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!
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
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A Quadruplets Shower!
My sweet friends, Melissa, Terra, and Nekedria hosted this shower for me over the weekend. I haven’t had a chance to upload pictures and tell about it, but Melissa posted it on her blog at Blessingsinchaos@wordpress.com so you can get a glimpse. Hugs! Amber
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We’ve Got a Pillow Situation
As the babies and I grow larger, sleeping is becoming increasingly interesting. I have this fantastic set of pillows that make it all work, at least as well as you could expect. You see, I have one maternity noodle-shaped pillow called a Snoogle that goes under my head, runs the length of my body and curls back up to go between my knees. It’s enormous, but it’s not all I need. I have a regular pillow to put at the top of the Snoogle for my head plus a down pillow to hug. Plus, I have this nice little wedge pillow that fits in the space between the mattress and my stomach. Without that wonderful little wedge, the weight of my stomach pulls downwards and just plain hurts. I get it all “just right” and sleep for a bit when of course….nature calls. It’s not terribly easy since I can’t just sit up or roll over. I have to use my arms to heave myself up, move all the pillows over and eventually slither out of bed. When I return, about half the time a dog has snuggled herself into my pillows so I have to move her, re situate everything and it all begins again. George and I joke that I’m just practicing getting up in the night and back to sleep for when the babies arrive. I can only imagine how much more “fun” this will become in the approaching weeks!
hugs!
Amber
- This is how my pillows begin when I get into bed.
This is what happens in the night.
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Emotional much?
It is official, my hormones are in overdrive and I am an emotional roller coaster these days. Here’s how the past two days have gone for me:
Yesterday we had our 20 week check up and it was GREAT!!! Again, the babies are all the right size with good fluids. Of course Rylin has not yet decided to head further north, but it’s okay. I’m thinking she got a bit of the stubborn gene. My vitals were also good. I managed to hold off on another week of bed rest. I left feeling very confident.
About 9:30 last night, less than four hours from my appointment, I started having Braxton Hicks contractions. They weren’t painful, but my stomach was absolutely tightening. This of course made me feel anxious and not so great. I phoned a few friends and then decided to call the on-call doctor. She said to drink water/ lay on my left side and if the continued for 30 more minutes to head to the hospital. UGH! She also thought my anxiety might be making them worse so I opted for a warm bath. It helped, the contractions stopped and I was able to get to bed. Okay, disaster averted.
This morning started off as usual with the rush hour nightmare that is my commute, but there was also a wreck where two highways merge so it was completely gridlocked. I knew better than to get on the highway when I saw the sea of red taillights so I opted to stay on the service road and take some back roads. The only problem was I wasn’t the only one with this brilliant idea. The stop and go of the commute made me queasy so I felt rotten by the time I got into the building (I possibly had a green tinge to my face too). What should have taken about 25 minutes took well over an hour. I immediately headed to the school nurse (she was a high-risk OB nurse before coming to the school system) to ask her about how to correctly monitor contractions and what to look for. She immediately noticed I felt bad and naturally inquired. Of course, this set me off into a crying spell for no apparent reason. Sweet Nurse Patty sent me to my office with a blanket and literally made me rest on my side eating ice chips to calm me and settle my stomach. However, throughout the day when certain people would stop in or I would start talking about something (not sad), tears would start flowing for no reason. But, the good news is that I did survive the day and managed to finish a report!
This picture really doesn’t fully capture the gridlock fun I experienced, but it’s an idea. ARGH!!!!
This evening when I got home, George was very thoughtful and made Chex mix for me. That was the perfect way to wrap up an overly emotional day for me! However, as he was making the Chex mix, I decided to catch up with my emails and blog reading. Of course, someone posted a You Tube video about a man who was a disabled veteran who was told he could never walk again. As I watched videos of him learning to walk again and then practice yoga, tears streamed down my cheeks! However, as I bawled, I simultaneously laughed at myself! I knew it was silly, but could not stop either. It is like a lucid dream, so weird. I managed to get it together and enjoy watching some Big Bang Theory with George as I stuffed my face with Chex Mix.
He has the keys to my heart!
