Banding Together, Raising Awareness

March 20, 2014March 20, 2014Amber 9 Comments

Despite having a few scares, George and I were lucky during my pregnancy and subsequent NICU stay. From the moment we learned we were expecting quadruplets we were painfully aware of the inherent risks for all involved and we chose to accept them. Even knowing these risks, it never occurred to me that we may not take one or more of them home. The past year has been a difficult one in our community of quadruplet families. In the past eight months we’ve wept as many families lost one or two babies. And, three different families lost all four babies due to extremely premature deliveries. The Peterson family was the latest to suffer this grave loss. They bravely share their story and photographs on their Facebook page, Prayers for the Fantastic Four.

Jen and Chris shared this photograph of their angels.

Here, Jen embraces three of her angels. Her first daughter, Serenity, is represented by the teddy bear. Serenity was delivered two days prior in hopes of saving her mother and siblings. Unfortunately, the delivery of the remaining three could not be prevented. The Peterson family has a Go Fund page established to help offset funeral and hospital expenses. If you are able, any donation is appreciated.

What broke my heart even more was knowing that these lives may have been spared. I believe this because of my friend, Kathryn. Before I met her, she lost her twin boys at just 16 weeks due to incompetent cervix. Since her losses, Kathryn has become the most articulate advocate of TACs I know. Because she is the expert on this topic, I asked her to share her knowledge in hopes of raising awareness and helping mothers realize their options. Here are Kathryn’s words:

Ever watch Dexter? It’s a Showtime program chronicling the ongoings of a serial killer while following a moral code. Dexter successfully detaches himself from his killing tendencies by referring to that part of himself as his ‘Dark Passenger.’ I have a Dark Passenger, too: an incompetent cervix. And it killed my sons.

The cervix sits between the uterus and the vagina and acts as a safe keeper of baby. A good cervix stays closed during pregnancy and holds baby in tightly. A column of mucous forms in the center of the cervix to plug any possibility of good (or bad) vaginal bacteria ascending. At the end of the gestation, contractions essentially slam baby into the cervix repeatedly to send the message, “Hey, open up, it’s time!” After that timely prodding, the cervix will dilate and allow baby to be pushed out vaginally. There are some other things that tell the cervix to get ready – but those also all occur at the END of gestation.

In contrast, an incompetent cervix fails. It opens willy nilly – even at 16 weeks! It could open ever so slightly to lose bits of the mucous plug and allow bacteria to ascend. It could open just at the top forming a funnel that baby slips into causing all sorts of problems. It could even open all the way causing the baby to fall out. And just as fast as it opens, it can close back up never having its misbehavior detected. This earns an incompetent cervix the nickname ‘Silent Killer.’

Diagnosis of IC can be difficult. The cervix can change so frequently, that often it’s not detected as problematic until an emergency arises. Most often, women must lose several 2^nd trimester pregnancies before most doctors will even consider IC as a diagnosis. Doctors treat it as a diagnosis by process of elimination rather than a diagnosis based on IC symptoms.

Treatment options are severely limited by gestation and severity of the situation. In a nutshell, current treatments include:

Wait and Watch Approach – Doctors may suspect (or even KNOW) a patient has IC and elect to simply monitor the cervix via ultrasound every two weeks from about 16 weeks to 24 weeks gestation.
Preventive Transvaginal Cerclage (TVC) – entering through the vaginal canal, a cerclage is stitched in/out of the bottom of the cervix, pulled taught like a purse string, and tied off. This placement occurs between 10 and 14 weeks gestation as an attempt to prevent any cervical changes occurring and becoming problematic. The TVC is removed at the end of pregnancy to allow for vaginal delivery.
Rescue/Emergency Transvaginal Cerclage (TVC) – This occurs during the pregnancy when doctors notice that a dangerous change has occurred in the cervical length or dilation. There are many limits to even utilizing this option as there has to be enough length remaining to place the stitch and most doctors will not place a rescue cerclage at gestations close to or beyond viability (24 weeks). Again, the TVC is removed at the end of pregnancy to allow for vaginal delivery.
Transvaginal Cervicoisthmic Cerclage (TVCIC) – A TVCIC may be placed prior to or during pregnancy. Though this is still a vaginal cerclage, it is placed ABOVE the cardinal ligaments. It may be removed to allow for vaginal births or left in place for future pregnancies (and a c-section performed). Fewer doctors currently know about and perform TVCIC than TAC.
Transabdominal Cerclage (TAC) – A TAC may be placed prior to or during pregnancy at 10-14 weeks. Through an incision in the abdomen, a mersiline band is placed AROUND the very top of the cervix to disallow dilation. Vaginal delivery is impossible with a TAC and a c-section is required.

