. With a glimmer in her eyes she happily accepted the challenge. The babies were angelic in Costco and we replenished supplies in under 35 minutes.

Not only did Terri come along for this shennanain, she rocked the Baby Bjorn WHILE pushing the twin stroller! She did a fantastic job fielding questions while Harper and I got to business.

Not only did Terri come along for this shenanigan, she rocked the Baby Bjorn WHILE pushing the twin stroller! She did a fantastic job fielding questions while Harper and I got to business. I’m thinking I ought to get her to help me do weekday Costco runs more often.

4. The babies are becoming increasingly aware of each other and often “entertain” their siblings. It’s a blast to watch! After nearly six weeks, Rylin, Harper, and Sydney are suddenly aware of Mason’s band and reach out to pat it or give it a good luck rub. On the downside, Mason thinks it’s a thrill to gently ram others with his band….oh boy! Stay turned for more on our home becoming Fort Knox!

Mason and Rylin have reeally been cracking each other up lately. I mean cackles came from them for over five minutes.

Mason and Rylin have really been cracking each other up lately. I mean huge cackles and guttural belly laughs.

5. I know this is totally irritating by now, but don’t forget to vote again for the Top 25 Moms of Multiples Blog contest. I really wish it was a vote once sort of thing, but it’s not so that means we have to keep soliciting votes to stay on top. We hang around 2nd through 6th place. At least it’s easy, just two clicks every 24 hours.

What little things brightened your week? Can you remember back that far?

Hugs!

Amber

Diaper Rash GONE! {Updated}

April 30, 2013March 9, 2015Amber 20 Comments

After eight months, it finally happened. One of the four little bums was struck with a dreaded diaper rash! We change diapers about every three hours during the day and use Vaseline as a liquid barrier. However, with babies who sleep all night long, they can sometimes sleep in a damp diaper. All that all night snoozing got to poor little Sydney. We used several different diaper creams without any success. They seemed to keep the rash at bay, but it just lingered for weeks. I even tried fellow quad mama, Rebecca’s tip of using hair dryer at every change to make sure Sydney’s little hiney was completely dry. No avail.

I finally caved and checked with Dr. Knapp. He has a recipe for what he dubbed, “Boo Boo” cream. It’s a mixture of equal parts: hydrocortisone, Lanacane, bacitracin, and A & D Ointment for treating diaper rash. This was not exactly an inexpensive treatment, but it really worked well for the rash. I noticed an improvement within one diaper change. We learned you have to mix it really well and use sparingly! I recommend using this only for difficult to treat diaper rash, not daily use.

These are the four creams we used to make Dr. Knapp’s Boo Boo Cream.

Dr. Knapp also does not recommend using commercial baby wipes. According to Dr. Knapp, the commercial wipes contain too many harsh ingredients that are harmful to babies and promote diaper rashes. Instead, he suggests using plain ol’ toilet paper! I’m sure toilet paper would get the job done, but the thought of using dry toilet paper for baby blowouts times four makes me cringe. George and I compromised on this and found several recipes for homemade baby wipes using paper towels. Over a few weeks we experimented with several different ones found on Pinterest. We also tried a handful of containers and liquid ratios until we found the sweet spot.

You will need: 1 roll of select a size paper towels, 4 cups water, 2 tbs. baby wash (any kind), and 1 tbs. baby oil.
Note: since the original writing of this post, I began adding 2-3 drops of tea tree oil and 2-3 drops of lavender oil, which are not pictured. The tea tree oil has antiseptic properties that heal and prevent diaper rash, and also help prevent the wipes from molding. The lavender adds a nice calming scent. You could use essential oils for whatever scent you like.

Here’s the step by step process:

1. cut the paper towels in half (other recipes have you cut about 1/4 off the top, but if you get a shorter container you can make two cans of wipes with one roll of paper towels). We found that the Felli Flip-Tite 1.4 L containers are a good size, I have also seen Oxo containers that would work great too.

2. Stuff half of the paper towels into one container and the other half into another. Then, pull the cardboard out of the center of the paper towels.

3. Whisk the water, baby wash, baby oil, and essential oils together.

4. Pour half of the liquid mixture over the paper towels in one container and the remaining half into the second container. My cousin said she prefers to pour the liquid over the paper towels before taking the cardboard out. We’ve tried both ways and prefer to take the cardboard out first because it can get too soggy. Either way works!

Ta Da! With this size container, we pulled a small wad out of the middle to get them to dispense properly.

