The Little Things Thusrday: Installment #9

March 28, 2013Amber 20 Comments

Here are the little things we celebrated this week-

1. We now have three rolling babies (Rylin, Harper, and Mason), plus they all turn and scoot a bit. This meant time for changes in our den arrangement. First we sold all of our little baby equipment (three rock ‘n’ plays, two swings, three Bumbo chairs, and two bouncy seats) on Craigslist. We caught babies trying to flip over while in these types of seats so it was time to say farewell. With all the movement and exploration we noticed far too many baby tangle ups so our coffee table found refuge upstairs. I really like how our den works now. We have just two baby contraptions and an activity table so there’s much more open space for all.

Oh boy! The babies are like heat seeking missles when they see a toy being used by another baby. Harper is stretching out to nab Sydney's toy.

Oh boy! The babies are like heat seeking missiles when they see a toy being used by another baby. Harper and Sydney seem to be scuffling over that book. As of now, they don’t mind having a toy snatched up, but it won’t be long before there are wails of protest.

For the first time in months there is nothing below the television besides baskets concealing baby toys. Ahh!

2. We summoned the babies to be Mini Monets once again for our spring artwork.

This is my favorite piece of baby art so far. We used the babies’ footprints to make robins for spring.

3. Even when we scrubbed it with rubbing alcohol, Mason’s DOC Band started smelling like a foul foot. I tried putting baby powder on his hair as suggested, but he just smelled like a stinky foot dusted in baby powder. My sister reminded me of an amazing product I bought in Vegas a few years ago. It is coconut scented deodorant powder from Lush. They use organic and chemical free ingredients at Lush, which is baby friendly in my book. Now his noggin smells like summery coconut even after hours of wear!

Even when we scrubbed it with rubbing alcohol, Mason's DOC Band started smelling like a foot after day one. I tried putting baby powder on his hair, but he just smelled like a stinky foot dusted in baby powder. My sister reminded me of this amazing product! It is coconut scented deodorant powder from Lush. Now his head smells like coconut even after hours of wear!

There are a few Lush stores internationally located, but if there is not one near you, check out http://www.Lush.com

4. Sydney is clearly our Little Evil Knievel with her stunt girl moves.

Sydney’s latest trick is planking. She should have a seriously developed core now! Sometime we catch her bear crawling like this, but of course she only goes backwards so it’s not efficient means of locomotion.

5. I found my latest snack craving this week when we seemed to have way too many pretzels in the pantry. I paired them with peanut butter and Nutella. I just love salty/ sweet snack combos! George was less than impressed, but I think it is yum-o!

Sometimes I dip the pretzel in each scrumptious spread while other time I mix the spreads together first. Either way I love it!

6. During playtime I’ve been playing children’s music for the babies so they don’t hear only me talking all day. And so I don’t hear myself talking all day! Most of our children’s music was sung by the Fisher Price Little People. The Little People have quite the repertoire of children’s sing-a-long tunes and they can carry a tune, but their voices started grating on me. I visited the itunes store yesterday and purchased a bunch of folksy-indie children’s music that is much more appealing to me. I am the newest fan of Frances England and Elizabeth Mitchell. Seasoned parents, do you know of great children’s music not sung by Wee Sing or the Little People? I accumulated a good bit, but I will soon tire of the 40 some odd songs I have now.

What little things highlighted your week?

hugs!

Amber

Welcome To Quadville

March 25, 2013May 14, 2013Amber 9 Comments

Last week. one of our close family friends commented on how her daughter said something to the effect of feeling inferior (because it apparently appears that I’ve got it together 100% of the time). I considered this a bit flattering, but don’t we all put our best foot forward for visitors? If you invited guests over for dinner I’m sure you’d tidy up and serve your signature dish. This is because you want to look and do your best in honor of your guests. We do the same thing here, but not only for visitors to our home, but also for blog visitors.

As a one time deal, I figured I should pull the curtain down for a peek of what it can look like in Quadville. If you strolled past our home at about 7 pm last night your ears would have been assaulted by Beethoven’s Symphony #1 (from a Baby Einstein DVD), a dog howling, two more dogs scuffling, babies demanding bottles, and George and I barking orders. I darted around the house trying to juggle baths and bottles as George decided to clean out our toy closet and Courtney entertained babies. There probably was a giant neon sign flashing “Welcome to Quadville” in our front yard as well. We keep the babies on a tight schedule and that keeps things running relatively smoothly, but as the day shifts to evening everyone’s energy reserves deplete and good moods fade. Between about 6 and 7 pm we are all a bit frazzled to say the least.

If you look closely you will see the stuff that is everywhere. Muddy looking footprints adorn the quad table, dirty dishes litter the counter tops, and behind the counter toys fill the floor.