Once a person is diagnosed with definitive IC, there should be no question that placing a preventive permanent transabdominal cerclage (TAC) is the correct path. (side note: tvcic is a viable option, but I reserve recommending tvcic in only extreme situations such as a rescue or when multiple abdominal incisions would occur in such a tight time frame that increased risk is assigned to the patient)

While statistics depend on each doctor, here are a few rough numbers to consider:

Success rates of TVC = *80% for a live birth (about 40% of these births are preterm)

Success rates of TAC = 97%+ for a live TERM birth (certain TAC doctors have even higher success rates)

*these may be exaggerated because some women receive TVC placements who do not actually have IC and are counted towards being a TVC success even though they would’ve been successful without one.

Clearly, TAC gives the best possible outcome for baby’s life.

Another consideration ought to be the quality of pregnancy. With IC, uncertainty rules pregnancy. Every twinge, every pain, every flutter, every kick, every toilet visit – it’s all filled with dread and fear. As odd as it sounds, IC support sites are filled with pics of women asking if discharge looks normal. On top of that, TVCs often require (and I ALWAYS recommend) bed rest to keep as much pressure off the cervix as possible. Forget baths, exercise, intimacy, lifting toddlers, etc. Your baby’s life is relying on that thread of support at the bottom of the cervix.

With a TAC, IC considerations are gone. The cervix will not budge. Even if the length shortens, the cervix cannot dilate. It cannot open and allow baby to slip out. Baby is baking until doctor says otherwise! Unless it’s for other non-IC reasons, bed rest is not required. I personally worked up until the day of my c-section and that is the norm for TAC sisters. Pregnant in the summer, I spent hours each day in the pool. In the winter, I practically lived in the bathtub. Intimacy was allowed. I was able to lift what I wanted, shop til I dropped, and live my normal life. TAC allows normal pregnancy!

As women, we rely on our doctors to prescribe the best treatment. We assume they have the same goal – and same urgency – at protecting our babies that we do. To be clear, I do not think doctors prescribing a preventive TVC have the ill will of wanting to risk or kill our babies. Unfortunately, every doctor placing a preventive TVC or advising a wait and watch situation when IC is known is doing just that: risking your baby. Sometimes it’s due to a lack of education, but sometimes when you press the doctor, you’ll hear them utter, “If this doesn’t work, then next time…”

So what can a mama do?

Educate yourself on the realities of cervical insufficiency. Understand how the cervix should work and how it fails. Fully understand what each treatment option entails. Find women to talk to on support boards about their experiences. Evaluate your lifestyle and mental health and figure out what you could realistically handle during a pregnancy. Speak to the top IC doctors in the country (Drs. Haney, Davis, and Sumners). Talk to your OBs and MFMs. Pointedly ask them what happens if you funnel to the stitch and shorten at 22 weeks. Ask them what will happen if your membranes bulge or baby’s leg dangles into the vagina. What then? Ask them who makes the final call on treatment for baby. Remember, this is your body, your baby, and your choice. Nobody is going to look after preserving and protecting your baby better than you are.

As a specific point, I want to offer an asterisk to all the successful tvc stories you may hear: firstly, a woman with known IC could absolutely have a completely normal, intervention-free pregnancy. That’s the crapshoot of IC: sometimes the cervix works and sometimes it doesn’t. It may behave well during one pregnancy and terribly during another.