I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of using homemade baby wipes and only tried them because we could not clear a diaper rash. To my surprise, these baby wipes work just as well as the commercial ones, and now I prefer them. They don’t take more than five minutes to make, and really seemed to help clear Sydney’s diaper rash. As an added bonus they smell great. For travel, we use Ziploc bags and toss into our diaper bag. We make one batch of baby wipes per week, costing us only about $1, which is the fraction of what we spent on commercial wipes.

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. When we make our baby wipes, we use an entire roll of paper towels so we have one container for each nursery. If you only need one container, be sure to divide all other ingredients in half, and save half of your paper towel roll for later.

NICU Reunion

April 28, 2013Amber 9 Comments

In what seems like an eternity ago, the babies’ NICU nurses often chattered about the day when the babies would be bigger, healthier and returning to the hospital. There would come a day they would return to the hospital not as patients, but as visitors for the NICU Reunion. At the time, I don’t think we could see the forest for the trees. Nine months later, we finally reached that point: NICU reunion time!

As part of the reunion, the hospital requested that each parent make a post of their baby filled with pictures from then and now with a statement sharing the NICU experience for current families to see, and bring them hope. As I often do, I procrastinated completing this project. Not because I did not want to do it, but I knew it would take me a good deal of time to create. Days before the reunion, I finally went to Snapfish and ordered tons of pictures of the babies from their NICU days to what they’ve been doing lately. It turned out to be quite the walk down memory lane. It was only nine short months ago that our babies weighed under 4 pounds each and lived in boxes. Oh how far we’ve come! A few hours after ordering over sixty pictures online, I picked up a thick envelope from our neighborhood Walgreens. The task daunted me even more when I flipped through a stack of pictures that would never fit onto a tiny poster. It sat on our dining room table in shambles for a few days until my mom came to the rescue. Mom just loves a creative project like this. I remember she and I staying up “all night” (what I later realized was more like 10:30 pm at most) doing school projects. Mom never did anything for me, but always put “her touch” on it so it looked just right. When it came to my latest project, Mom helped me sift through the mounds of pictures and then helped me to arrange them just so. I took a picture of the final product:

I was really pleased with the final result. In fact, I hated to part with my little project, it is a cute keepsake. I hope it inspires current and future families with babies in the NICU. After all, being in the NICU was hard, but we eventually saw the other side.

The pink piece of paper on the poster reads:

On February 2, 2012 our lives were forever changed by four tiny heartbeats detected on an early ultrasound. We were expecting quadruplets! That day we were warned about many possible complications and risks associated with high order multiples, particularly the fact that they would be premature. Instead of worrying, we began preparing. One of the first things we did was research NICU facilities in our area. After a tour of Cook, we immediately decided it was the place for our babies. Not only could they provide us with a private suite equipped for our quads, but we knew they would offer the best medical care possible and a family friendly environment for everyone. When the babies were delivered July 20, 2012, they were immediately transported to Cook. We later learned the staff was preparing for our babies weeks in advance.

Being in the NICU was not always easy. It became taxing seeing our babies so fragile and struggling to tackle seemingly simple tasks such as feeding. It was even more difficult to see them make gains one day and then backslide the next. However, being at Cook made our experience a pleasant one. The babies’ room always felt warm and inviting even though it was indeed a hospital room. All of the nurses, care partners, and staff took time to know us and the uniqueness of each baby. Staff who worked with us could tell at least one thing that was unique to each baby and they championed each baby’s successes. Not once did we leave the hospital worrying about the babies because we knew they were in the most capable, loving hands possible. If our babies could not come home with us, there is no other place we would have left them than Cook. Each morning when we would return for visits, we would find the babies dressed to match their linens and sometimes with notes or pictures taken from our camera. That warmed our hearts.

After a seven week stint in the NICU, babies started trickling home. Within a week’s time we found four tiny, yet healthy babies filling our home. At nine months old, it is difficult to believe how tiny they once were. Just like typical babies, they attack new milestones every day. We are now enjoying baby babbles, giggles, teeth, and even some scooting! We will forever hold Cook Children’s Hospital in our hearts as a special place that nourished our babies when they were so small.

Hugs,

Amber & George Shawver

We made it!

It took us weeks to find a night primary and we finally found Tiffany. However, she sent the babies home within four days! We were sad we didn’t get much time with her, but were happy to finally be home with all the babies.