If you look closely you will notice stuff is everywhere. Muddy looking footprints and slobbery sippy cups adorn the quad table, dirty dishes litter the counter tops, and behind the counter toys fill the floor.

My sister’s puppy kept diving under our furniture chasing after her tennis ball. She usually got stuck and howled for rescue. She managed to get stuck here as the babies were wailing in unison and no one could help her.

I always know it went from bad to worse when Mason joins the Wa Wa Quartet. Sydney is missing from teh picture because she was so angry she was nearly intolerable.

I always know it went from bad to worse when Mason joins the Wa Wa Quartet. Sydney is missing from the picture because she was so angry she was nearly intolerable.

By about 7:10 Sydney was transforming to a Gremlin. Aunt CiCi averted a full meltdown by putting Sydney on her shoulders.

By about 7:10 Sydney was rapidly transforming to a Gremlin. Aunt CiCi averted a full meltdown by putting Sydney on her shoulders. This worked for about a minute before Sydney remembered she was irate.

Why am I wearing a T shirt with semi clean pajama pants? Oh yes, after bathing Mason I struggled to figure out why he smelled like poo AFTER his bath only to discover poo was smeared on my jeans! For a good 15 minutes I was doing chores sans pants, but thought a pantsless pictures wasn't quite appropriate for a blog post. Thus, I pulled these nifty pants from the laundry hamper. Good times!

After bathing Mason I struggled to figure out why he smelled like poo AFTER his bath only to discover poo was smeared on my jeans! I ripped my foul smelling jeans off and finished bath time with no pants. George and Courtney got a good laugh as I dashed to the kitchen without pants carrying Sydney in just her diaper as I dropped bottles in the warmer. I didn’t think that picture was quite appropriate for a blog post. Thus, I pulled these nearly clean pajama pants from the laundry hamper.

George’s closet clean out resulted in stuff spanning the length of the hallway and spilling into the den.

: Sydney maintained an unhappy disposition even after being presented with her bottle. George and Courtney fed the other three babies while I wrangled Sydney. When I say wrangled I’m not even kidding. She thrashed and screamed for about 10 minutes before succumbing to her bottle.

Once all the babies are snuggled up in bed and drifting off to sleep, our Type A personalities go into overdrive and we sweep through picking up all the clutter.

Once all the babies snuggled up in bed and drifted off to sleep, our Type A personalities went into overdrive. We like to get things back in order as best we can before bed. That way we start the next day prepared for possible mayhem. If you look carefully there is a full laundry basket lurking in the background. Ran out of steam for that chore.

What measures do you take to make sure everything appears in order before having visitors? Run a Swiffer? Light candles? Hire a housekeeper?

Hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #8

March 21, 2013Amber 6 Comments

I love when the Little Things Thursdays come back around each week. Thursdays help me pause to reflect upon the past week and all of the wonderful things that transpired. Even though the purpose is to delight in little things, this week we seem have more BIG things to celebrate. I hoped to write full posts on a few of them, but never managed to carve out the time to write them. Hmmm, I wonder why….

1. March 20th was a momentous day in our family. George and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. We had a hearty chuckle when George thought it was our eight instead. I’m relatively certain that the hoopla of 2012 caused a mental lapse for George and a few more gray hairs. Several weeks ago, Rebecca at A Beautiful Ruckus took a poll asking fellow quad mamas how much they felt having quads aged them. I responded, “not at all”, which likely comes as a surprise (considering the strain of carrying them and how demanding caring for them is now). The truth is I do feel older, but the fact is that I am older. Every day that passes I am one day older than before and I am okay with that. George and I look so young in our wedding pictures, but we were young then, nine years younger to be exact. In our nine years of marriage, we’ve had moments of sickness and health, richer and poorer with each experience helping us to grow together. Through it all, there is no one I’d rather have at my side than George.

George and I met at a pancake breakfast at church. I surprised him with the ingredients for a hearty breakfast for dinner and we spent the evening cooking together. Cooking as a team is something we really miss.

George and I met at a pancake breakfast at church. In honor of our anniversary I surprised him with the ingredients for a nostalgic breakfast for dinner and we spent time cooking it together. He planned to bring take out home and let me take a luxurious bath. Since I beat him to the punch with dinner, I got a rain check for tomorrow.

On March 20th the babies also celebrated their eight month birthday. I took another obligatory crib picture of them. They are really starting to fill it out! Harper is officially in nine month clothing and Rylin is in 6/9 month clothes. Sydney and Mason insist on keeping their six month wardrobe to make sure that clothing storage is a challenge for me.

2. Okay, this one is a little thing, but worthy of mention in our Big Things post. Grandaddy did not style Sydney’s hair. It was a tad chilly when we took an evening walk so she donned a bear hat. She looked like this when I removed her hat! Serious case of hat hair, I think.

