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

A Passing Grade

StandardJune 20, 2012July 12, 2012Amber 1 Comment

Dr. Tabor was back this week for our weekly appointment for the 26 week mark. I was glad to see him because he teased about not returning from vacation despite my pleas that he return to deliver the quads. Prior to my appointment, I began a one hour glucose test. That meant I got to chug this delicious bright red dye #40 fruit punch flavored beverage within five minutes (can you sense the sarcasm here?) George told me to pretend it was a hurricane at Pat O’ Brien’s in New Orleans, which was cute. I tried my best to imagine this scarlet colored drink in a hurricane glass with a slice of pineapple and pink umbrella during a sing-a-long, but no avail. It wasn’t that bad, but it was no hurricane and I would prefer to never have another. The problem with the drink wasn’t so much the gross flavor, it was more the queasy fullness it caused afterwards….not pleasant. Plus, after finishing that thing I got to lay on my back for the ultrasound. I managed to keep it down, but it wasn’t easy!

I think all of the prayers have been working because we got a passing grade this week. I don’t think we got an “A”, but we are at least pulling a “C” if not a solid “B”. Of course, Sydney’s fluids are still lower than preferred, but they actually increased from 2.7 to 2.94. Dr. Tabor said she appeared visually smaller still, but it wasn’t “ominous”- that was good, I think. The pressure in her umbilical cord has remained stable as well, and she is still very active. They did another ultrasound to monitor fetal movements and reactivity. When it was her turn, Rylin decided it was time to take a snooze. When prodded by the ultrasound transducer she did give a few kicks and moved her arms, but pretty much slept the entire time. Harper followed suit and copied his sister, Rylin. The funny thing was that Sydney kept peeking into Harper’s ultrasound picture. We would see Harper’s profile as he slept then Sydney would poke her face into his territory and face forward as if saying, “Look at me! I’m here!”. Mason was better behaved this week, he moved about, but this time kept his hands and feet to himself. I guess he realized we didn’t want him beating up his siblings. My vitals were good, which means another week at home. Before we left Dr. Tabor said things were “great”. YEAH!!!

Before we could leave, we had to wait for my hour to be up for the glucose test. Since Dr. Tabor was on time this morning, that meant I had to wait for about half an hour to pass. UGH… After my blood draw, we were free to leave, but the nurse let me know that 1. no sugar for the rest of the day 2. upon getting home I should eat a high protein snack. When I thought about a high protein snack I immediately thought of peanut butter (YUM!), but realized that would be full of sugar. Ah, snap! Then I thought about a protein shake, which is also full of sugar. Darn! George ended up making me leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, but then what did I want? A popsicle! Seriously? Pretty much all day I wanted the very thing that was forbidden sugar in any form. Oh well.

Here’s to surpassing that next goal of 28 weeks!

hugs,

Amber

26 weeks, 3 days

Stable!

StandardJune 13, 2012July 12, 2012Amber 5 Comments

Dr. Tabor was out of town this week so we got to see Dr. Bleich again. I really like her and as it turns out, she was a resident with our reproductive endocrinologist, which I thought was neat. Today, the babies movements and reactivity were recorded. Our tech started with Rylin then moved to Harper and Sydney and saved Mason for the end. Apparently Mason is an aspiring kick boxer….his feet or hands were poking all of his siblings at one time or another! By the time he was checked, he decided to take a nap. Gah! I guess all the kicking and punching tuckered him out. I mentioned the navel bruising and learned that Sydney and Harper have their little bums situated right under my navel. They have been booty bumping me!!! Maybe they are future disco aficionados…. Oh, and Mason is sitting right under my ribs, which explains my constant rib discomfort. I can imagine him kick boxing my ribs or doing chin ups on them. I will take the discomfort any day, they are always worth it!

Of course, Sydney’s fluids are still low, but they are stable. I will take that! Dr. Bleich said that she does have enough fluid, which made me feel a little better. The pressure on her umbilical cord is also stable. She just needs close monitoring. We weren’t scheduled for a growth scan, but sweet talked our ultrasound tech into measuring Sydney. She is still small, but has grown. Again, more relief for me. Thankfully, my vitals continue to be good. As long as Sydney is stable we can avoid delivery, and hospitalization. Rylin and Harper had average fluid levels and Mason had some extra. Here is to making it at least 28 weeks.

