Quadruplets

Pollyanna

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It’s true, strict bed rest is no picnic.  It drives me batty to know I can’t go outside the walls of my bedroom and bathroom.  Sometimes I just want to get the mail.  However, it’s not as terrible as I imagined it would be either.  I went Pollyanna on it and  found a huge upside to it this first week of strict bed rest….I get to see my friends!!!  With busy work schedules and little time to take care of chores and such, we don’t see our friends nearly as often as we’d like.  With bed rest, my friends are so sweet they are coming to visit me =) 

My friend Judy brought us some yummy chicken salad sandwiches and salad earlier this week.  And the next day, our friends Billie and Bob brought over some more yummy chicken salad sandwiches for dinner!  It was hilarious that they all had the same meal idea.  We enjoyed it all anyways, and their company even more.      

On Wednesday before my doctor’s appointment, my cousin, Lindsay, came over with some Eatzi’s and took some amazing “bed rest” maternity pictures.  She did an amazing job of moving things around in our bedroom and fixing me up so it looks like I went to a studio or something.  Nope, all of the pictures were taken from my bed or chaise lounge!  Pretty cool!

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When Lindsay said, “treat” Sasha and Lily sat for a quick picture.  Notice, Sasha’s tongue is hanging out. 

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We didn’t have near enough baby blocks to spell out the babies’ names so we made a little Scrabble board on my tummy. 

 

Yesterday my Grandma and mom came over to help tidy up the house and fill out envelopes for promotions for multiples.  George was ecstatic to come home to a clean house.  Before their help, there were dust bunnies so large on my dresser that you could have made a life-sized bunny out of them. 

Today, our family friends, Terri and Kaylie, came over with some delicious Pei Wei.  They didn’t just keep me company, they also helped George hang things in the nurseries and walked the fur babies around the block.   You can’t have Pei Wei without a fortune cookie, look at what was inside mine: 

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  George always says you’re supposed to add, “in the bed” to whatever the fortune cookie says.  It is technically true for me, I am touching the lives of many (well four for sure) in the bed while on bed rest. 

 

We have game night and pizza night with friends coming up soon!  Now, I bet you’re wishing you were on strict bed rest. 

hugs!

Amber

Growing

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We finally had our growth scan today with Dr. Tabor. This is where they measure each of the babies major bones (e.g. skull, femur, thighs) as well as their fluids and estimate their weight. Everyone had great fluids and Rylin is apparently our “big girl”. She is on target or ahead of a singleton at this stage and weighs around 1 pound 5 ounces. The boys are within the average range (weighing just over a pound), but Sydney is our tiny one (right at a pound). Dr. Tabor gave us a scare when he started describing what he sees when there is something wrong with a baby or a baby that is starving. After giving me heart palpitations, he said that wasn’t the case with Sydney, but she is smaller than the others overall and smaller than a singleton at this age. He said that at this point, he’s not alarmed, but will be watching her very closely. I remember back to very early on our pregnancy that there was a tiny one and one that was much larger. At that point, Dr. Kaufman’s nurse said, “Oh this one is getting all the groceries!” (meaning the largest one). The difference between the smallest and largest baby early on (7-9 weeks) was about 5 days worth of growth. It makes me wonder if Rylin was the largest and Sydney was the smallest the whole time. Of course, I will never know for sure.

Since Dr. Tabor is not worried, I am not going to let myself get worried about it. I absolutely must stay calm to take care of these babies! Dr. Tabor is going to repeat the growth scan in three weeks to see how they are doing. George wants me to pack on the calories better to make sure there’s enough for everyone. I got really full while eating dinner, but George said, “You have to clean your plate!” So, I did, for Sydney. Please pray that Sydney gets whatever nourishment she needs to grow to a healthy size.

hugs,

Amber

23 weeks, 3 days

House Arrest

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Today started off with a bang! I spotted a very tiny bit this morning, which was slightly alarming. While George wasn’t concerned, I called Dr. Tabor to check in about it. He said, “Go to maternal observation at the hospital immediately”. Dr. Tabor doesn’t get worked up about things so if he says “don’t worry”, I don’t. However, the words “hospital immediately” are generally cause for concern. So George and I threw a “go bag” together and headed out to the hospital. We decided that since it was now our second run to the hospital we should have a better plan for the “go bag”, and make sure both cars always have gas (once again, George had the van in the red).