3. Do you notice anything different about our recent quad feed? This is MAJOR progress at our house!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that this does not happen the whole feed all the time. However, we are making huge gains in the fact that they are interested, willing, and able to hold their bottles independently. I have not used our bottle buddies in the past week at all!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that this does not happen the entire feed all the time. The way Rylin decided to look at her bottle is fairly common during a feed. However, we are making huge gains in the fact that they are interested, willing, and able to hold their bottles independently. I have not used our bottle buddies in the past week at all!

What little or big things filled your week?

hugs!

Amber

Who wore green today?

March 17, 2013Amber 3 Comments

Here is our March artwork. I commissioned my friend, Jen, for this one. We agreed a four leaf clover was appropriate.

On this beautiful Saint Patrick’s Day we took the babies on a mini road trip to my parent’s house. I say “road trip” because it’s an hour drive there and taking the babies anywhere besides a walk seems like a road trip. We stuffed the van with a package of diapers, package of wipes. four pairs of pajamas, eight bibs, four booster seats, a swing, a travel crib (mom has two more), four bottles, two cans of formula, four jars of baby food….you get the idea. It was everything but the kitchen sink and it practically looked like we were going out of town. In everyone’s best interest, we waited to leave until after the babies’ morning nap. I knew they probably wouldn’t get much shut-eye at Nisey and Grandpa’s so I thought at least one good nap was in order. After their 11 am spoon feed (green beans) and bottle we corralled everyone into the van and hit the road in our green attire. Thankfully, the babies made good use of their time in the van and took a decent nap.

Everyone wore green today in honor of Saint Patrick. And of course we didn’t want anyone being pinched.

A faux road trip seemed to be an occasion worthy of shoe wearing for everyone.

Upon our arrival, the babies made note of their new surroundings. Eight little eyes darted around the living room fully aware that we weren’t in Kansas anymore. They clearly knew it was new territory. Rylin being her pensive self really seemed to take it all in and pouted a little bit initially. When everyone was settled, the big people enjoyed a home cooked meal complete with cabbage and potatoes in honor of our Irish heritage. The babies of course were served some delicious formula. After lunch, George, my sister, and I headed to visit my Grandfather while the babies stayed behind. Nisey and Grandpa reported that the babies took a short nap then devoured their spoon feeds despite being in a new place and using booster seats for the first time. The babies also apparently met many of my parent’s neighbors while we were away.

Before we headed home, some of our extended family was able to drop by to meet the crew for the first time. While the babies were a bit apprehensive about meeting so many new people they all acclimated very well. Rylin really sized each person up, but was eventually won over by my uncle Clarke. Sydney who reserves laughter for special times erupted in giggles when my uncle Mark played with her. Harper does not know a stranger yet and enjoyed cuddle time with whomever held him. And Mason, well, he flashed his dimples way too many times to count. Instead of rushing home, we fed the babies their final bottle before leaving. George and I feared there would be dire consequences of moving sleeping babies from the van to crib. To our surprise, the babies handled it all in stride. Mason didn’t stir a bit and the other three were awake but went to bed without protest. Whew! It was a lot of work taking the babies out for the day, but we had a lot of fun and it was much easier than previous trips with them. We’re all looking forward to getting out and exploring more this spring and summer. My sister and I have grandiose plans for a field trip to the zoo and a shopping excursion with two babies (we’ll take the two who took a good morning nap!).

When Rylin finally warmed up to Clarke, she smiled at him and enjoyed this little game.

Props to Uncle Mark who got Sydney to chuckle.

My mom's sister, Linda, with Sydney enjoying a little Baby Einstein.

My Aunt Linda and Sydney enjoyed a little Baby Einstein and cuddle.

It’s so much easier feeding four babies when there are more than four adults. I don’t think I fed a single baby after 11 am today.

Harper was enamored with his Aunt CiCi tonight. He kept touching her face and grinning even while eating.

Oh yeah, we celebrated my belated birthday. My sister made this yummy s' mores cake found on Pinterest.

Oh yeah, we celebrated my belated birthday too. My sister made this yummy s’ mores cake found on Pinterest. Oops, someone forgot birthday candles so they improvised with a tea light.

This was cute. Grandpa sang to the babies as they waited to go back to the van.

How did you spend St. Patty’s Day? I hope you at least wore green and if not that you were pinched. I know I made sure to pinch everyone who forgot and that was most everyone in our family except the wee ones I dressed.

Hugs!

Amber

Plagiosaurus

March 16, 2013August 20, 2013Amber 13 Comments

While the babies were in the NICU, both Physical and Occupational Therapists worked with them on feeding and positioning. Repositioning is critical for premature babies because they have soft heads and spend a lot of time in bed sleeping. At one point during our NICU stay, both Sydney and Mason began developing flattened heads. With repositioning, they both improved.