Some of the babies’ nurses: Kim, Kiki, and Emily got to see how much the babies had grown.

George and I with Liz who was one of the babies’ primary nurses. She was instrumental in helping change Sydney’s protocol when she had pneumonia.

There were several volunteer photographers at the even, one captured these precious photos of each baby. I especially love Harper’s lion yawn.

Rylin became a bit fussy so Nisey rescued her from the Runabout.

Harper Stone

Mason River

Sydney Raine

One of the highlights of the reunion was meeting the McClean family. Unbeknownst to me, they were the only other set of quadruplets admitted to Cook Children’s. They are now four years old and too big for a Runabout. I appreciated that the father of the quads told George it got easier for them every year. Sometimes a little encouragement like that goes a long way!

The McClean and Shawver clans together!

The “big kid” quads checking out the baby quads.

Next year the reunion may be more exciting with babies who can walk! Of course, we’ll likely

hugs!

Amber

P.S. As of now, we are ranked 4th in the Top 25 blogs contest. You can vote for us in just two easy clicks.

What little things brightened your week?

hugs!

Amber

Semi-Homemade Baby Food

April 26, 2013November 3, 2015Amber 10 Comments

By age six months, our pediatrician wanted us to begin spoon feeds with the babies. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that using jarred food is not the most frugal way to feed four babies so we set out to make our own. When we first began making our own baby food we started solely with fresh produce bought in bulk: pears, bananas, avocados, and butternut squash. As the babies soared at noshing on these purees, we knew it was time to expand their palates. While we found making everything fun, it was also very time-consuming. George and I stepped back and considered our goals in feeding the babies solid foods. We determined it was to provide them with nutritional food and expose them to a variety of flavors and textures. Also when caring for four babies we are always budgeting two things: time and money. No doubt, homemade baby food offers a substantial savings over jarred baby food and is also more wholesome. However, making everything from scratch is not always the best way to budget our two precious commodities. Thus, I started getting creative in making “semi-homemade” baby food. When I go shopping to make baby food I divide what I will make into these categories: fresh produce, frozen produce, dairy, and canned foods/pantry items. When there is no price difference, I always choose organic. If there is a higher price, I only choose organic if it is an item with thin skin that is eaten (e.g. berries), but don’t put too much stalk into trying to buy all organic. The last few times I went shopping, I tracked some of the price per ounce to help compare to jarred baby foods. On average a jar of baby food costs $.16/oz. I’ve listed the average cost of items we buy regularly (for items where I kept data at least) for comparison.

Fresh Produce

Without a doubt fresh produce generally offers the most nutritional value. When selecting items to puree I consider the price: what is in season and on sale? I also consider ease of preparation. I choose items that involve the fewest steps possible. For example, bananas are both the cheapest and simplest to prepare: peel and puree. That’s it. Whereas making pears requires: washing, peeling, steaming, then pureeing. That is a four step process! So if you are going for fresh produce think cheap & easy!

My top picks for fresh produce are:

bananas $.04/oz

avocados $.08/oz

sweet potatoes (I bake them then pull the skins off and mash)

squash

baby carrots $.05/ oz

berries (any variety in season)

Frozen Produce

I found that frozen produce is an excellent way to supplement fresh items. Many times frozen produce contains the same (or greater) nutritional value as fresh because it is frozen at the peak of ripeness, and they offer items that may not be in season. I buy some of our frozen produce items in bulk from Costco, but I also buy small steam in bag varieties on sale at the grocery store. The smaller bags are perfect for the first time we sample something new. I toss them in the microwave for five minutes to steam then puree in the Baby Bullet. If the babies have an extreme aversion to them or an allergy then I don’t have to contend with an abundance of something. Also, I’ve found some steam in bag veggies that aren’t available in bulk. There are even some items such as fruits that do not require steaming at all. I let them thaw in the blender or Baby Bullet then puree them.

My top picks for frozen foods are:

berries (any variety) $.12-$.15/oz

peaches $.09/oz

broccoli $.06/oz

green beans $.06/oz

mixed vegetables

corn $.06/oz

peas $.06/oz

spinach $.06/oz

Dairy

Dairy items offer great sources of calcium and protein while taking a tart fruit or bitter vegetable down a notch. As far as yogurt goes, I price compare at the grocery store considering what is the least expensive per ounce. I stray away from “Light” versions due to the aspartame contained in them.