George is so smart…he suggested that I head to work extra early to beat rush hour and leave early to get home before rush hour hits again. Why didn’t I think of that??? So, here’s to a better day tomorrow perhaps with less gridlock. Just maybe…I’ll be able to control my emotions.
hugs!
Amber
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Adventures in a Mini Van
This week we had another good visit with Dr. Tabor for our 19 week check up. My appointment was at 4:45 and I arrived at 4:45 sharp. However, when I came in the office, the receptionist exclaimed, “There she is!” I checked the clock twice and replied, “It’s 4:45. That’s my appointment time right? Is everyone trying to get home since it’s almost 5:00?” The receptionist said, “Oh yes it is 4:45, but Dr. Tabor was worried about you. I was about to call your cell to see if you were okay.” I thought that was so sweet that he cared about me enough to worry! Anyways, my vitals were all good, the babies were the right size and had good fluid levels so no bed rest! I keep expecting for my appointment to be the one where I lose my freedom, but continue to be surprised. Rylin is still situated a little bit low, but it’s still not a huge concern right now, he says there is still time for her to migrate upwards. Dr. Tabor pointed out the silver lining about her position: if I were to dilate, I would bleed and know I dilated so I’d come in right away. Otherwise, I might not know if I dilated and keep up with business as usual. Dr. Tabor had me book appointments every week through the month of May, which I thought was funny, but also really convenient.
If only Saturday had gone as smoothly as my appointment. George and I woke up relatively early, ate breakfast and decided to peruse the community garage sales for baby containers (that is what I call things like swings, bouncers, and seats, which I think we need lots of). We didn’t want anyone scooping up anything we would want so we didn’t bother getting ready. We basically got dressed and brushed our teeth. (We were looking good! Ha!) George thought it would be best to take the van in case we stumbled across something large, but pointed out that we didn’t have much gas. He said it would be okay if we stayed close though, after all there was probably a 1/8 of a tank. Mind you, I like to fill up when my gas gauge is at 1/4 of a tank just to be safe. We stopped by a few sales but found nothing. Then we saw one that seemed to have several baby containers so we stopped. George didn’t bother to park very well since we were just stopping by. He was sort of far from the curb and halfway parked in front of a driveway. As it turned out, there was a fantastic swing with all sorts of nifty sound and swing settings. It could chirp like birds, sound like the rolling ocean waves, or play lullabies- very cool. We scooped up that treasure then loaded it in the van. There was a problem, however. The van we bought two weeks ago didn’t start. The radio played and the instrument panel worked, but it didn’t start. I leaned over to check the gas gauge and it was registering below zero. On the van, there is a label for a full tank and 1/2 tank with tick marks in between. Then, there is a thick red line labeled zero. That is where the needle fell- below the zero. Of course, I gave George the speech about filling up the tank at 1/4 to be safe and how emptying the tank can cause fuel injector problems. He begrudgingly walked back to the house to pick up our lawnmower gas. It wasn’t much, but should have been enough to start the van, but it didn’t! The neighbor hosting this particular garage sale kindly shared her lawnmower gas, but to no avail. George had to walk back home again to pick up the Accord so we could drive to the closest Quick Trip to fill up as many gas tanks as possible. I just knew it was out of gas. George filled up the tank, but it still didn’t start! ARGH!!!! George hotly called the Volkswagen Roadside Assist number and they determined it would need to be towed to the nearest dealership. Okay, this was getting embarrassing. 45 minutes later, George hopped up into the tow truck for a ride to the dealership. I felt bad to make him take care of it all, but I had a hair cut appointment because we were reading scriptures in a wedding that evening. The dealership ran diagnostics and determined the battery was low. They jumped it and George drove it home. Why didn’t we think of that? Oh yeah because it is our new van! I had a huge helping of crow to eat… However, when it was time to go to the wedding, the van wasn’t starting quite right, which meant we would need to take the Accord. Except, George noticed there was a nice nail in the front right tire. We had a gamble to make: take the van with a questionable battery or the Accord with a nail that could result in a flat tire. George made an executive decision to take the car, and thankfully there were no more hitches in transportation. This morning we spent a good chunk of time at National Tire and Battery taking care of the two sick cars. Turns out the van’s battery was totally dead so we replaced it and now it’s good. They plugged the tire and it’s good. So, we had our first adventure in the van and we weren’t even on a road trip! I hope we’ll make better memories with the van in time.
hugs,
Amber
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Let’s Runabout!
