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

Sydney

Mason

Rylin

hugs!

Amber

D day is Near

July 20, 2012February 2, 2016Amber 10 Comments

Well folks, I had another blood draw this morning and platelets dropped. Dr. Tabor cut the 24 hour urine analysis short and found protein in my urine so I do have preeclampsia. This means today is delivery day! We are excited, and nervous to finally meet our babies. Please pray for a safe, uneventful delivery. Your prayers have taken us this far and we continue to need them.

Hugs,

Amber

Mile Marker 28

July 1, 2012December 8, 2014Amber 13 Comments

We made it to week 28!!!! This is a HUGE milestone for us as the survival rate for the babies jumps up to 95% and the risks of long term disabilities drops dramatically. Of course we don’t really want the babies coming this week, but at least they have good chances if they did. I may not love being on house arrest, but I am really fortunate to still be home at this point. I love having my fur babies at my side all day and friends dropping by at home. Though I must admit, each day is a challenge for me. The discomforts increase each day and contractions are more common these days. It pained me to do it, but I had to take Tylenol in order to rest last night. I have had intermittent rib pain on the right the entire time (now exacerbated by Mason’s cute little feet), but it started on the left last night. I finally had to cry “uncle” and just had to down some Tylenol. I did actually sleep from 3:00-6:45 because of it.

I know each day the babies simmer is better for them, but my body is starting to rebel. Each day I put my big girl pants on (figuratively and literally) to make it another day because each day is a victory. Your prayers and positive thoughts have helped us make it here so please keep it up. As I become increasingly large and uncomfortable, my patience is thinning. So, perhaps pray that I remain calm and patient.

Hugs,

Amber

Diaper Chute

June 22, 2012December 15, 2015George 11 Comments

I guess I couldn’t let my wife steal all the glory so I decided to show off a little. As we know “It is all about me.” – that’s a little inside joke. As my wife turns to words for comfort, I turn to building and creating with my hands. A guy can nest too, right? If there is one thing you need to know about me it is that I was born with Anosmia; it means I cannot smell a thing. Not a rose, popcorn, a slow roasted Texas Brisket or a dead skunk. Nothing. It really hasn’t affected my life except of course for my cleanliness. I like to keep everything as clean as possible to make sure it doesn’t stink. I have noticed that people who can smell mention that things smell good 5% of the time with bad smells representing an overwhelming 95%. I presume the world is full of bad smells but this is just an observation.

This brings me to my creation…The Poop Chute. Who has a poop chute you ask???? Nobody except the Shawvers! I just cannot believe anyone would allow poop to be in the same place they eat and sleep. It just does not make any sense to me. I asked many people how they dispose of diapers and the only logical conclusion is a Diaper Genie or Diaper Champ. These devices were created years ago and I am surprised nobody has come up with something better. Since we are expecting four I did not want to keep emptying these devices all day long to keep the stink away. I needed something where they all go and I can change once a day.

Below I show how I built my work of art. I simply used small pet door and a duct which can be purchased at any local hardware store.

: This is a small 6X6 pet door purchased for about 20 bucks

I had to bend this duct to the proper shape, pointing downwards. Next, I cut out an opening in the wall to accommodate the pet door on one side. On the other, I cut and traced out a 10″ hole to insert the duct into.

This is the door on the inside of the nursery closet. You place the diaper in here.

This is the duct from the inside of the garage. The diapers fall out of this chute into a waiting trashcan placed underneath. I will line the trashcan with charcoal to absorb the odors. I will simply step out of the car, take out the trash, and Voila! It’s a nice way to dispose of dirty diapers in a convenient centralized location!

BTW….I also invented a previous product that I used to potty train our puppy while living in an apartment. We called it The Pooch Patio Potty. I put a layer of sod in a soil lined box for the puppy to use. It worked great! Sasha was able to potty right on the balcony without making a mess and we didn’t have to haul her down three flights of stairs each time she needed to go. However, someone else later made something similar with Astroturf and now sells them at Bed Bath and Beyond! My million dollar idea gone in an instant.

George

Pray, Pray, Pray!

June 5, 2012December 8, 2014Amber 16 Comments

We had our weekly visit with Dr. Tabor today. That meant I fixed my hair, wore a “cute outfit”, and put on more make up than I have been. I have to admit, seeing the sunshine during the car ride was nice. Sometimes it is the simple things…

My vitals were all good and there were no signs of dilation. Also, my contractions have become fewer and further between, which is also good. George noticed that I always had contractions in the evening after taking my calcium supplement so I started taking it earlier in the day and spreading out the dosage. We mentioned this to Dr. Tabor who said we might be onto something since they use magnesium as a calcium blocker to stop premature contractions. Good observation, George!

After our last appointment, we knew we’d have to keep a close eye on tiny Sydney, but we didn’t know how much. Today she didn’t get the best report card. Her amniotic fluid levels are slightly low, which is causing some pressure on her umbilical cord and a lower heart rate than her siblings. What bothers me is that there isn’t really a treatment for this, just careful watching (and praying). I read that hydration can help so I will force some more fluids down even though I already drink a ton of water (George is excellent about keeping track of my water consumption and reprimanding me if I get behind). Extra fluids can’t hurt.

Dr. Tabor will continue to watch Sydney very closely to make sure conditions do not decline. If they do, all of the babies will have to be delivered much earlier than we would like. Of course with quads we have always known they would be premature, but ideally they would be delivered at 30-34 weeks. We are at 24 weeks now, which is the first point of viability. Babies born at 24 weeks have about a 50% chance of survival and the NICU could help their odds. While viability is a milestone, we do NOT want our babies arriving now. At 26 weeks, the survival rate jumps up to 80%, which is better but not great. However, babies born after 28 weeks have a 95% survival rate. Dr. Tabor said he would feel comfortable if we could make it to 28 weeks at least. This is all very scary still.

I am doing my best not to worry too much and remember the positives:

1. Rylin, Mason, and Harper are all doing well

2. my vitals continue to be good

3. while Sydney’s heart rate is lower than her siblings, it is still 140 bpm and that is within the normal range (the other three are at about 150 bpm)

4. Dr. Tabor said that Sydney is very active, which is a great sign

5. Dr. Tabor said he is not terribly concerned, he is just watching carefully. I know that if he were very concerned he would have admitted me today rather than making an appointment for next week. I trust him and know that he knows what is best for the babies.

Since prayer is one of the only treatments we have, please pray that Sydney’s conditions are stable and we do not need to deliver prior to 28 weeks. Also, pray that I stay calm! I do not need to work myself up about this. This may mean I will be taking LOTS more baths!

hugs,

Amber

http://www.marchofdimes.com/baby/premature_indepth.html

24 weeks, 2 days