My go-to items from the dairy section are:

yogurt (I use both flavored and plain) $.07/oz.

ricotta cheese $.08/oz

cottage cheese $.07/oz

Canned Goods/ Pantry Items

Believe it or not, I find great baby food items in the canned food section. I check for the items with the fewest ingredients and additives and avoid anything that says “syrup”. Also, look for cans that are BPA free. Canned beans offer excellent sources of protein and require no cooking while canned pure pumpkin is chock full of fiber and vitamins. The best part about using canned goods is they do not require cooking, refrigeration, or freezing and travel well. When we take the babies out, we often bring cans of pumpkin and cups of applesauce.

On my list of canned goods/ pantry items are:

beans (all varieties) $.06/oz

pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) $.06/oz

corn $.05/oz

asparagus $.10/oz

applesauce $.05/oz

chicken, beef or vegetable stock (I sometimes add these to veggie purees as a source of protein)

I have a few favorite “recipes” for the babies and have also begun to puree the side dishes from our meals to make preparation much easier. As of right now, each “recipe” is one meal for all four babies, so it makes about four servings.

1. Creamy Corn

Steam 2 c. corn (or use one can corn rinsed and drained) then puree with 1/2 cup cottage cheese

2. Pumpkin Soufflé

mix 1 can pure pumpkin (NOT pie filling) with 1 c. applesauce and add a dash of brown sugar and cinnamon

I also do the same “recipe” with 1/2 c.-1 c. pureed carrots

3. Fiesta Beans and Corn

rinse and drain 1 can of beans (any kind), puree with 1 c. steamed corn (or one can corn rinsed and drained) and 1/2 c. plain yogurt

4. Pre–lasagne

steam a 12 oz bag of spinach and puree with a handful of grape tomatoes and 1/2 c. ricotta cheese

the babies also enjoy just spinach and ricotta cheese without the tomatoes

5. Refried Beans

drain and rinse 1 can of beans (any variety) then puree and blend in 1/4 c. plain yogurt

6. Fruity Oatmeal Smoothie (It occurred to me that minus the oatmeal I can also have this for breakfast if I double the recipe)

thaw 1 c. frozen berries then puree with 1/2 a banana, blend in 1 c. yogurt and 1 c. baby oatmeal

7. Green Bean Casserole

steam 1 -2 c. frozen green beans and puree with 1-2 baked potatoes (skin removed), use chicken or beef broth to get a smooth consistency

8. Sweet Peas

steam 1 c. frozen peas then puree with 1 c. applesauce

Disclaimer: Follow the advice of your pediatrician regarding which foods to serve to your baby and when. Our pediatrician happens to be rather liberal and only has two rules for feeding babies after age 6 months 1. NO honey before age one 2. serve one ingredient at a time and wait 2-3 days before introducing a new one, monitoring for any signs of allergy. I used the following books as a guideline when preparing food for our babies:

What are some of your favorite baby food combinations or recipes? I’d love to hear what other culinary creations babies are being served.

hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #12

April 25, 2013Amber 5 Comments

Several months ago when Rebecca at ABeautifulRuckus.com invited me to participate in her weekly series: The Little Things Thursdays, I had no idea how much my readers and I would enjoy it. Her idea was simply brilliant. The purpose is to reflect on the week and make note of some of the little things that brightened it. It’s incredibly easy to get wrapped up in stress and things that go awry, but so much more fun to recall what was great no matter how small. The cherry on the top is when readers tell me how much they now look forward to Thursdays! In a typical work week, most everyone looks forward to Friday (TGIF!!!). In my little space of the world, Thursdays are much more appreciated now. Thank you, Rebecca!

Without further ado, here are the little things that highlighted our week:

1. The babies are now nine months old! I’m having a hard time realizing how fast they are approaching their first birthday and at the same time enjoying every moment with them ( minus some of the screaming fits we have). Every day is a whole new world for them and they are constantly reaching new milestones. At nine months old, everyone has at least one tooth (Rylin finally got her first one), they hold their own bottles, they sit up with minimal assistance, roll both ways, maneuver on the floor by pivoting and scooting, and babble often. Sydney was the first to say “Dada”, and she says it often! Harper was saying “Mamama”, but hasn’t been doing it much lately, making me one sad Mama. They’ve also become keenly aware of each other. Toy snatching is commonplace around here. One day Harper even tried to roll on top of Mason to swipe a coveted toy. At meals, Sydney and Mason frequently turn to face each other and sometimes hold hands. I never seem to catch those sweet moments on camera because they are short-lived.