Some of the best advice I have gotten from Dr. Tabor was to check out the blog of a former patient of his who delivered quads, Suz Steece. Reading her blog helped me in so many ways, especially by proving to me that this CAN be done, and also a little bit about what to expect. I mean, there is no “What to Expect When You’re Expecting Quads” book. After reading Suz’s blog for a while, I figured out how to connect with her and a few other local quad moms via blogs, email, and even Facebook. They have been AMAZING with advice and support.
One huge question we had for the quad moms was what type of car seats and strollers to get. I mean is it best to use convertible car seats so they last longer? Do you need carriers? Should we get twin strollers? Invest in a quad stroller? No one else knew what to tell us, but the quad moms did. Based on all the sage advice, we decided we needed Graco Snugride car seats that would accommodate preemies (the NICU nurse also told us that). To go with the car seats, we need two twin Snap and Go strollers, which are basically frames that you snap the car seat carrier onto. But, since I like freedom, we would need a quad stroller. Quad strollers are a bit tricky and ultimately the moms mostly preferred a Runabout stroller because it is lightweight, easy to steer, and fits through doorways. It is actually the same model the Gosselin’s had for their sextuplets. Without a stroller like that we’d be confined to our house unless there was more than one adult around. Believe it or not, the quad moms said ‘”may think you’re not brave enough to go out alone, but you will want out, and you will need a quad stroller to do it”. This is totally true too, because I know I’d get cabin fever. When we had a snow storm last year, I went stir crazy after about 2 days! The problem with this particular quad stroller is that it is quite expensive. I don’t think there’s a huge market for them so I’m sure it’s a supply and demand thing.
So, here’s the cool thing about my online connections. Casey Gerwer, a local quad mom, sent me a message asking if we’d like to buy their Runabout for a fraction of the original price (her quads are now four and just outgrew it). YES!!!! Of course we wanted it! The day after I got Casey’s message, Suz sent me a similar one since her quads are also four, but Casey beat her to the punch. So tonight, we headed to the Gerwer’s house to pick up the Runabout and meet everyone. Finally meeting Casey in person was fantastic! She is so sweet and welcoming. She shared some of her experiences and answered our questions. Her husband had some great advice for George too, “get an egg crate mattress pad for when you crash at the hospital because the beds are awful”. It was also nice to meet the quads. I mean, we’ve never actually seen any before. They were all very well behaved as they finished eating their dinner. There was lots of chatter of course, but everyone stayed at the table and obeyed their parents. Not to mention..they are adorable!!!!
Here is George with the Runabout. It is a pretty cool contraption actually. It has a cool hitch for the back of the van so it’s easy to take traveling, the seats tilt for comfort, there is a handy little sun shade, and basket for storage. If we decide to become serious runners, we can also go up to 10 mph with it (can you imagine that???)
The quad moms warned that while this is the best stroller for quads, it will attract attention. I figure, we will attract a lot of attention anyways! We might as well be practical about it.
In addition to raising four year old quadruplets, Casey has a web-based business called Designed for Babies that makes t-shirts and other stuff for families with multiples. They say cute things like “Be nice, I’m expecting quads” (too bad I didn’t have that one today when I was shopping in a motorized cart), “Quadruplets zone defense”, and “Got Quads?” She was sweet and hooked us up with some of her favorite designs, including onsies for the babies. Her line is sold at http://designedforbabies.com/home.htm
She is one amazing quad mama!
Here are the onsies from Casey for the quads. So cute!!!!
Hugs!
Amber
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It’s Infertility Awareness Week (4/22-4/28)
This week is an important one for George and me as it is Infertility Awareness Week. While are are currently expecting quads, we will never forget the years of pain and struggle we went through to get here. Not to mention the fact that infertility and loss robbed us of naivety to fully enjoy the pregnancy as we still have little fears that creep upon us. Yes, the wounds from infertility heal in time, but it is something that forever leaves small scars on those affected. Because infertility has forced us to grow and learn about ourselves as well as strengthen our faith and I would not change our experiences. At the same time, I would not wish them upon an enemy. We have many friends we’ve bonded with via the ALI (Adoption/ Loss/ Infertility) community who are continuing to struggle and we owe them our continued prayer and support.