Once the babies were home, they all began receiving Occupational Therapy through Early Childhood Intervention to help address developmental delays from prematurity. While they have all responded well to therapy, Mason’s head continued to be a concern. Soon after coming home, we noticed he favored his right side often turning only that way and sometimes dropping his chin towards the right. He struggled to control his head and tummy time was a feat for him. Early on, our Occupational Therapist, Laurie, taught us a stretching regimen and showed us how to reposition him and encourage him to look left (e.g. putting favorite toys on that side, moving his mobile). Mason showed drastic improvements after only one therapy session. Turning left wasn’t as difficult as it once was, but he continued to favor his right side. Laurie ramped up Mason’s stretches and we saw some gains for him.

Back in November Mason could only hold his head up in short spurts during supported tummy time. he is on the far left with his head dropped.

To our surprise, Mason’s tight neck muscles did not hamper his motor skill development. He compensated and remains the only baby who skillfully rolls over both ways, changes direction, and scoots a bit. Additionally, he uses both hands together relatively well and explores his environment with gusto. On the downside, since he does all of these things we cannot reposition him anymore and we still observe facial asymmetry. Laurie urged us to have Mason evaluated for Plagioephaly, which means oblique shaped head. While it does not impact cognitive development, Laurie explained that some research suggests that asymmetry can result in poor gait and balance due to uneven ears and eyes. If left untreated, Plagiocephaly can cause problems with glasses sitting correctly and sports helmets fitting as well. I was also really concerned because social psychology research indicates that people prefer to look at symmetrical faces and consider them most attractive. It breaks my heart to think that Mason could later be viewed as less attractive if his parents didn’t want to explore treatment options. He’s much to handsome for that!

With time and therapy, Mason has no trouble holding his head up.

Of course when I asked our pediatrician about it at our six month check up he scoffed at the idea touting that no one has a symmetrical head. I’m sure he’s right, no one is perfectly symmetrical. However, Mason’s asymmetry is noticeable and there could be repercussions in the future. Despite Dr. Knapp’s lack of concern regarding Mason’s head shape, we chose to take him to Cranial Technologies for an evaluation, which was free.

We were glad we went with our intuition and opted for the evaluation because Mason was indeed diagnosed with Plagiocephaly. They pointed out that the back of his head looks great (thanks to therapy), but the side is uneven pushing his right cheek, ear, and eye slightly forward. Honestly, many people probably don’t notice, but his asymmetry was considered “severe” considering measurements from one side of his head to the other. Since he falls within the severe range, treatment is covered by insurance. which is a huge blessing because it costs $3800. Of course insurance required a pediatrician’s prescription, but Dr. Knapp agreed once he saw the evaluation results. (Whew!) We are also grateful that only one of the four babies requires treatment. Babies who are premature, multiples, sleep on their backs, and in the NICU are at the greatest risk for developing Plagiocephaly and that describes all four of them.

This week digital images were taken of his head to create a custom fitted DOC Band. When the initial images were taken for evaluation, Mason giggled the entire time and tracked the light they showed him. Two weeks later it was a different story. Mason grinned and flashed his huge dimples until I handed him off to a stranger. He wailed and blubbered the entire time even though I was three feet away talking to him. I think he met the “stranger danger” milestone.

Starting next week, Mason will wear his DOC Band 23 hours every day. We will take him back to Cranial Technologies for and adjustment every other week for the next two to three months. I know I will loathe not being able to kiss his sweet head all day long, but in the scheme of it I know it won’t be that long. I’m also glad we are doing this now while he is too small to remember and doesn’t have the dexterity to unfasten the straps on his band. It might even be handy as he becomes mobile bumps into furniture.

These bands are a bit clinical and frumpy looking so George is planning to paint it to look like camouflage. If Mason’s wearing this accessory all the time, it might as well be cute as he is. I’m affectionately referring to Mason as my “Plagiosaurus”.

From the back, Mason’s head looks similar to his siblings. He once had an off center bald spot from favoring one side. As he progressed with therapy the bald spot shifted to the center, but is gone since he tummy sleeps.

Mason is a man on the move so capturing a bird’s-eye view of his head was tricky. From this picture you can see where his right cheek and ear are further forward.

This is a bird’s-eye view of Sydney’s head. Of course she stayed still for the picture so it’s a better angle, but you can notice she is more symmetrical.

It is subtle, but if you look carefully, Mason’s right cheek appears fuller than the left.

If you’d like to learn more about Plagiocephaly or Cranial Technologies please visit: http://www.cranialtech.com/

We are fortunate that Cranial Technologies has a satellite office within thirty minutes from our home as we learned that many patients travel from out of state for treatment!

Hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #7

March 14, 2013Amber 3 Comments

Oh yes, it is Thursday again and time to recall the little things!

1. On Friday, Nisey and Terri cared for the babies as usual. However, my mom’s friend, Lilian also joined the troops. I was proud to find out that Rylin developed “stranger danger”. Apparently she sized up Lilian and pouted to the point of tears. I know it sounds nuts to want your baby to cry in the presence of a visitor, but it means she’s met a developmental milestone where she differentiates familiar and unfamiliar caregivers. I was also pleased to learn that when she realized Nisey approved of Lilian, Rylin was okay with her too. To top it off, Lilian brought the babies a huge box of Luvs! It’s amazing how just as our diaper reserves were almost depleted, she restored them a bit.

2. Mom and I had a fabulous time shopping at our local Just Between Friends consignment sale. They are held in our area twice a year and offer everything from clothes to playground equipment. The girls are outfitted up to about size 2T thanks to hand-me-downs from generous friends. The boy’s closet, on the other hand, is a bit more sparse. Mom and I headed to the sale on half price day and scored a bounty of spring and summer clothes for a fraction of the original price. I also found a few books and toys as well as two pairs of Lucky Brand flats for myself (a benefit of having miniature feet is I can wear kid’s shoes!) The girls got a few swimsuits and sunhats. I was really grateful that Mom as with me because it was relatively chaotic and the line to check out involved an hour wait! On the upside, the line wound through the goods so we stumbled across a few bargains while waiting.

Just Between Friends is a nationwide franchise so check http://www.jbfsale.com to see if you have one in your area. I’m planning to consign some of our big-ticket items at the next one!

3. I took Mason to the doctor by himself on Monday and decided it was a worthy occasion for shoes. He’s never worn shoes before since he doesn’t walk, but they are pretty cute. He was enamored with is kicks. If you look carefully you’ll notice they are sharks.

I also want to point out the fabulous seat he is using; I only wish I discovered it sooner. It is a Summer Infant Super Seat. It is similar to a Bumbo allowing a baby to sit upright on the floor before they can sit independently. However, it also converts into a booster seat that can attach to a dining chair for small infants or toddlers up to 40 lbs! The best part for us is that the activity tray is removable so they stack for storage and travel. We now have four of these seats.

The Super Seat doesn’t come in the same selection of colors as the Bumbo, but they do come in boy and girl color combinations at least.

4. My Dad brought GiGi and GG Paw up for a visit on Saturday. Sydney demonstrated a bit of stranger danger with GiGi, but soon realized she was okay and settled down. The babies enjoyed showing off some of their new tricks and snuggled with GiGi a bit.

5. This week is spring break so I’ve enjoyed having George at home with me. We took advantage of our usual babysitters Wednesday (and will again on Friday) to go out on a date and run errands sans babies. We started or morning of by getting our haircut and styled by our Mane Man, Matt. We were both in dire need of a fresh style. Afterwards we enjoyed some sushi before darting around town with our to-do list.

Zushi Sushi is one of my favorite spots because they have a huge variety of vegetarian sushi and offer soy paper rather than traditional nori. I enjoyed a Tropical Roll stuffed with asparagus, avocado, cream cheese, carrots, and sprouts topped with mango. George and I really want to expose the babies to sushi so they grow up appreciating different cultures and foods. I thought it was neat that my sushi contains three foods they already enjoy! I could almost puree the sushi I had for the babies.

What little things filled your week?

Hugs!

Amber

We Escaped!

March 12, 2013March 12, 2013Amber 18 Comments

Since the day I was put on bed rest it has been a challenge tackling not only household chores, but also running errands. On a typical day I juggle simple household chores relatively well. Think REALLY basic stuff such as laundry, paying bills, and running the Swiffer. The babies’ morning nap is when priority chores are accomplished, but I can’t exactly run to Kroger while the babies are sleeping. On the two days when I go to work, I try to run quick errands on my way home. I already feel as if we request entirely too much of our volunteers to ask them to stay any longer. However, sometimes I literally need to grab baby oatmeal for the next few days or go to the chiropractor for an adjustment. If I run an errand after work I only have about 30 minutes so that leaves a lot of errands undone. Amazon has been a great help as we order a lot of what we need these days, but some things can’t be ordered. Furthermore George and I enjoy running errands as a family. We like to share opinions with each other and of course spend time together rather than apart. As the babies are getting bigger and germs are less of a concern, we’ve devised a way to at least run some errands as a family. This of course involves a grand scheme to make it all work. We begin by plotting out what needs to be done, prioritizing errands, considering if we have errands where one of us can run in while the other circles the block, and then timing our adventure around feeds and naps.