The babies are pictured in birth order: Rylin, Harper, Sydney, & Mason.

If his head would have fit under the couch, I'm certain Mason would have slithered all the way under!

Here’s what happens when Mason starts scooting around. If his head would have fit under the couch, I’m certain he would have slithered all the way under and scarfed a few dust bunnies!

Harper backed it up and under Sydney’s crib. For some reason our babies love backing up. You can really see Harper’s teeth in this picture; I think they’re so cute!

Here's proof that Sydney can roll over. She's been rolling over and getting her legs stuck between the rails. Yes, she is sleeping here and no I did not move her (she seemed totally comfortable).

Here’s proof that Sydney can roll over. She’s been rolling over and getting her legs stuck between the rails. Yes, she is sleeping here. No, I did not move her (she seemed totally comfortable).

Surprisingly, Sydney was perfectly content having her legs stuck after she woke up that way.

Surprisingly, Sydney was perfectly content having her legs stuck even after she woke up that way.

2. Since we moved into our house, we’ve taken great pride in it’s appearance inside and out. I love for our yard to look fabulous, but George is the resident yard man. He’s always worked really hard to make it look it’s best. However, last summer bed rest and drought got the better of our yard. The wisteria that once covered our pergola and the sole tree in the back yard both perished, which means we have no shade. George has been rather depressed about the state of our yard and it really is rather sad. He ran to Home Depot this week and purchased a few flowers to help the cause. He filled a pot on our patio with my favorite flowers, Gerber daisies. These little gems do great in Texas heat and keep bright, cheery blooms all season long. In fact, there was a single daisy sprout already in the pot. George was going to take it out and replace it, but I fought for that little flower. It’s going to be a hardy one, it managed to survive a Texas drought, neglect, and a winter freeze already.

Bright colored daises are always a great pick me up!

Bright colored daisies are always a great pick me up!

Despite all the withered plants in our yard, these Iris’ came up and bloomed on their own. They came from George’s Granny. She loved her garden and I love that her plants still bloom in our yard. I think she’d like that.

3. Our friend Natascha and her mom traveled all the way from Berlin for a holiday that began here in Texas. Of course, they couldn’t travel all that way from Germany without seeing the babies so they dropped by the house. The babies warmed up to them and acted like they were old friends. It was priceless seeing George teach Natascha how we diaper and feed the babies. He did a really good job, actually. He’s probably got more experience with those things than the average dad seeing we do everything times four.

4. So far, we’ve received over 1,000 votes for the Top 25 Moms of Multiples blog contest, placing us in third. Thank you all for voting because now it’s getting close, sometimes as few as 3-4 votes separate the rankings.

Many people have asked what we get if we win. The answer is mostly notoriety and also exposure that can open up new opportunities for us. I honestly love writing and in the future hope to author a book. This sort of competition can help me achieve some of my long-term goals. Winning does not bring any sort of tangible prizes or money, but I would still want win, or at least remain in the top 5. As I mentioned before, George and I are highly competitive so we don’t need to be offered much to play a game. Winning aside, there are some other great blogs participating and I’ve enjoyed checking in on them. The Littlest Lesnau’s and A Beautiful Ruckus are both authored by friends and fellow quad mamas so I was already familiar with them. However, I cruised the triplet blogs that are contenders to win: The Great Umbrella Heist and The Best Things in Life are THREE. I personally found both of them entertaining. If you have spare time you may want to check some of the other contestants blogs.

What little things brightened your week?

hugs!

Amber

The Ants Go Marching…

April 22, 2013Amber 8 Comments

On a whim, George and I decided to create a fundraising team for the March of Dimes, and actually take all four babies to participate. This was a major feat for us. First of all, we just came off lock down at the beginning of the month so we are still germ-fearing and highly protective of our brood. Plus, we are extremely rigid with our schedule, and the walk was scheduled to occur during the morning nap. Despite all of our reservations, we knew the March of Dimes was a cause close to our hearts and worthy of true support: walking the walk. Since very little prior planning was involved, we knew there was a real possibility it would be the two of us waking four babies too early and hauling them into a mass of people. Fortunately, my sister graciously met at our house to help get the babies ready and to join us. George’s aunt and youngest cousin, Brandi also met us to walk the walk.

I haven't the foggiest idea why the parking lot for the walk was behind locked gates. We had to scrounge up some muscle to hoist four babies loaded into the Runabout over it.