Additionally, you need to understand this equation:

TVC Success = surgical skill + cervical behavior

TAC success = surgical skill

With an IC diagnosis, you already know your cervix does not work. Understand that choosing a TVC continues to rely, in part, on the behavior of that broken cervix.

For me, TAC was the muddy answer at the time, but oh how clear the waters have become. I was able to slaughter that serial killing Dark Passenger who stole away my sons and conquer IC altogether. I now have beautiful twin rainbow daughters thanks to my TAC. And I will never regret choosing life at any cost for them.

Kathryn Nguyen is a proud mother to two sets of twins and a prayerful TAC-only advocate. Visit her blog Beyond This Desert for more information on cervical insufficiency and TAC.

Three other quad mom bloggers joined me in the effort to raise awareness on this sensitive topic, please visit:

Capri + 3

Chillin’ with Chad

Quads from Heaven

In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, I addressed my own losses, Casting a Light in the Darkness & Reflecting.

A Day of Beauty

March 14, 2014Amber 13 Comments

Several weeks, possibly months have passed since I realized the boys needed their first haircuts. George willingly would have taken the task on himself, but I wasn’t about to let him chop at their baby locks. Last spring, I allowed him to snip the girls bangs and it was slightly disastrous. His handiwork ended up as super short, blunt bangs that took months to grow out. I cannot cut along a straight line on paper so I wasn’t going to attempt any scissor work. This was clearly a job for professionals.

Mason’s hair had a disheveled appearance most of the time prior to his cut.

I knew of three children’s salons in our area and began a little recon. Do you have any idea what they charge for toddler cuts???? Both boys together would cost more than I pay for a cut and style with my stylist. The bad news, these three salons were in cahoots. The prices were exactly the same! I did, however, find that Sweet & Sassy offers a discount on “Toddler Tuesday.” Score! Except I had one problem, I wasn’t about to take four toddlers to a salon on my own. Reinforcements were needed.

Yet, most everyone we know is at work on a Tuesday. I racked my brain trying to figure out who might be available. Then, BAM! My long time friend, and college room-mate, Kristen sent me a text. She wanted to let me know that she and our other room-mate, Neha, wanted to spend Tuesday with the quads and me. Sometimes things just work out. I was totally stoked that my two buddies would be present for the boys’ first hair cuts, and I would have two extra sets of hands. When the big day arrived, we all met up at the salon and maneuvered two double strollers through the glitzy salon. The entire store front was jam-packed with sparkly fashions, accessories, and make up. Clearly this joint is suited for the girliest of girls, but thankfully they offer boy hair cuts too.

We checked in and found that each of the boys had his own stylist. Harper is generally the most content of the babies so I plopped him in the chair first. Maria fitted him with a cape and the tantrum ensued. Harper squealed as if his skin were being scalded with napalm. It was horrific. Meanwhile, our resident “Drama King”, Mason, happily sat in his chair as Morgan snipped and shaped his strawberry brown mop. I expected that someone may be unhappy so I came armed with a variety of toys and Annie’s cheddar bunnies. Harper was having none of it. He continued wailing and sobbing with increasing intensity. It wasn’t long before Maria suggested I give him a lollipop. It sounded like a good distraction, only I didn’t bring lollipops. Maria pointed to a gorgeous display of gourmet flavored lollipops molded into a variety of shapes. I cautiously selected one in the lightest shade, bracing myself for the potential price tag on said lollipop. Considering I was purchasing sale hair cuts, I hated the idea of paying a hefty penny for a piece of candy. However, we desperately needed something to help calm Harper. I happily presented the lollipop to Harper and he refused. Instead, Mason enjoyed every last lick.

Even though Harper was in hysterics the entire twenty minutes of his hair cut, Maria worked without missing a beat. In fact, it was proof that there’s a reason toddler cuts don’t come cheap, these dear people are worth every penny. Once Harper’s cut was done, we unfastened his cape and the tears magically stopped flowing. The next time we go in, we may nix the cape if that means we’ll have a happy child. Both boys looked quite handsome in the end. As soon as we loaded everyone back into the strollers, the girls were each offered a lollipop, and I realized they were complimentary. Whew!