Today we survived not one, but THREE errands! After the babies’ second feed, we furiously loaded them into the van and headed to Babies R Us. There I returned extra items and picked up a new package of bibs while George cruised the parking lot. Upon my return to the van, George informed me that I made a fatal error. I left my cell phone in the van so when he called to “Abort Mission” due to screaming babies I had no idea. Oh well, errand done!

Next, we headed to Costco to load up on produce for ourselves and baby purees. That is when the real fun began. In order to get everyone into Costco, we each wore a baby in a front facing carrier and pushed another baby in their car seat in a Coscto cart. Fellow quad mama, Krista, suggested the whole wear a baby idea to help us fly under the radar. According to Krista, if you don’t bring the Runabout people are so busy they hardly notice you are there. Well, that may work in California, but apparently nothing gets by a Texan. People would notice George and go nuts over his “twins” then see me trailing behind with “another one” and go batty over the triplets before they realized there were actually four babies. It was actually pretty funny. We just smiled and nodded a lot. People were always exceptionally nice to us and mostly just gasped in amazement. Despite the scene we must have caused, we darted through Costco, grabbed the essentials and escaped in about 40 minutes. On our way home we dropped by the pediatrician’s office to pick up a few formula samples. Albeit a brief nap, the babies slept well in the 30 minute ride back home. Even after running three errands, we managed to get home 25 minutes before the next feed. I’m really looking forward to a time when the babies can sit up in the Costco carts so we aren’t wearing anyone. Of course that will inevitably bring new challenges our way.

If you were shopping our our neighborhodd Costco today, you would have observed this scene.

If you were shopping our our neighborhood Costco today, you would have observed this scene.

Here’s the shopping aftermath! As we left, the woman at customer service inquired about the boy/ girl ratio. When we told her it was 2 boys, 2 girls she replied, “That’s perfect! I’m jealous”. I thought that was a cute, candid remark.

I put Harper in the Baby Bjorn today because I think he may be running out of opportunities. He currently weighs a whopping 18 pounds and I don’t know how much longer my back can support him!

After shopping, we loaded all babies then the groceries into the van. I always felt bad that the boys have to sit in the back, but I think they have a much better view than the girls.

The babies finished snoozing as we unloaded the van at home.

Hugs!

Amber

How to Build a Quad Feeding Table

January 28, 2013December 12, 2014Amber 20 Comments

As the babies approached their six month birthday, we knew spoon feeds were impending. It’s not that we aren’t absolutely excited to introduce new flavors and textures to the babies, but we know it’s going to bring new challenges. Over the past few months, we settled into a really nice feeding schedule with bottles at 8, 11, 2, 5, and 8. Spoon feeds will inevitably interfere with our tried and true routine (in a good way eventually). A jar of baby food won’t last one feed in this house so we will also be making our own baby foods. That means even more work preparing feeds. As it is, George spends roughly 30 minutes nightly preparing formula for the next 24 hours. On a positive note, making baby food will make us eat healthier because we will be well stocked with fresh produce.

And the biggest challenge related to spoon feeds….where and how to feed four babies! High chairs were never under consideration. Four of them would be pricey and there is NO space for them in our kitchen anyways. My original plan was to buy feeding seats to attach to our kitchen chairs. Feeding seats would be relatively inexpensive, portable, and space saving. However, our kitchen table is round and there’s no way one person could reach all the babies if feeding them alone. I am alone with the babies 3-5 days of the week so practicality is imperative. A few months ago, there was chatter among quad moms about feeding tables. A lot of them raved about them so we started browsing the options. There are companies that make commercial grade quad feeding tables. However, these tables are primarily marketed to daycare and school settings. They are very practical and durable. They are also unattractive and expensive. In order to house a quad table, we had to sacrifice our kitchen table. Keeping that in mind, we wanted something sturdy, practical, and easy to clean, but that was not an eye sore either. Thus, the idea of building a quad table was born. We ordered red replacement seats for the commercial feeding tables from Just Multiples for $30 each. Shortly after ordering our seats, I heard it through the grapevine that fellow quad mama, Traci’s father recently built a feeding table for her quads. Traci was kind enough to share their plans, which George used loosely. Also, George was able to chat with Traci’s father for a few tips.

Just Multiples sells a commercial grade table for $575

Here is a list of the materials George used with a cost breakdown:

plywood $60
two 4 x 8 beams $22
wood filler $3
stain $12
wood glue $3
four 2 packs of corner braces $16
sandpaper $6
Liquid Nails $3
four replacement toddler table seats $120
paint FREE- we already had it!
miscellaneous woodworking tools FREE- we already had them
GRAND TOTAL $230

As you can see, we saved several hundred dollars making custom table that fits our breakfast nook perfectly! Below George attached pictures with step by step explanations of how he fabricated our table.