I haven’t the foggiest idea why the parking lot for the walk was behind locked gates, but it made reaching the starting line dicey for us.. We had to scrounge up some muscle to hoist four babies in the Runabout over it.

If you look behind us, there is a glimpse of the crowd marching by.

Mamma’s gotta keep tabs on her little quadlings.

Being rookies to the March of Dimes, George and I didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare. I am horrible at estimating distances and numbers so there could have been 1,000 walkers or 100,000. Regardless of the actual number, I can say there were people as far as the eye could see and the entire trail was packed. By far this is the most public event we’ve attended with the babies. The path was gridlocked with families and friends marching for a united cause, and it was moving to say the least. We enjoyed seeing all the team t-shirts and learning about the stories behind them. Our hearts were touched by several families walking for preemies much smaller than even Sydney (she was 2 lbs, 6 oz) and in remembrance of the tiniest of family members. It was a solemn reminder never to take our babies’ health for granted and to always remember the medical staff who helped us along the journey. We have a team of perinatologists who helped us keep the babies healthy prior to delivery and then an entire NICU staff who cared for our fragile preemies.

Most of the walk, the crowd trudged along at a snails’ pace, which did not make for happy babies. Several times we went off the trail so we could run instead. Our babies enjoy a grueling pace! George and I realized we aren’t in the best of shape anymore…we were rather winded.

I’m not sure if Mason was fed up with his sister badgering him or if he was just totally tuckered out.

Mason found his happy place with Aunt CiCi!

Even in a large crowd of thousands, a quad stroller is not the most conspicuous. Needless to say, we attracted a great deal of attention. As far as comments and questions, we heard nothing but niceties. Many people shared the notion we believe to be true: “you are blessed!” I beamed each time a passerby told us that and I always will. I don’t recall any rude commentary. However, the paparazzi was in full force. George and I are becoming accustomed to questions and photo requests. The paparazzi is different. They don’t bother to ask questions or dole out compliments. They gawk and snap pictures from their iphones then paste them up on their social networks. I presume I shall eventually get used to that sort of thing, but it made me feel totally violated. After all, I have no idea what happened to pictures snapped of us after the fact. I’m not sure I’ve ever intentionally taken a photo of a stranger without their knowledge or consent, but I will think twice about it if I ever get a notion to do so. That bit of drama aside, we had a great walk together as a family and plan to keep the tradition alive. Next year, we would like to coordinate better and rally a team to join us in the walk. We even brainstormed about creating team t-shirts in the same shade of blue as our stroller.

Ta da! We made it through the finish line with four babies in tow!

As we crossed the finish line, each baby received a sticker like this one. We slapped them on the backs of their onsies since they’d eat them otherwise.

The finish line was far too crowded for a photo-op so we settled for the March of Dimes Bell Helicopter.

Brandi helped keep Rylin happy while Carol snuggled a sleeping Harper.

By the end of the march, we had to bail three babies from the stroller. Only Sydney remained, contently chattering about the event. With only Sydney in the stroller, Courtney was able to help George lift the Runabout over the railing to the van.

Grandaddy opted out of the walk, but patiently waited for us at the end and dutifully helped load fussing babies into the van.

Since Courtney joined us for the walk, I let her sit shotgun while I shimmied between the boys in the back of the van. I realized they’ve been fooling me into thinking they nap in the van. Turns out they are quiet, but look like this!

The girls didn’t conk out either. ..Sitting in the back of the van I saw eight little eyes staring back at me!

What causes are close to your heart?

hugs!

Amber

We would like to extend a special thanks to the following people who donated in honor of our team:

Karen Cox

Christina Childress

Angie Owens

Kristen Klatt

Courtney Zehnder

Brandi Steele

Carol Vincell

Early Birds

April 21, 2013Amber 2 Comments

Back when the babies were in the NICU, they completed the usual newborn hearing screening. They all passed the screen at the time, but babies in the NICU for extended periods of time are at risk for hearing loss later. Therefore, a follow up appointment was made for them to occur at 9 months of age. The original screen was done in the wee hours of the morning while I was not at the NICU, thus the appointment was made for us. At the time I didn’t give it much thought. About a week prior, I realized it was for 8:00 am in a downtown office. This meant I had to get four babies up before daybreak, load them in the van, and haul them downtown in rush hour traffic for an appointment in an unfamiliar place. GULP! The mere thought was daunting!