Hugs!

Amber

Ps…we have some updated pics in the photo gallery.

Here is Mason kicking Rylin!

25 weeks, 3 days

Which britches???

June 11, 2012February 13, 2013Amber 3 Comments

Harper and Mason are very lucky they have two sisters because I am really getting excited about dressing the girls in girly clothes! In fact, I already ordered preemie-sized headbands and hats with flowers for them. I literally spent two hours online picking and choosing things for them one day (I was on bed rest so there weren’t many pressing things to do anyways). However, I don’t think Harper or Mason would appreciate being dressed with flowers and bows, and George wouldn’t like it either.

My cousin, Lindsay, invented the coolest new girly things and I cannot wait for the girls to be big enough for them! I LOVE these things!!!! They are called “Whichbritches”. Lindsay started out by dressing up her daughter’s plain leggings and skinny pants with ruffles. Everywhere they went people stopped her to ask where she got the cute pants. They seriously look like something you’d buy from a high-end boutique, but they are actually just plain leggings dressed up. She probably only has a few pairs of leggings in neutral colors, but Whichbritches makes it look like she has TONS of them. It spawned a family business where everything is made locally and 10% of profits are given to local ministries (that is cool, right?).

If you have a little girl or want to give a unique gift to a little girl you know, you should absolutely check out www.whichbritches.com for ordering information. Also, they have a Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/whichbritches, check it out and be sure to hit “like”.

They are having a Fourth of July Sale where you can get three pairs (red, white and blue) for $40. Also, there is a special promotion for readers of this blog. If you enter “QUADS” at checkout, you will receive 20% off your entire order if you order two or more pairs. That’s a sweet deal! Plus you’ll have the newest girls fashion item on the market. So which britches will be worn today?

hugs!

Amber

She is just wearing black leggings, but the Whichbritches make them so cute!

Frequent Flier

StandardJune 10, 2012July 12, 2012Amber 13 Comments

After my first rendezvous in the hospital’s maternal observation ward, Dr. Tabor told me it wouldn’t be my last visit; there would be lots more. He was right. I went a week and a half ago and again today. I had irregular contractions yesterday evening, but never more than six in an hour. Sure I was uncomfortable, but not too worried. Last night got rough when the babies enjoyed ganging up on me by taking sides. When this happens, they all seem to ball up in their respective corners so it looks like someone turned my stomach into shrink-wrap around them and my belly becomes all misshapen. Plus, all of that baling up and kicking has caused a nice bruise around my navel. It looks totally disgusting and really hurts. My doctors have told me it’s just the babies baling up and not to worry, so I don’t.

This morning, the contractions continued. Of course I eventually had six in one hour. You know what that meant….another visit to the good old hospital! This time, I threw the “go bag” together in minutes and helped my parents navigate to the hospital since George was working. I felt like an old pro at the whole maternal observation stuff. As usual, once I got into the car, the contractions slowed down considerably and I may have had one or two before they put me on the Toco monitor. I was monitored for an hour and had only one mild contraction, which was really good news. My cervix was fine and my FFN from last week was negative so they discharged me. Yippee!!!

This week marks the beginning of week 25, which is only three weeks away from our first goal of 28 weeks (we are still hoping for 30 weeks). Three weeks seems totally manageable, but in some ways so far away still. I know there is plenty more discomfort to come. At the same time, three weeks is scary close. In just three weeks we could have four babies here. We have been preparing and planning for a long time, but I don’t think you can ever really prepare yourself for a baby, much less four of them!

hugs!

Amber

25 weeks

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

Pollyanna

StandardJune 1, 2012June 2, 2012Amber 11 Comments

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!

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

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:

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

StandardMay 30, 2012July 12, 2012Amber 9 Comments

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

May 29, 2012August 13, 2014Amber 17 Comments

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

May 27, 2012Amber 3 Comments

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