I began by gathering my materials in order to layout my design. Two sheets of 3/4″ cabinet grade plywood and two 8X4″ beams.

Next I began to layout my design using a rough set of plans from the Dvorak’s.

Then I used a jigsaw and carved out my design. I clamped both pieces together and cut both at the same time.

I used the seats to decide where to place my holes.

After cutting both pieces I cut out special openings to allow for the seat to snap into place. (notice this is the bottom piece)

After cutting both pieces I cut out special openings to allow for the seat to snap into place; this is the bottom piece. Note: In hindsight I’d make this hole 9 1/2 ” by 9 1/2″ square because the top piece will be 8 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ square and will cover this opening.

I used wood glue to press both pieces of wood together and I allowed this to sit for two days.

I used clamps to make sure everything went together smoothly. Wood has a tendency to warp.

I used a miter saw to cut down the legs to size. All are 29″ long.

Here are the four legs cut to size. Notice how they are sanded down.

I bought a dowel rod and cut 8 individual pieces. This will be used in the next step.

I used a drill to make holes in the leg and into the underneath of the table. Notice how I wrapped tape around the drill bit to give me a guide so that I did not go through the table.

Next I used wood glue to glue in the dowel rods and then Liquid Nails to secure the legs to the table. I used weights to make sure it went down properly. I let this sit overnight to cure.

The next morning I sanded the table down for hours. I then applied the first coat of stain.

I also used these brackets to secure the legs to the table again. I wanted to make sure nothing moved.

I then brought the table into the house to see how it fit in order to make last minute changes.

Amber wanted me to match our living room rug so I painted a little design.

Amber was afraid the table would look like a “sea of brown” and wanted me to match our living room rug so I painted a little design on the top. It was a good idea. After all, there will never be place mats, center pieces, or table runners on this table! Paint was a good way to liven it up a bit.

Here is another angle after I applied a coat of polyurethane.

And here it is all done in it’s splendor. Never in a million years did I ever think I would make one of these.

This one shows all of the dimensions I used.

To make sure the table could handle the weight of four babies or toddlers, George perched on top of it.

He also sprawled across the thing like some sort of gangster! Should be good for a gang of quads.

He also sprawled across the thing like some sort of gangster, maybe the Quad Father. Should be good for a gang of quads.

Now that the table is ready to go, we just have to figure out how to pad the babies in so they can use it ASAP. We realize the seats aren’t intended for six month old preemies, they are really for toddlers. However, we figured if George was going to go through the effort of making a table, we might as well use it as long as possible. Stay tuned for spoon feed updates and pictures with messy babies!

hugs!

Amber (and George)

Update….we used old baby bath towels to pad the babies into their seats until they sat up well enough independently. They outgrew the quad table after their second birthday and we now use a family dinner table with restaurant high chairs.

Reflecting

October 15, 2012October 15, 2014Amber 20 Comments

Today is October 15th, but I’m sure you knew that already. It may not mean much to the average person, but holds special meaning to families all over the globe as it is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. At 7:00 pm, households burn a candle for one hour in their respective time zones. The resulting chain of light will span the globe for 24 hours to honor and remember children who die during pregnancy or shortly after birth as an “International Wave of Light”. Reflecting on the past year, it has been an incredible journey that we never could have imagined.

: 12 months ago, I wrote this:; “Sweet Angel, I will never understand why you only stayed with us for a brief time, but I can tell you this-I did love you and would have done anything I could to protect you. The moment I knew of your existence, I fell in love with you and when I saw your tiny heartbeat, my heart melted. I did everything I could for your well-being. I know that you didn’t leave because of anything I did, or did not do, but I want you to know I did everything I could for you. I got just a little taste of what it is like to become a mother and to want to protect someone with every fiber of my being. It is a feeling like no other to love someone that way and I am happy I got to feel that even for just a moment. Despite all of the emptiness I feel from your loss, I am truly happy you were here. You gave me hope that we will one day have the family we have been dreaming of for so long, and for that I am grateful.”

11 months ago, we traveled to Puerta Vallarta as an escape from our infertility struggles. We saw four beautiful baby sea turtles travel out to the sea and they gave us hope of having a family.

10 months ago, we celebrated Christmas not knowing if we would ever celebrate that special time with children. Apparently the only picture taken was of our nativity. It served as a reminder that we are never alone for He is with us.

9 months ago, we went to our Reproductive Endocrinologist for our fourth and final IUI (after four they consider IUI a fail and recommend moving to IVF). Reminders of the sea turtles were everywhere, giving us a sense of calm and hope.

8 months ago, we went in for our first ultrasound and discovered four healthy heartbeats. Although we were told that one or more may “vanish” or that we should consider a reduction, we knew that all four were meant to be and would be healthy as we remembered the four sea turtles.