We went through all the check in business at hospital and they had me in a gown and hooked up to the Toco monitor like before. I wasn’t having contractions, which was great news. My cervix was also fine and we got a peek at the babies who were all happy as clams. YEAH! Dr. Bleich noticed that Rylin’s placenta is just barely touching the cervix so that could have been the cause of the spotting. However, because of this scare, my bed rest just got significantly more strict. I am to stay either in bed or on the couch for the day unless I need to go to the restroom or shower. No getting up to grab snacks in the kitchen, going in the nurseries, and definitely no trips to Target even with a power chair. George did his best to set up a good post in our bedroom in an effort to make it easy for me. He brought my office fridge and microwave beside my bed so snacks are about three feet away. I also have my laptop, i pad, books, notes, and credit card (for online shopping of course) on my bedside table. It’s not a bad set up by any means. I can do this! My goal is to stay out of the hospital as long as possible and of course keep from delivering before 30 weeks. (Pray for that please).

Hugs!

Amber

23 weeks, 2 days

Meeting Stella

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One of the highlights of my week was meeting my new niece, Stella.  Well, fur-niece that is.  Last weekend my sister adopted the most precious Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy and brought her for a visit later in the week.  It was funny, Stella is sooooo tiny, weighing in at about two pounds, but she’s probably close to the size our babies will be at birth.  We held Stella up to my belly and couldn’t imagine sticking four of her in there either!  There is no doubt, I am going to be roughly the size of a beluga whale by the end of this pregnancy.

Seeing my sister dote over her first baby was priceless.  It reminded me of when we got Sasha and how much of a baby she was.  We always tell newlyweds to get a puppy before they think about kids.  If you can’t handle a puppy, a baby is probably way out of your league.  Puppies are remarkably like infants (except of course you can leave them unattended for lengths of time and the don’t stay babies too long).  Courtney was talking about how Stella wakes her up every few hours crying, poops all the time, and puts everything in her mouth.  In fact, today, Courtney is taking Stella to the doggie ER because she may have eaten a screw!  I’m hoping it’s a false alarm and the screw is just missing.  Poor Stella!

hugs!

Amber

The Cure-All

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I have a simple non-medicinal solution for when I am feeling uncomfortable, thinking I am having more than one contraction, or just can’t relax.  BUBBLE BATH!!!! I make a nice lavender vanilla bubble bath, light a candle (or ten), and grab a magazine, which I read cover to cover before getting out of the tub.  I have amassed a stack magazines from various friends so they aren’t in short supply.  It always seems to do the trick.  I have done this dozens of times in the past month, sometimes even in the wee hours of the morning.  There have been days that I have taken two or three baths!  I don’t use particularly hot water as I’ve apparently become heat sensitive.  It’s pretty much lukewarm bath water, but it always does the trick.  Our water bill this month has spiked quite drastically….I’m sure my bath-taking has contributed to that.  However, I won’t take full credit since George also started running the sprinkler again.

notice the jump in water usage from April to May…

Hugs!

Amber

Bed Rest with Companions

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Yesterday being left to my own devices was a little bit more difficult than I expected.  I wasn’t bored I have plenty to do.  I wasn’t lonely (at least not yet).  It was being alone in my own thoughts was the hardest part.  I noticed every twinge and wondered if it was normal or worth worrying about.  Thank goodness Sasha and Lily take bed rest VERY seriously!  They snuggle up with me most of the day and pretty much just rest or sleep so naturally they encourage me to do the same.  It’s an added bonus that they don’t care what I look like.  I don’t know how I would manage without them. 