Don’t they look dapper?

After his torture treatment was complete, Harper appreciated his lollipop much more.

The girls waited patiently the entire time and therefore earned their lollipops too.

The weather was stunning so our little quadventure continued. Neha, Kristen, and I let the quads romp around the town square fountain. They had a blast running freely, however redirecting them from the street was no cake walk. We then enjoyed a little time in Earthbound Trading Co. where there were plenty of toys to explore. Following our time exploring, we hit up Cristina’s Tex Mex because kids eat free on Tuesday! It turned out to be a lovely day with some special friends.

Neha was impressed to find the babies can label most any animal, including iguana and produce the corresponding sound. Mason was impressed with this owl puppet, which boasted moving eyes and beak.

What service do you appreciate even if the price seems a bit hefty?

hugs! Amber

Southern Hospitality

March 12, 2014March 12, 2014Amber 1 Comment

This week the quads welcomed our friend, Sara’s new baby into our home. To date, they’ve had a few opportunities to play with other babies younger than themselves, but Emma was by far our youngest visitor. The quads enjoy admiring babies in public, reading about them in books, and caring for dolls, but I wasn’t sure how well they’d actually interact with an infant. From the moment they laid eyes on Emma, they were enamored. At first, they curiously peered at her through our baby gate. Then, they crept up close as I held Emma. In typical toddler fashion, they mercilessly fought among each other over coveted toys. Thankfully, they behaved differently with Emma. Each of the quads took turns generously presenting Emma with plastic food and sips of tea. It was quite the display of southern hospitality. Initially, they were a bit too loud and rowdy for an infant, but with reminders, they tamed things down and proved themselves capable of being gentle with a wee one.

Each of the quads spent time getting a closer look at Emma, but Rylin insisted on sitting right next to her. She was surprisingly obedient about only touching Emma’s feet.

Sydney also thought looking at pictures of Emma was fascinating.

I snapped at lightning speed to capture this one. Mason bolted shortly after.

In the next year or so, I think Emma will be a great play mate for the quads!

hugs,

Amber

Imaginations Ignited

December 5, 2013Amber 4 Comments

Much like with the quad’s wardrobe, we are fortunate enough to also receive many hand me down toys. I stash toys away for a few weeks at a time, and rotate them to keep things fresh. When I notice fussiness and cranky babies, I know it’s time for a rotation. Around our house, novelty is king! It always warms my heart to see the quads discover something new to explore.

Of their toys, I’m most fond of those that encourage imaginative play. It’s wonderful seeing the quads figure out how to really use toys and mimic adult behaviors. For instance, they are all about their kitchen set right now. They don’t really understand how to cook with it, but they often feed me or their stuffed animals and dolls plastic spaghetti and vegetables. Mason and Harper are often seen stirring imaginary concoctions in tiny tea cups, or sipping their beverages.

Seriously, Mason’s favorite toys are spoons. He often clutches one in each hand, and on occasion I find them in his crib.

Another favored toy is the telephone. Naturally, the babies see us chatting on our cell phones, and they emulate this behavior artfully. On a few occasions, George made the grave error of letting them play with his actual phone. It’s impressive how they instinctively swipe and tap, but really smart phones are not good in little hands. The baby sign for phone is to hold your hand to your ear, which they do when they spy a phone.

They have quite an array of toy phones. So many in fact that I was tickled at comparing the evolution of them. Our toy phone collection boasts a rotary dial phone all the way to a smart phone. And you know what- they recognize each of these toys as phones and use them appropriately. However, they seem to prefer the smart phone. I believe they recognize it as being most similar to the ones we use, and they often bicker over who gets it.

This is quite the collection of toy phones.

Here’s our entire collection of telephones.

It is rather incredible just how much technology has evolved within my life span. When we Face Time with my sister, it reminds me of watching episodes of The Jetsons as a child. I often wonder what the future of technology will bring for the quads. By the time they are adults will these toy phones even be recognizable as phones?