7 months ago, we started preparing gender neutral nurseries for four.

6 months ago, we discovered we were having a girl and we named her Rylin Skye.

6 months ago, we found out we were having a boy and we named him Harper Stone.

6 months ago, we learned that we were having another girl and we named her Sydney Raine.

6 months ago, we discovered we were having a second boy and we named him Mason River.

5 months ago, strict bed rest began and I was only allowed bathroom privileges. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who took care of me and friends who kept me company.

4 months ago, I was still on bed rest for my baby shower. I cheated a bit and moved from bed to the sofa for a few hours.

3 months ago, we made it to 30 weeks, 5 days of a quadruplet pregnancy. On July 20th, forty little fingers and forty little toes entered our lives. As an aside, I didn’t actually count a single finger or toe until several weeks after the babies were born. Fingers and toes just didn’t seem very important in the scheme of things.

2 months ago, our four were in the NICU growing and getting strong enough to come home. At four weeks old, they were able to take their first picture together.

1 month ago, all four babies came home within a week’s time. Our home was finally filled with the family we dreamed of.: Today I know what it is like to hold four healthy babies in my arms at the same time. After the years of struggle, I do not take them for granted.

Tonight, we will light this candle for an hour in memory and honor of our first as we will do every year.

http://www.october15th.com/

We will never fully understand why our first baby was with us for such a brief time nor will we know why we are now blessed with not one, but four healthy babies. We know that He has great plans for us and is always with us no matter the tears or triumphs. We are on now the most incredible journey of raising quadruplets and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

in peace,

Amber

Three Weeks of NICU Life

August 10, 2012August 13, 2014Amber 18 Comments

Today the babies are three weeks old so we have officially logged three weeks of NICU time. Our NICU is fantastic, but no matter how great the NICU is, the reality is that we still have four babies in the NICU. I am finding that being in the NICU is a bit taxing and I just want the babies to be big enough for home. (Obviously, I would be terrified to take them home right now as they are). I just have to keep in mind that just like bed rest, this will be a short time in the scheme of it all.

Since the babies are 33 weeks gestational age we started introducing bottles during feeding time. Up to this point, all of the babies have been fed via a tube every three hours. Before they are fed, “cares” are completed. This involves checking their body temperature, changing their diaper, moving their pulse ox to the other food, and oral care (swabbing their lips and mouth with a sponge dipped in peppermint water). If they cue (look alert, root, suck on a pacifier) during or right after cares, they are given a bottle to try. At this point, we don’t expect them to take the full bottle, but we want them to suck on it a few times and/ or at least hold the nipple in their mouth. While most people expect that eating is instinctual, it is not for preemies. They simply do not have the suck-swall0w-breath movements coordinated just yet. We closely monitor them while feeding to make sure they take a breath and don’t end up with a mouthful of milk they can’t swallow.

Early in our stay, nurses warned me that feeding was the most difficult part of the NICU and boy they were right! It is a slow and painful process. For the most part, Harper and Sydney do not cue (yet). They have few times, but not much. Mason has a few times, but Rylin has started to on a more consistent basis. When they have cued, Sydney, Harper and Mason have taken about 2-5 milliliters at a time. Rylin is figuring this out a little better and has taken up to 30 milliliters! That princess wants to learn how to eat. Whatever the babies don’t take in, goes into their gavage bag and they are tube fed the rest. Bottle feeding is literally exhausting to preemies so Harper, Sydney, and Mason have all gone on oxygen to help them a bit. I hated to see that tiny backslide, but really it is normal and not a huge deal. Nurses have told me that in the next few weeks it may click more for them. Let’s hope that is the case. In the meantime, I need prayers for patience and grace. I have to keep in mind that given their gestational age, the babies are really doing great.

Here are some pictures of events from the past week:

Harper jail broke to visit his siblings and got a little cuddle with Sydney. So sweet!

George figured out how to use the Boppy pillow to feed Rylin. She took the most from him on the first day.

Sydney and I gave bottle feeding a try. She took 3 ml that time. She may be tiny, but she tries just as hard as her brothers.

George got a chance to feed Mason too. Notice we have a different Boppy for him? We actually have FOUR Boppy pillows 🙂

The nurses are so cute and love to dress the babies to match their sheets and sometimes each other. One day I found Rylin and Sydney dressed in matching pajamas. Notice how Rylin fills them out, but Sydney pulled her right arm and leg in and curled up since she had extra space.

Harper was the first to go on oxygen and soon after Sydney decided she wanted a puff too. Then, my breathing champ, Mason felt left out and also got some oxygen. At least they didn’t need to go back on CPAP. Oxygen is just delivered via a nasal cannula so we can still see their cute little faces.

Harper