Infertility affects 1 in 8 couples, however, most people are very private about it, and sometimes even feel ashamed so you would not know they are struggling. Please take the time to read the link below regarding infertility etiquette because chances are you know someone who is struggling and may unintentionally be causing them pain. I can personally say that one of the most painful questions that I was asked at least once a week was, “When are you having kids?” Yes, this is a perfectly normal question to ask, but to someone dealing with infertility it is like pouring a container of Morton’s salt into a gashing wound. So, please o take time to think about this.
Infertility Etiquette:
http://www.resolve.org/support-and-services/for-family–friends/infertility-etiquette.html
About Infertility Awareness Week:
http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/home-page.html
Also consider checking out some of the ALI blogs I follow. The wonderful people there deserve some support!
Amber
Related articles
- Don’t Ignore People With Infertility (jackielopina.wordpress.com)
- NIAW: What Not to Ignore (babywithatwist.wordpress.com)
- Don’t Ignore The Rollercoaster of Infertility (jackielopina.wordpress.com)
- National Infertility Awareness Week (thestorkdiaries.wordpress.com)
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I never thought I would say this…
But, we bought a van today! George had a 2004 Jeep Liberty and we’ve loved that thing. It is an amazing little SUV. We have hauled more stuff in that Jeep than anyone could imagine. Numerous times we have made large purchases (e.g. desk, chaise lounge, antique Hunt cabinet, 15 bags of concrete, ect). Every time we’d pull up in the Jeep who ever was loading our purchase would shake their head and say, “It won’t fit.” We would always insist that said large item would fit, and it always did. Just last weekend, we picked up the girls’ cribs and once again the person loading them said, “Oh these won’t fit”. It was a tight fit, but guess what, both cribs fit! Here’s how George looked crammed into the Jeep with two cribs in the back.
But, today we had to let go of the good ‘ole Jeep Liberty. I always said I would never drive a van, but honestly it’s the best thing you can have for quad babies. We bought a Volkswagon Routan and despite it being a van “mom mobile”, it is pretty cool. It has all sorts of features I never knew existed and they are going to be great for the babies! The doors have automatic slide, the seats heat (awesome for my achy back), there are these cool little sun shades on the passenger windows for the babies, and the seats stow and go so we can haul stuff (probably not like the Jeep, but a close second). I think we are going to really like this van! So who gets to drive it now???
hugs!
Amber
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Learning What Lies Ahead
One of the risky things about quads is that they always deliver prematurely, somewhere around 30 weeks plus or minus a few. That means a NICU stay is inevitable. Of course the NICU can be a scary place. The positive side of having quads that will go to the NICU is knowing they will go there. Many parents whose babies are in the NICU did not expect it, but we have some time to prepare for what lies ahead. We have also learned that parents can choose what NICU their babies are admitted to. We are fortunate that Cook Children’s Hospital is nearby and just opened a new level III NICU wing this past September. We toured it this Saturday to learn more about it. The NICU nurse warned us that we would have to act like “pit bulls” to insist that they go to Cook Children’s rather than our delivery hospital (as they have their own NICU), but we will do what we need to do to make that happen. George was blunt about it and basically got the nurse to tell us it was about hospital revenue. I don’t care about the hospital’s bottom line, this is our babies!
Cook Children’s is unique in their approach, which I appreciate. They highly regard parent involvement and want us to be there providing care to the babies as much as we can. In fact, the babies will be together in the quad suite and there are parent beds so we can stay too. In other NICUs they could be in separate nurseries and would be with other infants. If my babies are in a NICU, I want to be with them as much as I can and they will really make this possible. We also felt better seeing how despite all the medical equipment housed there, it was not terribly clinical. Everything is warm and personalized so we will feel comfortable. George thought a tour wasn’t necessary since we’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with the NICU, but he was really impressed with the facility. We were so happy we took this tour, because the NICU is one less thing to worry over. We know they will get the best care, which will mean the best possible outcome, and that makes me rest better!
hugs!
Amber
https://www.cookchildrens.org/SpecialtyServices/NICU/Pages/default.aspx#3
Four to Adore 