For the most part, the quads mastered the “walk and talk” as well as the “speaker phone”.

hugs,

Amber

Teaching Toddlers Thankfulness

November 26, 2013Amber 5 Comments

George and I have been working more on teaching our children virtues recently. As they communicate better and interact with each other more, being kind, patient, generous, and gracious are increasingly important. My heart melted when Mason showed a generous heart at dinner, sharing his milk with Harper.

I really hadn’t considered how to teach them thankfulness until I read a post written by my cousin at Confessions of a Pastor’s Family. Showing gratitude is important year round, but this time of year is a nice time to spend a little more time devoted to it. I loved how her family worked together to create a “Thankful Tree” where each family member wrote some of the things they are thankful for on the leaves. While the quads aren’t old enough to verbalize what exactly they appreciate, I combined our usual baby art with thankfulness. I love creating art using their hands and feet because it preserves their size at various stages of life. This year, we did the cliché hand and foot turkey. On each of the little fingers, I wrote things I believe they are thankful for (e.g. Wubbanubs, Elmo, shape sorters) as well as things we are thankful for as a family (e.g. our doctors, family, friends). In the future, I think it will be fun to see what they liked as babies and how they evolve into appreciating other things.

I realized after I snapped this pictures, I was short one item for Harper so I added "baby gates". I have now idea how we'd function without them!

I realized after I snapped this pictures, I was short one item for Mason’s pinkie so I added “baby gates”. I have now idea how we’d function without them!

Our turkeys are hanging in the art gallery frame in our playroom. I think they may live their beyond Thanksgiving as a reminder of the very blessings in our life- great and small.

While I had fun reflecting upon what our family is thankful for, that didn’t really teach the quads much this year. I took note from Jennifer and added the sign, “thank you” to our repertoire. They already mastered basic requests and “please” so “thank you” was a logical next step. They haven’t mastered, “thank you”, but they certainly understand the concept. I also pulled a small collection of books about being thankful from our library, reading them daily. Since the babies were in the NICU, I have always prayed with them. I’m not typically a “pray aloud” person, but in order to teach babies and children prayer, you really have to pray aloud. Each night as I tuck each one into bed, I pray over them thanking Jesus for our day and our blessings, then I extend our prayer to others. Even though I’ve been praying with the babies their entire life, we are just beginning a mealtime prayer. I have always liked the one Jennifer’s family says so we are adopting her version as a mealtime prayer. It is very close to the one my father’s family says, but is a little more child-friendly.

Come Lord Jesus be our guest.

Let this food to us be blessed.

Make us mindful for the needs of others, we ask in your name.

Amen.

Jennifer suggested a few books about thankfulness, but I found these right on our own bookshelf. The babies favorite is, Thank God for Puppies!

Jennifer suggested a few books about thankfulness, but I found these right on our own bookshelf. The babies favorite is, “Thank You, God, for Puppies!”

Family is always something we are thankful for, especially when raising quadruplets. We celebrated Thanksgiving with George’s extended family Sunday. We missed family gatherings last year due to lock down and it’s nice being with extended family again. His 90 year old twin great aunts really seemed to enjoy meeting the newest multiples in the family.

Our family has been blessed in many ways, and it is important that we teach our children beginning right now to be thankful for what we are given each day. What are you thankful for?

hugs!

Amber

Toddler Tips #321: Batten the Hatches

November 14, 2013January 13, 2014Amber 4 Comments

With each passing day, I find myself trying to solve some new challenge with raising four toddlers, aka “quaddlers”. They are a cunning lot who inspires a little ingenuity on my part (and George’s) just to manage day to day life. While my ideas are born from being surrounded by four toddlers, I think many of them could be helpful to any parents of little ones so I’m sharing.

As soon as the babies became mobile, serious baby proofing ensued, starting with baby gates. Sometimes it feels as if we reside in Fort Knox thanks to the baby gates that effectively partition our den. We have a total of three gates- one at the base of the stairs, one between the den and entry way, and another between the den and kitchen.

When the quadlets are awake, the gates do an outstanding job of dividing the baby proof vs adult areas.