Furthermore, I got the lowdown on said appointment from a friend with triplets. She warned that it took her crew 30 minutes per ear and they got cranky with it being so early, not in tune with their normal schedule, ect. UGH! I did the math and it was grim. With eight ears at 30 minutes each, it would take four hours. I knew that there was NO way on earth any of us could handle four hours of hearing screens. Panic mode struck me. I called the clinic hoping to reschedule for a later appointment and/or possibly breaking it into two appointments. No avail. However, I was assured there would be two audiologists working that day. I accepted our fate and hatched the best plan I could muster.

I am highly independent and care for the babies on my own the majority of the time, but for appointments like these I call for reinforcements. This time, my mom was able to lend a helping hand. The night before the appointment, we dressed the babies in pajamas that are onsies with footed pants (super cute and look like outfits) and brought their car seats into the nurseries. The next morning, Mom and I woke up just before six and got ourselves entirely ready to go. Next, we dropped bottles in the warmers while we made ourselves some coffee (gotta fuel the day!). After all bottles were heated we stored them in an insulated lunch bag and headed to get babies ready. We each took a nursery where we quietly got babies out of beds and changed diapers, but not clothes. We were careful to use only night lights and keep noise to a minimum. Of course the babies woke up, but weren’t awake before we loaded them into the van. By 6:40 all babies were loaded into the van and we were on the road.

Naturally, the day of this appointment was on one of the worst weather days of the year. We had a huge thunderstorm and chilly temps for April. Anytime there is so much as drizzle on the highways around here, traffic stacks up for miles. We navigated rush hour gridlock for 80 minutes, but we reached the clinic right on time!

Since the weather was dreary and damp, I pulled the van right to the door where mom and I loaded the babies into Snap ‘n’ Go strollers. Together we rolled the babies into the clinic where I checked in as mom distributed bottles. By the time I parked the van and filled out registration paperwork, the babies had drained their bottles. Because I called in advance, the clinic was prepared for us. In fact, the staff cheerily greeted us and complimented the babies numerous times on their behavior as well as their attire (yay jammies!). Everyone was so kind and accommodating for us. They separated the babies into two rooms with an audiologist and assistant in each room. Mom took the boys and I took the girls. This way, hearing tests were completed simultaneously. It ended up taking a little over an hour for all four hearing tests to be completed. Before leaving, we had to change a few diapers and take care of a few other housekeeping items, but we were back on the road by 9:45. Thankfully the weather improved drastically so we were back home before 10:30. The babies were easily back on schedule upon our return. The early bird appointment wasn’t horrible after all!

When we left the house, it was ptich black outside, but a sea of headlights and tailelights illuminated the highway.

When we left the house, it was pitch black outside, but a sea of headlights and taillights illuminated the highway.

Gotta love rush hour in the rain!

wubbanubs always come along to doctor's appointments because they help soother fussy babies.

Wubbanubs always come along to doctor’s appointments because they help soothe fussy babies.

The Snap ‘n’ Go strollers make it relatively easy to load and unload four babies. I’m dreading the day they all outgrow their car seats and we have to load them into different strollers from car seats. The babies are not used to watching TV so they were enamored with the TV in the waiting room.

If given the choice, I don’t think I would schedule another appointment far from home quite that early. However, I do prefer early bird appointments whenever possible for these reasons:

Offices are not behind schedule since they just opened!
Staff is generally friendly and welcoming since they aren’t exhausted from a long day of appointments.
Offices are freshly cleaned and therefore less likely to harbor germs.
The babies start the day in pleasant moods, which tend to deteriorate as energy reserves deplete.
Early appointments are less intrusive to the babies’ schedule and it’s relatively easy to get them back on track.

This particular appointment preceded a rather busy weekend so stay tuned for the March of Dimes and NICU Reunion!

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. We are now in 6th place for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Blogs list. You can vote every 24 hours until May 8 (one vote per device). It’s simple. Just click the badge below or on our side bar, then click “vote” under our picture.

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The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #11

April 18, 2013Amber 2 Comments

You may have noticed that The Little Things Thursdays have become the highlight of a blogging week for me. That’s because the babies have been falling out of nap sync. It’s a travesty really. Inevitably they all go down then one wakes up bored in his or her crib and lets the others know of said boredom. This all means I have significantly less time to accomplish things such as blogging. Don’t worry, I LOVE writing and blogging so I don’t plan to stop, I just don’t get to it as much as I’d prefer. I’ve got at least two or three good posts in draft mode that I never seem to revisit.