The highlight of my day was going for my weekly date with Dr. Tabor.  It was the first time since Saturday that I needed to get dressed, fix my hair, and put on make up.  I do get dressed everyday, but I don’t bother getting totally ready.  I mean, that takes a lot of energy for me.   After I take a shower, I need a nap!  The appointment went well and there were no concerns.  I just need to stay on bed rest at home, which really isn’t too bad.  I just need to start reading more to get out of my own head.  The first chapter of the Hunger Games was pretty good so I think I will spend more time with it tomorrow. 

 

hugs!

 

Amber

Making the Most of It

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Bed rest to this point hasn’t been completely terrible (all six days of it).  Fortunately, most of the time either George has been home or my mom’s been here so I haven’t had to be alone too much.  That really helps.  I have a hard time asking them to constantly do things I feel like I could do myself.   It’s little things like refilling water, getting the phone, putting my dishes away, and doing laundry.  However, it’s so important that I don’t get up any more than necessary since too much activity is what triggers contractions.  George is generally not the best nurse when I’m sick, but he’s been great with this bed rest stuff.  He usually gets onto me if he thinks I’m up too much and never lets my Tervis tumblers go empty.  Being so sedentary has me a little freaked out about muscle atrophy.  A while back, I asked Dr. Tabor about “bed exercises” and he just shook his head so I guess that is out of the question.  I am soooo glad that I worked out a lot pre pregnancy at least.  That has to help, right?

Today, George took me to his Dad’s house so I could relax in the pool.  I have a maternity swimsuit from my cousin, but the top is way too tiny so I put  what used to be a baggy yoga tank over it.  Two weeks ago when I tried it on, it fit perfectly, but now the tank rides up a bit.  It didn’t matter though, being in the water was GREAT!  Not only did I get to see the light of day, but the water relieved the pressure of all the extra baby weight I am carrying.  Obviously I didn’t swim, I just totally relaxed in the hot tub part of the pool.  For those of you inclined to worry we had the temperature set in the low 90’s (e.g. lukewarm bath water), I had tons of spf 50 on myself, and I drank approximately 72 ounces of water in less than two hours.  When we got home I took a nice two-hour nap!  I am hoping we can get in the pool again soon.  It was really nice.

Poolside lunch served by the Cabana Boy (aka FIL)

Living it up in the pool!

Tomorrow I am left to my own devices until my Father-in-Law drops me off at Dr. Tabor’s office.  I have a decent list of sedentary things to do while I am parked on the couch: write thank you notes, read The Hunger Games, fill out disability insurance forms, catch up with blogging, start digital scrapbooks for the babies, and go through the cards we’ve received.  I will probably do some of that tomorrow, and watch some daytime TV trash too.   George stocked the fridge with prepared snacks to reduce my getting up and standing time.  Let’s just hope I don’t start getting cabin fever anytime soon.

hugs!

Amber

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Going Co-Ed

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My cousins, Jennifer & Lindsay, hosted a co-ed shower for us this past weekend.  Since we are having quads, we wanted to include all of our friends and family in preparation for the babies so we thought it would be fun to make one shower co-ed.   Unfortunately by the time this shower rolled around, I was already on bed rest.  UGH!!!  Just hours prior to the shower, Lindsay’s air conditioner went out!  She called an HVAC company through Home Warranty and tried to use me as an excuse, but to no avail.  They basically said since I didn’t live their it wasn’t a priority.  So much for getting some quad sympathy this time.  Luckily the weather was relatively mild and the shower was in the evening so I didn’t over heat.

I found a post in Lindsay’s club chair and propped my feet up on an ottoman, which worked pretty well.  George made sure to keep my drink glass filled with H2O and brought me plates of the yummy Mexican food that was served.  Our guests played this cute little game where they had to guess what quad fact might go with a series of random numbers (scary ones for us like how much we will spend on formula this year and how many diapers we will change).   My bed-resting self gave George an opportunity to open gifts, which was cute.  I loved seeing him open packages and then trying to identify what he opened (he was surprisingly good at it).  He had a little trouble with bottle nipples, but identified pacifier clips!  By the end of the evening, I secretly wanted to load Lindsay’s chair into the van when we left, it was so much more comfy than our couch.

hugs!

Amber (& George)

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Is that thing safe?

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I got a phone call from my uncle last night and it made me chuckle so I’ll share it.   He was having dinner with his parents and they started talking about our quad stroller, which requires a trailer hitch for transport.  Granny apparently got this puzzled/ worried look on her face and said, “Ive got to speak up about this right now, I just don’t know if that is safe.”  Sweet Granny thought the trailer hitch was meant to pull the stroller behind the van with babies inside!  Now that would be scary!  Since the babies only ride in the stroller when it is not attached to a trailer hitch, I can assure you it is quite safe.
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And then I jinxed myself!

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I’ve been working full-time and have been managing it day by day. Fatigue has been my primary nemesis, but otherwise I have felt decent. After work, I’ve been totally exhausted and have taken two-hour naps most nights. Someone came into my office on Tuesday and noted that there were only 11 more school days for the students. I thought to myself, “Hey, I think I can make it to the end of the school year. What’s 11 more days?” So, I opened my big mouth and announced that thought to my visitor and office mate, Gina. Immediately, Gina shot me a look and replied, “Oh no, I think you jinxed yourself!” Well, I went to work again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sure I was tired, but again managed.

After work Wednesday, my weekly appointment with Dr. Tabor went great! The babies looked great regarding size and fluid levels. My vitals were good and no signs of dilating. He did dryly announce, “Well, I have good news and bad news.” We asked for the good news first. Dr. Tabor stated, “You don’t have placenta previa. The lowest placenta isn’t covering the cervix.” I said, “Okay, that’s great! Now….what’s the bad news?” Dr. Tabor repeated himself, “You don’t have placenta previa. The lowest placenta isn’t covering the cervix.” And he was right, it is good news and bad news all in one. Not having placenta previa means I won’t bleed and am not at risk of hemorrhaging (GREAT!!!!), however if I do dilate, there will not be a warning sign. For some reason Dr. Tabor didn’t realize I was working full-time and seemed surprised that I was still managing ok. He was concerned about me over-doing it though so he decided to put me on a 1/2 day work schedule. I was released for another week of freedom!

After my appointment we had to fight rush hour traffic yet again and I had quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions. UGH! That evening I had more contractions, but was able to keep them at bay by essentially resting and going to sleep at 9:30. I thought I fixed the problem, but when I woke up….more Braxton Hicks contractions, which started up with almost every movement I made. I felt my stomach contract when I tried to sit up let alone walk or do anything else. I rested on my side and drank water by the gallon, but none of it seemed to help so I had to call Dr. Tabor. He ordered me to the maternal observation unit at the hospital so George and I were off to the hospital. Gina was right, I totally jinxed myself!!!!

Maternal observation was fun….NOT! I got a very painful cervical exam before they hooked me up to a Toco monitor, which keeps track of contractions. Since I was at rest there weren’t any contractions, which was a good thing. That did mean, however that Dr. Tabor had to put me on bed rest since contractions were triggered by activity.

I knew bed rest was coming, but it was a nice dream to think I could make it those last 11 days. It’s okay though. I had been a little worried about over exerting myself and causing trouble, so bed rest was needed. Today was my first day of full bed rest and it’s been okay. That’s because my mom’s been with me and has been helping organize and tidy up while I rest on my side or sit. I’ve been able to do some things like fold laundry that she delivered to me and sort baby clothes. The nurseries are much more organized now thanks to Mom. I made myself a laundry list of things I want to accomplish while on bed rest like read The Hunger Games and write thank you notes. I’m trying to make the best of house arrest here!

hugs!

Amber

PS- Since I’m home…I will try to catch up on all the blogging I didn’t do this week while I was napping every evening. I have new pictures to add to the photo gallery and everything =)

21 weeks, 5 days