When the quadruplets are awake, the gates do an outstanding job of dividing the baby proof vs adult areas. This gate will soon be replaced with a much taller one..they’ve recently began reaching the latch and it’s only a matter of time before they finagle it open. UGH!

I’m thankful for the way we can cordon off our den, creating a mostly toddler proof room. This allows me to dart to the restroom or do a few things in the kitchen while they play. However, baby gates are a nuisance for the rest of us. They separate the dogs from their food and water and we sometimes trip over them.

One evening after we put the quads to bed, George pulled out a few bungee cords and propped the gates open. It was fantastic being able to move about our house without being blocked by gates, and for the dogs to freely drink water. Now it’s part of our evening routine to prop the gates open as soon as everyone is in bed. I also do the same while the quads nap.

After the quads are tucked into their cribs for the night, the gates are more of a nuisance for us and the dogs.

Here’s how we use bungee cords to keep the gates open.

The critical part is to always shut the gates before getting the quads out of bed. Otherwise, the little opportunists scamper into the kitchen and play in the dog’s water.

Typically, the kitchen is off-limits to the quads unless they are in the quad table. Still, all of the cabinets with hazardous chemicals or other dangerous items protected with latches. When we have fussy days, I bring the quads into the kitchen with different toys. They are rejuvenated by novelty and are thrilled to play in otherwise taboo spaces. We have several cabinets that contain things such as pots and Tupperware, which do not have latches. That does not mean I want eight hands exploring said cabinets. To keep my sanity, I use George’s bungee cords to seal the cabinets temporarily. I suppose we could bring bungee cords for when we travel to family member’s homes, or if we ever attempt a vacation.

What are some of your favorite ways to use bungee cords?

hugs,

Amber

2 Days. 3 Parties. 4 Toddlers.

November 10, 2013Amber 9 Comments

In just two days, we attended three parties with four toddlers. WHEW! I’m considering pitching this to the Olympic committee as a new sport. In order to take the quadlets out for an evening, we literally begin prepping after breakfast. As soon as I finish cleaning breakfast, I check to make sure the diaper bag is stocked, and we have plenty of toys and snacks. While the quads enjoy a morning catnap, George and I ferociously shower and get dressed. After their nap, the quads are fed lunch and dressed. As I get them ready, George is responsible for loading the quad mobile. Once everything is organized, we begin the loading process. I start with the back row because it’s easier for me to slip back there while George works on the middle row. It’s expected that after at least two are loaded, someone has a foul diaper that needs attention. Once we start the loading process, the van is usually rolling down the driveway within about 10 minutes, and we are sweating profusely. Are you exhausted yet???

This weekend turned out to be a rather busy one. We were invited to a housewarming/ 30th birthday party and a shared children’s birthday party that began an hour later. Both of these parties were across town, but fortunately within close proximity to each other so we decided to make both. The next day, we had an early Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandmother’s house while my Aunt Susan visited from California. I don’t think we’ve hit three parties in a single weekend since college.

Party #1: Housewarming/ 30th Birthday

I was impressed that Aunt CiCi captured a picture with everyone looking at the camera with eyes open!

I was impressed that Aunt CiCi captured a picture with everyone looking (well, mostly) at the camera with eyes open!

For once, I asked someone to take a picture, here I’m with my sister and Kaylie. I always feel a bit weird when I’m somewhere with the quads and I’m not holding or chasing one. I find myself doing head counts often.

Terri loyally helps us care for the quads once a week while I go to work, and also when we have pediatrician appointments. She was so happy when they all gravitated towards her in a sea of unfamiliar faces. They know their caregivers!

Harper became Ed’s little buddy, accompanying him everywhere.

Whenever we go places with Nisey and Grandpa, Rylin seems to gravitate to Nisey who consoles her stranger danger. Somehow Rylin ended up greeting an unfamiliar guest AND she stayed with the guest for quite a while. When she spotted me, she gave the stink eye to her new-found friend.

Sydney always needs a little snuggle time with her “Big Me”.