1. On Saturday my sister and I took the babies in the Runabout for the community garage sale. Every good garage saler knows you have to start early before all the best stuff is snagged, but as a schedule-bound quad mama I knew that going out early would inevitably interfere with naps. I went against my reservations and we headed out right about the time babies would normally settle in for naps. I really worried we would stroll down our street and experience Def Com 5 with four wailing babies. To my surprise they did great! They took turns snoozing and lapped up all the attention they received from complementary onlookers. I am certain they know a compliment when they hear one because they all beam.

To ease crib doldrums, my goal was to find as many crib toys as possible. Just by cruising a few blocks, I scored three crib soothers (these really cool aquarium looking things that play music and move when the babies push buttons), a crib piano, a caterpillar crib toy, a swimming duck bath toy, and a bubble machine (all for under $30). I priced crib toys prior to heading out and learned that full retail is about $35-65 each! Multiply that by four and you’ve got the start of a college savings account. So far, the crib toys have helped quite a bit, especially for Rylin.

Isn’t this bubble machine cute? It plays music while blowing bubbles and has colored piano keys that say color names when pushed.

2. The babies received these nifty baby swings for Christmas, however we had trouble figuring out where to hang them. We hoped they could hang from our pergola, but decided it wasn’t sturdy enough. Then George considered building a swing set frame himself. As always, we are budgeting not just money, but also time. I found a patio swing set frame on Amazon (the source of almost everything in our home nowadays) for a mere $70 shipped. It took George less than 20 minutes to assemble and we were set for summer swinging fun! Just like at the playground, Harper and Sydney don’t seem terribly interested in swings, but Rylin and Mason relish it.

Mason’s dimples tell all: he is having fun! Syndey, well she seems content at least.

3. Prior to having quadruplets, I only drank coffee on Sundays when we made a hearty breakfast. I’m really not much of a coffee drinker and can’t handle a strong brew. I never understood why people say, ” I NEED my coffee”. That was until I brought home four tiny babies who needed round the clock care. Out of pure necessity, I started a habit of drinking one cup of coffee every morning during the babies first nap. That being said, I’m still no coffee aficionado,but I NEED my coffee! I became bored with the 80 cups of a single flavor from Costco and ordered some new ones instead. My spring favorite is blueberry! It seems odd, but blueberry is a great compliment to coffee, it reminds me of chocolate and orange together. Yum-o!

The blueberry pairs nicely with a dash of sugar and splash of half and half.

4. Don’t forget to vote for Four to Adore on the Circle of Moms Top 25 blogs list. It’s easy! Just click the badge on the sidebar of our home page (or below), then click the “pending” tab, finally scroll down to our picture and click vote! Just three clicks is it! In a day or two we should be off the pending list so we will be on the page right after you click the badge. You can vote daily through May 8, 2013.

What little things filled your week?

hugs!

Amber

Please, vote! And, vote often!

April 18, 2013April 18, 2013Amber 2 Comments

Last year when I first began writing this blog, I learned about the Circle of Moms Top 25 lists, which recognize special interest blogs. I was especially excited to find out there was a top 25 blogs for multiples list. At that time we weren’t actually raising quads so weren’t yet contenders. This year, however, is different. We are entered so its game on!

George and I are extremely competitive (seriously, we’ve settled arguments via card games and love board games!). When we compete, we are in it to win it! Please help us out by clicking the “vote for me” badge pictured below or on the sidebar of our homepage. You can vote daily through May 8, 2013 so please try to vote and vote often. There is a lot of stiff competition, especially from other quad blogs so we need your help, please vote and ask others to vote too. It’s easy!

For now, we are under the “pending approval” list and could be there a few days until our blog is reviewed by the committee. After you click the badge, click the “pending approval tab” then scroll down to our picture and click “vote”. Once we are off the “pending approval list” we will be on the list right after you click the badge.

Happy voting!

Amber

March for Babies

April 14, 2013April 15, 2013Amber 1 Comment

Having four premature babies brought a whole new appreciation for the March of Dimes to our family. Honestly, prior to the arrival of the babies we never gave it much thought. Thanks to state of the art medical care, our babies who were born 10 weeks too soon are thriving. To show our support of this cause, George and I started a fundraising team for the March for Babies 2013. If you are able, we would appreciate any donations made to the March of Dimes in support of The Shawver Quads. Please visit our team website at: http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=2061354 Money raised supports the March of Dimes’ research to help expectant mothers reach full term pregnancies and to support families who have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.