Party #2: Birthday Party

After the quads soaked up all the attention they could at the first party, we loaded the quad mobile and followed our GPS to the next stop, my cousin, Jennifer’s house. There we were invited to celebrate the birthdays of her oldest two children. They always throw the best parties and I was so excited we were able to attend. They set up their backyard as a movie theater under the stars and screened Brave. Keeping up with the theme, hot dogs, popcorn, and candy were served.

Jennifer’s youngest child jumped right in with the quads and generously shared his toys.

Mason showed Grandpa how to tickle the ivories.

My cousin Lindsay and her cousin Julie got a little snuggle with Harper man.

Sydney loved the long hallways in the house and trotted off independently.

Mamaw absolutely adored the boys, especially when Mason crawled into her lap.

The quads enjoyed watching the birthday boy and girl blowing out candles.

Party #3

We rounded out the weekend with a traditional family Thanksgiving dinner/ family birthdays at Grandma’s house. After dinner, the quads had a chance to run freely in the front yard. They took turns noshing grass and chasing each other.

Sydney enjoyed being the center of attention and was fascinated with Cousin Rita’s braid.

Mason always gravitates to the twins, especially Michael.

When Rylin saw birthday candles she began saying “hot” and blowing.

Nisey found Thanksgiving outfits for the girls, and the boy’s Halloween shirts coordinated perfectly with them.

Our family with my grandparents.

What did you do this weekend?

hugs,

Amber

Four of a Kind

November 1, 2013Amber 8 Comments

Sometime after discovering we were expecting quads, George researched statistics and determined the chances of conceiving quadruplets to be about one in a million. We joked that we hit the “baby lottery”. George actually bought a lotto ticket, hoping we’d win the state lottery, but no avail. We’ve always considered having quadruplets to be a “win”. Keeping that in mind, I thought of the quad’s Halloween costume last year- Four of a Kind. Actually…I’m not sure I thought of it myself. Four of a Kind is relatively common for quadruplets because In poker, four of a kind is also known as “quads”. Anyways, I had my heart set on Four of a Kind last year, but the babies were too small for it. This year they were just the right size.

To bring this idea to life, I picked up a package of Hanes toddler undershirts and black and red duck fabric. George stenciled the suits and A’s onto the fabric, which we cut out. Because I have zero sewing ability, we enlisted our friend, Marianne, to help us with that part. She did a beautiful zig-zag stitch that should last long enough for several future generations of quadruplets to enjoy. (Thank you, Marianne!!!)

I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing this, but taking a picture of four active toddlers together is nearly impossible! We busted out the baby Adirondack chairs to contain them, but Mason kept escaping.

I’ve never been one to dress up on Halloween, but this year, I really wanted to do go all with our theme. I went onto Amazon and scored a Poker Dealer’s hat and arm bands for George, but was a bit puzzled about what I should wear. While perusing Amazon for George’s accessories, I noticed that the female counterpart to Poker Dealer was “Lady Luck”. Being a spendthrift, I wasn’t about to drop any cash on ordering a costume. Instead, I rifled through my own closet to pull something together. I think it turned out pretty well.

Four of a Kind wouldn’t be complete without a Poker Dealer and Lady Luck! It’s hard to see in the photo, but my hair clip is made of tiny playing cards (all aces) and poker chips.

Once our obligatory pictures were snapped, we set out for our very first excursion as Trick or Treaters. Thankfully, Nisey and our friend, Terri, joined us. The quads are all capable walkers, but they aren’t terribly efficient yet.

Just getting out the door posed a challenge for quaddlers.

Our first stop was across the street to Kent’s house. There, a huge bowl of peanut butter cups beckoned the quads, but they were hesitant to take any. Eventually Sydney gingerly chose a piece and the boys joined her.

Rylin protested choosing any candy and instead clung to Nisey.

Rylin, hon the other hand, protested choosing any candy and instead clung to Nisey.

Once we collected our fair share of peanut butter cups, we traveled to our next door neighbor, Kim’s house. There, Harper and Rylin had a blast picking Tootsie Rolls from her bucket and handing them to George. This ended up being our final stop as Trick or Treating was hard work this year.

Kim snuggled Sydney while the others picked through the candy bucket.

Each time Harper spied a bowl of candy a mischievous look swept over his face.

Each year, George prides himself in being the most decorated house on the block and this year was no exception. He laced our bushes with bright orange, purple, and lime lights, hung large letters reading “BOO” from our porch, and giant spiders crawling in our bushes. I didn’t snap a picture this year, but it looked similar to last Halloween. A few years ago, George and I grew weary of popping up from the sofa to dole out candy to voracious Trick or Treaters. Not to mention, it drove our fur babies insane hearing the door bell ring and rapping on the door. We began putting a baby gate in our doorway and posting up in the dining room. That allowed us to enjoy our traditional Halloween dinner (chili dogs and chips) while we greeted little spooks. Our usual plan worked perfectly for the quads. They had a fantastic time playing in an otherwise forbidden part of our home while also checking out all the visitors through the window.

Every year, George insists on putting skeleton bones out as part of his decor. I absolutely loathe the horrid things, but it’s a losing battle for me. George let the quads play with them and it looked a little grisly.

Lily took her role as official family greeter and hopped up at the edge of the gate with each new wave of Trick or Treaters.

Even though four babies toddled around the foyer and hundreds of kids visited us, Sasha found it fitting for a siesta.

When I was a kid, mom always made a pumpkin shaped cake of two bundt cakes. She made it once again for the quads.

What do you think the quads should be next year for Halloween?

Hugs!

Amber

Toddler Tips #25: No More Slippin’

October 24, 2013January 13, 2014Amber 8 Comments

Last week, I shared my tip for holding off the pee pee flood gates in the bath tub. Several of you noticed our huge bathtub mat in the picture I posted. Which brings me to another tip. When the babies transitioned from bath seats to sitting independently, it became apparent that the tub floor was too slippery for them. I picked up a bath mat at Target, but was dismayed when it would not stick to the texture on our bathtub floor. I tried putting a bath towel down, but it floated up and made a huge mess for me to contend with.

No matter how hard I tried, this mat would not stick to our bathtub and instead floated up, making an even bigger slip hazard.

That’s when the idea struck, I simply turned the mat we had so it stuck on the sides of the bath tub rather than the floor. It worked perfectly! However, it did not cover near enough real estate for multiple babies in the bath tub. I picked up a second mat and now they are flush against each other, creating a large area.

What appears to be an oversize bathmat, is actually two identical bathmats.

Anna, from All Bad Things Must End, shared her favorite toddler bath tip and I gave it a whirl. While the bath water was running, I attempted to sit the babies on the toilet (individually of course) without a diaper to encourage them to urinate on the toilet. It didn’t go so well. Rylin had a major meltdown complete with back arching and wailing. The other three sat a little more willingly, but no action. I’m not throwing in the towel on this one yet. I will revisit this idea in a few months because I think it’s a brilliant way to begin the concept of toilet training. I will also try it with a toddler seat, I think the seat would make a huge difference, but I just don’t have one yet. Thank you for sharing, Anna!

What is your favorite toddler tip?

hugs,

Amber

Shawver Shenanigans

October 13, 2013Amber 6 Comments

If a baby changes everything….four babies turn life upside down! Being Type A personalities, George and I attempt to run a tight ship, maintaining a predictable schedule and keeping everything in it’s place. I really like order. Yet, quadruplets have a way of forcing us to loosen the reigns and be far more flexible. We’re learning to roll with the punches more each day. We often just have sit back and enjoy the ride, taking it all in stride. If we took ourselves too seriously, we’d be in for a treacherous road.

When I review the snapshots taken in a week’s time, it’s apparent that our lives are full of shenanigans, but that is what enriches us and makes life full of JOY! It’s a clear reminder why God thought quadruplets were just right for our family. Here are some of my favorite outtakes from last week-

1. Sydney is undoubtedly clever. She figured out the perfect way to stop a runny nose…

2. Saturday night we went to a friend’s surprise 30th birthday with the quads in tow. In honor of the occasion, they were dressed in their cutest Halloween outfits, accessorized with boots and all. I hoped we’d capture a an equally cute family snapshot. Instead, we got this: