Quads x 2!

May 18, 2013May 26, 2013Amber 10 Comments

When I learned that the Bell Quad Squad planned to relocate to the Dallas area I was ecstatic. I envisioned epic quad play dates plus some adult time with parents in the trenches. A few months ago, the Bells finally made the big move up here. However, I presumed they were overwhelmed with moving quadruplets across state, searching for a new home, and fielding visitors. The last thing I wanted to do was pounce on an already over extended family. Last week, I knew it was time for the epic quad play date. The tell-tell sign was Amber’s Facebook post of herself sitting in the apartment lawn encircled by to Exersaucers, a Jumparoo, and a quilt littered with baby toys. I know that we can feel cabin fever from being cramped in our house. I can’t imagine contending with 11 month old mobile quadruplets in a two bedroom apartment, even just temporarily. I messaged Amber to see if she was up for the adventure and she happily accepted the challenge.

As it turns out, planning a quad play date is quite an undertaking. Amber and I messaged back and forth for a solid three days before the big event. Topics of consideration included schedules, getting lunch for ourselves, and what Amber should pack (or not). After a lot of banter, we hatched a fool-proof plan. At first we were frustrated by seemingly opposite feed and nap schedules. However it worked out rather well in the end. Prior to their arrival, I set up our four pack ‘n’ plays in our study and master bedroom while Amber loaded her Suburban across town. While she was en route, Amber stopped by Chick Fil A to snag some lunch for the Mamas (Hooray for that!).

Amber arrived with babies in tow just as my crew began waking from their morning nap. As I settled my babies in the feeding table, Amber let her four acclimate to their new surroundings. They seemed to enjoy their new surroundings and became comfortable quickly, with the exception of Logan. Poor Logan was having an “off” day and was less than pleased with the whole ruckus of eight babies. I’ll admit, I expected there to be one or more unhappy babies and figured one or more would likely be mine. I was relieved that there was only one unhappy camper in the bunch and she didn’t belong to me (sorry Amber B!) Not bad to have only one baby fuss given the circumstances. There was one Shawver family member that was far more upset than Logan though. Lily protested being quarantined on the opposite side of the fence. I haven’t a clue why a Yorkie would want to roam about with EIGHT babies crawling at her and grabbing her. Most of the day, babies took turns peering through the bars of the gate at Lily as she whined about her situation.

Mason leaned how to pull up to stand in order to get a better view of Lily.

Logan just wanted a little extra TLC from Mama.

After my babies gobbled up their lunch, I practically hosed the table down and we traded out babies. It wasn’t long before Amber had all four of her babies fed that we had all eight babies in the den for official play time. For the first time, I thought our den resembled a day care class, but I loved it. The babies spent time exploring on their own and also noticing unfamiliar faces and toys. Amber brought some of their favorite toys along for familiarity, but they fascinated my babies with novelty. Her toys made me once again realize I underestimate my babies’ abilities. Rylin surprised me when she rolled a bus on the hard wood and they all enjoyed the rocking horse. It looks like George and I will be searching for some riding toys and the buses housed in storage will soon appear.

Since the babies were on slightly different schedules, we were able to share our quad feeding table.

Sydney, Mason, and Harper were enamored with this spinning toy.

Harper discovered a new way to play with an Exersaucer, but Rylin was not impressed with his antics.

Mason visiting Logan while Trystan posed for this one.

Kailey strolled by to visit Rylin in the Exersaucer.

Oh the rocking horse was great fun!

Despite all of the babies (especially Rylin) having “stranger danger”, they all seemed to know that the other Amber was okay. Rylin and Sydney crawled right up to Amber and engaged her as if they were old friends and Harrison buddied up to me like we’ve known each other for years.

Rylin saying “hello” to Amber.

Harrison was quite the little snuggle bug.

Later Sydney took a turn visiting with Amber.

To both Mama’s delight, we managed to get ALL eight babies to nap simultaneously! It started with protests from many, but even Amber’s babies in the new place settled. Amber and I enjoyed the bit of peace as we ate our own lunches and enjoyed grown up conversation together.

Amber was thrilled to find four sleeping babies in pack ‘n’ plays.

I was equally happy to find my four snugged up in their cribs.

As babies woke from slumber, Amber and I snatched them up one at a time to keep them from disturbing others. Once all eight were up it was play time again. I’m not sure how much time passed, but at some point good moods faded and Amber inquired, “Do you have a Baby Einstein?” I’m not sure if you’ve ever witnessed a baby watching one of those DVDs, but they are magical. As soon as the music filled the den, eight little heads turned towards the television and sixteen eyes fixed on the screen. We took the opportunity to line all eight babies up to snap a picture. Of course still and quiet babies was short lived. It did not take long for Mason and Kailey to escape for greener pastures, but it was nice while it lasted and it helped the fussing cease. About the time Logan felt at ease and relaxed, it was time for the Bell babies afternoon bottle and dash to beat rush hour traffic. Quad mamas are forced to be efficient, but there is one thing more efficient than a quad mama: TWO quad mamas! In a flurry, we had the den tidy, babies fed and changed, four babies in cribs and four more loaded into a Suburban in record time. It was a successful quad play date for all! We’re looking forward to a repeat of the action and maybe even a play date with Quadfathers included.

Some how all eight babies gravitated to this toy at once! Amber and I took turns helping everyone stay balanced so the other could snap pictures.

Yes, this is all eight babies in a row.

When they weren’t dog piled, the babies seemed to enjoy independent exploration.

While the day was a success, I was tuckered out by the end of it. By the time our babies were tucked into bed for the night, I decided it was time to wind down with a crisp glass of pinot grigio and a warm chocolate chip cookie. Well deserved, I think.

Amber B. also wrote an account of our day at Texas Tales: Two Ambers = Eight Babies! She has a couple of cute videos you’ll want to watch if you’ve got a minute to spare.

Hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #15

May 15, 2013Amber 8 Comments

Hooray, it’s time for The Little Things Thursdays!

1. After spoon feeds, I am always trying to find new ways to occupy the babies while I tidy up the kitchen. Finger foods entertain them quite well, but afterwards I have to clean the babies and table again. That’s not productive. Sometimes toys do the trick, but my new favorite thing to do is give the babies kitchen utensils. Apparently spoons and spatulas are fascinating to babies. On the downside, they also discovered the joy of gravity and I found myself repeatedly scooping up dropped things. To remedy that, I started using pacifier clips to strap them to the babies’ seats. Works like a charm!

2. When the babies are sleeping, I usually pull the doors closed so they don’t disturb each other. However, today when I began putting babies down for naps, I found the dogs posted by the cribs as if they were guarding the babies. I thought it was sweet, I let them stay and kept the doors open. When Mason began blowing raspberries, Sasha changed loyalty to the girls (she is terrified of unusual noises).

3. With the arrival of spring and summer on its heels, I’ve been really bothered by my toes. I loathe unpainted toenails at any point in the year, but in the warm months I just can’t take it. I enjoy wearing flip-flops and open toed shoes so painted toe nails are a must for me. Recently, the babies have been cramping my style. If I get a rare moment to paint them, chances are I won’t stay still long enough for them to dry well. The salon is an even more rare luxury. I gave the Sally Hansen salon effects strips a whirl this week and really liked them. They are a bit of a trick to apply, but required zero dry time and have a nifty design I could never create myself. The box claims they’ll last two weeks. I’m one week in and they look decent still.

4. A while back, my cousin loaned us some of her favorite baby toys. We’ve been enjoying the rattles and tiny baby toys for a while, but this week I brought some of the more exciting ones from storage. Novelty rocks a baby’s world so they were totally enamored with the new things. I like to keep toys fresh so I’ve been rotating the new and old ones this week.

Check out how all four babies are playing with this single toy at once. They are really into opening and closing doors and flipping switches,so this one was a crowd pleaser. As an added bonus, this toy tells the babies what it is doing (e.g. The door is open.”) and it sings catchy tunes.

We’ve had this one out before, but I brought it out again today and the babies literally swarmed it. Mobility is amazing!

5. I’ve never cared much for our back door. It has a large window running the length of it that is usually decorated with doggy nose prints or muddy paw remnants. However, Mason enjoys gazing through the window so I’ve found a new place in my heart for the old door. The only problem is that he gets into this position easily, but tends to get stuck.

6. When I began writing this blog, I created a page for frequently asked questions. After hearing the same questions repeatedly, I compiled the most common ones. However, I wonder what questions you may have. Send me your wonderings and I’ll compile them into a new post and updated page. George and I are open books for the most part, but please use your manners when asking questions. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been dying to find out!

Hugs!

Amber

Quatriplets

May 7, 2013May 7, 2013Amber 6 Comments

Back in our NICU days, a set of triplets was born just five days after the quads. For some reason, triplet suite is on another floor from the quad suite so we never saw them. However, one night the babies’ nurse impassibly mentioned that she knew the family with triplets and went to church with them. I really wanted to meet the parents as a way to normalize the whole multiples in the NICU experience, ect. Of course due to HIPPA, the nurse could share no information about the triplets or their parents. I cajoled this poor nurse a bit trying to get her to tell the triplets mom to Google and maybe search for our blog and leave a comment. She agreed to none of that. Finally someone suggested we both go to the parent lounge at the same time one particular day. I awkwardly brought my lunch to the lounge at the specified time and waited for someone to enter who might possibly be the triplets’ mom. I think the triplets’ mom, Tiffany, did the same thing. At some point we finally introduced ourselves. The two of us sat together commiserating and story swapping until it was time for “the feed”. We exchanged phone numbers and have kept in contact since, texting often. I think we’ve got the quads and triplets practically on the same schedule.

With lock down a thing of the past, Tiffany brought the triplets (Landry, Haylie, and Luke) over for our very first play date. We affectionately called it “The Quatriplet Playdate”. I borrowed that term from a few passersby who apparently lack multiples terminology and call the quads, “Quatriplets”. Both Tiffany and I anxiously awaited the moment when all of the babies would get an opportunity to see and interact with non-sibling babies. All of them are around other babies 24/7, but rarely see another baby. To our surprise, the babies didn’t seem particularly interested in one another. For the most part, the triplets congregated near each other and the quads did their normal stuff too. Mason is the only one who crawls so he sort of made rounds, visiting everyone and then went off on his own. On the upside, everyone was completely content and no one fussed. In my book that is a successful play date! It will get more interesting when everyone is truly mobile.

I thought the “Quad Squad” onsies were appropriate for our Quatriplet play date. You know, just in case you can’t figure out who is a quad and who is a triplet. I am aware that Mason and Sydney’s are still swallowing them. But, Harper won’t be able to wear his much longer and it’s sort of a set so I’m trying to get some wear out of them while we can.

Here’s what it looks like when you put seven babies together for blanket time. I guess this is what septuplets look like. Honestly, it wasn’t half as chaotic as I anticipated.

Mason had to investigate the flower on Haylie’s outfit.

Just like Mason’s siblings do, Landry wanted to investigate his band.

Sly guy, Mason is the only one who crawls so he visited the trips then went exploring on his own.

As we’ve kept contact, I’ve always thought there was a “match” between each of the triplets to one of the quads. Of course, Haylie sort of goes with both of our girls well, because she’s a girl. Like our girls, she’s also seemingly strong-willed and sassy to boot. Like Mason, Luke sounds like the easy-going guy who giggles often and “goes with the flow”. Just like Harper, Landry is the big brother who enjoys being the casual observer most of the time. For fun, I made sure everyone met their match and snapped pictures of them together.

Luke & Mason

Sydney and Haylie

Landry & Harper

Haylie & Rylin

And this is what happens at the end of a Quatriplet play date! Night, night, Sydney!

To check out the triplets’ story, please visit their blog at http://teamtriplets.wordpress.com/

Hugs!

Amber

P. S. We are down to the last few days for voting in the Circle of Moms Top 25 blog contest. If you’ve got time for two clicks, please vote for us. We were holding a strong second place, but have since dropped down to 5th. Thank you for supporting us!

Namaste!

May 5, 2013May 5, 2013Amber 6 Comments

During my senior year of college, my roommate, Neha, and I discovered the wonderful world of yoga. For a mere $30/ semester we could take unlimited fitness classes in the student activities building. We dabbled in different activities including Pilates and Nia, but I fell in love with yoga. Our instructor was from India and spoke with a delightful British accent, which was probably enough to warrant attendance. Prior to class he gave brief talks about the benefits of yoga such as what poses helped cure headaches or digestive problems. While we really enjoyed practicing yoga, the best part were the benefits seen after class. I always left yoga feeling both relaxed and energized. Upon graduation, I wanted to continue practicing yoga, but yoga studios are rather expensive (oh about $15-20 per class!) I went without yoga for a few years until I discovered that 24 Hour Fitness offers yoga classes with excellent instructors. I was hesitant to go there expecting sub par instruction, but was pleasantly surprised. The two years prior to my pregnancy with the quads, I enjoyed yoga 3-4 times per week. It made me feel healthy and also confident when I accomplished new poses such as side crow and headstands. My yoga practice came to a screeching halt after my first appointment with the perinatologist and the bed rest soon followed. Since delivery, I’ve continued to battle my Diastasis Recti (split abdominal muscles) and cannot practice yoga the way I used to (not that going to class is logistically possible now anyways). The majority of yoga relies on core muscles which I lack so I’m pretty limited as to what I can do right now. I am, however, working on rehabilitation exercises and wearing a splint (when I can tolerate it) to correct my problem. Until then, I’ve got to take it easy. Even though I can’t practice yoga regularly, I’ve noticed the babies seem to! George and I often label their poses as we catch them in action. I’m loving that! In case you’d like to take up yoga yourself, the babies demonstrated some of their favorite poses-

Namaste!

Amber

P.S. There are only three days left in the Top 25 Moms of Multiples Blog contest. If you’ve got two more seconds to spare, please vote for us!

[Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms of Multiples – 2013 – Vote for me!]

NICU Reunion

April 28, 2013Amber 9 Comments

In what seems like an eternity ago, the babies’ NICU nurses often chattered about the day when the babies would be bigger, healthier and returning to the hospital. There would come a day they would return to the hospital not as patients, but as visitors for the NICU Reunion. At the time, I don’t think we could see the forest for the trees. Nine months later, we finally reached that point: NICU reunion time!

As part of the reunion, the hospital requested that each parent make a post of their baby filled with pictures from then and now with a statement sharing the NICU experience for current families to see, and bring them hope. As I often do, I procrastinated completing this project. Not because I did not want to do it, but I knew it would take me a good deal of time to create. Days before the reunion, I finally went to Snapfish and ordered tons of pictures of the babies from their NICU days to what they’ve been doing lately. It turned out to be quite the walk down memory lane. It was only nine short months ago that our babies weighed under 4 pounds each and lived in boxes. Oh how far we’ve come! A few hours after ordering over sixty pictures online, I picked up a thick envelope from our neighborhood Walgreens. The task daunted me even more when I flipped through a stack of pictures that would never fit onto a tiny poster. It sat on our dining room table in shambles for a few days until my mom came to the rescue. Mom just loves a creative project like this. I remember she and I staying up “all night” (what I later realized was more like 10:30 pm at most) doing school projects. Mom never did anything for me, but always put “her touch” on it so it looked just right. When it came to my latest project, Mom helped me sift through the mounds of pictures and then helped me to arrange them just so. I took a picture of the final product:

I was really pleased with the final result. In fact, I hated to part with my little project, it is a cute keepsake. I hope it inspires current and future families with babies in the NICU. After all, being in the NICU was hard, but we eventually saw the other side.

The pink piece of paper on the poster reads:

On February 2, 2012 our lives were forever changed by four tiny heartbeats detected on an early ultrasound. We were expecting quadruplets! That day we were warned about many possible complications and risks associated with high order multiples, particularly the fact that they would be premature. Instead of worrying, we began preparing. One of the first things we did was research NICU facilities in our area. After a tour of Cook, we immediately decided it was the place for our babies. Not only could they provide us with a private suite equipped for our quads, but we knew they would offer the best medical care possible and a family friendly environment for everyone. When the babies were delivered July 20, 2012, they were immediately transported to Cook. We later learned the staff was preparing for our babies weeks in advance.

Being in the NICU was not always easy. It became taxing seeing our babies so fragile and struggling to tackle seemingly simple tasks such as feeding. It was even more difficult to see them make gains one day and then backslide the next. However, being at Cook made our experience a pleasant one. The babies’ room always felt warm and inviting even though it was indeed a hospital room. All of the nurses, care partners, and staff took time to know us and the uniqueness of each baby. Staff who worked with us could tell at least one thing that was unique to each baby and they championed each baby’s successes. Not once did we leave the hospital worrying about the babies because we knew they were in the most capable, loving hands possible. If our babies could not come home with us, there is no other place we would have left them than Cook. Each morning when we would return for visits, we would find the babies dressed to match their linens and sometimes with notes or pictures taken from our camera. That warmed our hearts.

After a seven week stint in the NICU, babies started trickling home. Within a week’s time we found four tiny, yet healthy babies filling our home. At nine months old, it is difficult to believe how tiny they once were. Just like typical babies, they attack new milestones every day. We are now enjoying baby babbles, giggles, teeth, and even some scooting! We will forever hold Cook Children’s Hospital in our hearts as a special place that nourished our babies when they were so small.

Hugs,

Amber & George Shawver

We made it!

It took us weeks to find a night primary and we finally found Tiffany. However, she sent the babies home within four days! We were sad we didn’t get much time with her, but were happy to finally be home with all the babies.

Some of the babies’ nurses: Kim, Kiki, and Emily got to see how much the babies had grown.

George and I with Liz who was one of the babies’ primary nurses. She was instrumental in helping change Sydney’s protocol when she had pneumonia.

There were several volunteer photographers at the even, one captured these precious photos of each baby. I especially love Harper’s lion yawn.

Rylin became a bit fussy so Nisey rescued her from the Runabout.

Harper Stone

Mason River

Sydney Raine

One of the highlights of the reunion was meeting the McClean family. Unbeknownst to me, they were the only other set of quadruplets admitted to Cook Children’s. They are now four years old and too big for a Runabout. I appreciated that the father of the quads told George it got easier for them every year. Sometimes a little encouragement like that goes a long way!

The McClean and Shawver clans together!

The “big kid” quads checking out the baby quads.

Next year the reunion may be more exciting with babies who can walk! Of course, we’ll likely

hugs!

Amber

P.S. As of now, we are ranked 4th in the Top 25 blogs contest. You can vote for us in just two easy clicks.

What little things brightened your week?

hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #12

April 25, 2013Amber 5 Comments

Several months ago when Rebecca at ABeautifulRuckus.com invited me to participate in her weekly series: The Little Things Thursdays, I had no idea how much my readers and I would enjoy it. Her idea was simply brilliant. The purpose is to reflect on the week and make note of some of the little things that brightened it. It’s incredibly easy to get wrapped up in stress and things that go awry, but so much more fun to recall what was great no matter how small. The cherry on the top is when readers tell me how much they now look forward to Thursdays! In a typical work week, most everyone looks forward to Friday (TGIF!!!). In my little space of the world, Thursdays are much more appreciated now. Thank you, Rebecca!

Without further ado, here are the little things that highlighted our week:

1. The babies are now nine months old! I’m having a hard time realizing how fast they are approaching their first birthday and at the same time enjoying every moment with them ( minus some of the screaming fits we have). Every day is a whole new world for them and they are constantly reaching new milestones. At nine months old, everyone has at least one tooth (Rylin finally got her first one), they hold their own bottles, they sit up with minimal assistance, roll both ways, maneuver on the floor by pivoting and scooting, and babble often. Sydney was the first to say “Dada”, and she says it often! Harper was saying “Mamama”, but hasn’t been doing it much lately, making me one sad Mama. They’ve also become keenly aware of each other. Toy snatching is commonplace around here. One day Harper even tried to roll on top of Mason to swipe a coveted toy. At meals, Sydney and Mason frequently turn to face each other and sometimes hold hands. I never seem to catch those sweet moments on camera because they are short-lived.

The babies are pictured in birth order: Rylin, Harper, Sydney, & Mason.

If his head would have fit under the couch, I'm certain Mason would have slithered all the way under!

Here’s what happens when Mason starts scooting around. If his head would have fit under the couch, I’m certain he would have slithered all the way under and scarfed a few dust bunnies!

Harper backed it up and under Sydney’s crib. For some reason our babies love backing up. You can really see Harper’s teeth in this picture; I think they’re so cute!

Here's proof that Sydney can roll over. She's been rolling over and getting her legs stuck between the rails. Yes, she is sleeping here and no I did not move her (she seemed totally comfortable).

Here’s proof that Sydney can roll over. She’s been rolling over and getting her legs stuck between the rails. Yes, she is sleeping here. No, I did not move her (she seemed totally comfortable).

Surprisingly, Sydney was perfectly content having her legs stuck after she woke up that way.

Surprisingly, Sydney was perfectly content having her legs stuck even after she woke up that way.

2. Since we moved into our house, we’ve taken great pride in it’s appearance inside and out. I love for our yard to look fabulous, but George is the resident yard man. He’s always worked really hard to make it look it’s best. However, last summer bed rest and drought got the better of our yard. The wisteria that once covered our pergola and the sole tree in the back yard both perished, which means we have no shade. George has been rather depressed about the state of our yard and it really is rather sad. He ran to Home Depot this week and purchased a few flowers to help the cause. He filled a pot on our patio with my favorite flowers, Gerber daisies. These little gems do great in Texas heat and keep bright, cheery blooms all season long. In fact, there was a single daisy sprout already in the pot. George was going to take it out and replace it, but I fought for that little flower. It’s going to be a hardy one, it managed to survive a Texas drought, neglect, and a winter freeze already.

Bright colored daises are always a great pick me up!

Bright colored daisies are always a great pick me up!

Despite all the withered plants in our yard, these Iris’ came up and bloomed on their own. They came from George’s Granny. She loved her garden and I love that her plants still bloom in our yard. I think she’d like that.

3. Our friend Natascha and her mom traveled all the way from Berlin for a holiday that began here in Texas. Of course, they couldn’t travel all that way from Germany without seeing the babies so they dropped by the house. The babies warmed up to them and acted like they were old friends. It was priceless seeing George teach Natascha how we diaper and feed the babies. He did a really good job, actually. He’s probably got more experience with those things than the average dad seeing we do everything times four.

4. So far, we’ve received over 1,000 votes for the Top 25 Moms of Multiples blog contest, placing us in third. Thank you all for voting because now it’s getting close, sometimes as few as 3-4 votes separate the rankings.

Many people have asked what we get if we win. The answer is mostly notoriety and also exposure that can open up new opportunities for us. I honestly love writing and in the future hope to author a book. This sort of competition can help me achieve some of my long-term goals. Winning does not bring any sort of tangible prizes or money, but I would still want win, or at least remain in the top 5. As I mentioned before, George and I are highly competitive so we don’t need to be offered much to play a game. Winning aside, there are some other great blogs participating and I’ve enjoyed checking in on them. The Littlest Lesnau’s and A Beautiful Ruckus are both authored by friends and fellow quad mamas so I was already familiar with them. However, I cruised the triplet blogs that are contenders to win: The Great Umbrella Heist and The Best Things in Life are THREE. I personally found both of them entertaining. If you have spare time you may want to check some of the other contestants blogs.

What little things brightened your week?

hugs!

Amber

The Ants Go Marching…

April 22, 2013Amber 8 Comments

On a whim, George and I decided to create a fundraising team for the March of Dimes, and actually take all four babies to participate. This was a major feat for us. First of all, we just came off lock down at the beginning of the month so we are still germ-fearing and highly protective of our brood. Plus, we are extremely rigid with our schedule, and the walk was scheduled to occur during the morning nap. Despite all of our reservations, we knew the March of Dimes was a cause close to our hearts and worthy of true support: walking the walk. Since very little prior planning was involved, we knew there was a real possibility it would be the two of us waking four babies too early and hauling them into a mass of people. Fortunately, my sister graciously met at our house to help get the babies ready and to join us. George’s aunt and youngest cousin, Brandi also met us to walk the walk.

I haven't the foggiest idea why the parking lot for the walk was behind locked gates. We had to scrounge up some muscle to hoist four babies loaded into the Runabout over it.

I haven’t the foggiest idea why the parking lot for the walk was behind locked gates, but it made reaching the starting line dicey for us.. We had to scrounge up some muscle to hoist four babies in the Runabout over it.

If you look behind us, there is a glimpse of the crowd marching by.

Mamma’s gotta keep tabs on her little quadlings.

Being rookies to the March of Dimes, George and I didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare. I am horrible at estimating distances and numbers so there could have been 1,000 walkers or 100,000. Regardless of the actual number, I can say there were people as far as the eye could see and the entire trail was packed. By far this is the most public event we’ve attended with the babies. The path was gridlocked with families and friends marching for a united cause, and it was moving to say the least. We enjoyed seeing all the team t-shirts and learning about the stories behind them. Our hearts were touched by several families walking for preemies much smaller than even Sydney (she was 2 lbs, 6 oz) and in remembrance of the tiniest of family members. It was a solemn reminder never to take our babies’ health for granted and to always remember the medical staff who helped us along the journey. We have a team of perinatologists who helped us keep the babies healthy prior to delivery and then an entire NICU staff who cared for our fragile preemies.

Most of the walk, the crowd trudged along at a snails’ pace, which did not make for happy babies. Several times we went off the trail so we could run instead. Our babies enjoy a grueling pace! George and I realized we aren’t in the best of shape anymore…we were rather winded.

I’m not sure if Mason was fed up with his sister badgering him or if he was just totally tuckered out.

Mason found his happy place with Aunt CiCi!

Even in a large crowd of thousands, a quad stroller is not the most conspicuous. Needless to say, we attracted a great deal of attention. As far as comments and questions, we heard nothing but niceties. Many people shared the notion we believe to be true: “you are blessed!” I beamed each time a passerby told us that and I always will. I don’t recall any rude commentary. However, the paparazzi was in full force. George and I are becoming accustomed to questions and photo requests. The paparazzi is different. They don’t bother to ask questions or dole out compliments. They gawk and snap pictures from their iphones then paste them up on their social networks. I presume I shall eventually get used to that sort of thing, but it made me feel totally violated. After all, I have no idea what happened to pictures snapped of us after the fact. I’m not sure I’ve ever intentionally taken a photo of a stranger without their knowledge or consent, but I will think twice about it if I ever get a notion to do so. That bit of drama aside, we had a great walk together as a family and plan to keep the tradition alive. Next year, we would like to coordinate better and rally a team to join us in the walk. We even brainstormed about creating team t-shirts in the same shade of blue as our stroller.

Ta da! We made it through the finish line with four babies in tow!

As we crossed the finish line, each baby received a sticker like this one. We slapped them on the backs of their onsies since they’d eat them otherwise.

The finish line was far too crowded for a photo-op so we settled for the March of Dimes Bell Helicopter.

Brandi helped keep Rylin happy while Carol snuggled a sleeping Harper.

By the end of the march, we had to bail three babies from the stroller. Only Sydney remained, contently chattering about the event. With only Sydney in the stroller, Courtney was able to help George lift the Runabout over the railing to the van.

Grandaddy opted out of the walk, but patiently waited for us at the end and dutifully helped load fussing babies into the van.

Since Courtney joined us for the walk, I let her sit shotgun while I shimmied between the boys in the back of the van. I realized they’ve been fooling me into thinking they nap in the van. Turns out they are quiet, but look like this!

The girls didn’t conk out either. ..Sitting in the back of the van I saw eight little eyes staring back at me!

What causes are close to your heart?

hugs!

Amber

We would like to extend a special thanks to the following people who donated in honor of our team:

Karen Cox

Christina Childress

Angie Owens

Kristen Klatt

Courtney Zehnder

Brandi Steele

Carol Vincell

Early Birds

April 21, 2013Amber 2 Comments

Back when the babies were in the NICU, they completed the usual newborn hearing screening. They all passed the screen at the time, but babies in the NICU for extended periods of time are at risk for hearing loss later. Therefore, a follow up appointment was made for them to occur at 9 months of age. The original screen was done in the wee hours of the morning while I was not at the NICU, thus the appointment was made for us. At the time I didn’t give it much thought. About a week prior, I realized it was for 8:00 am in a downtown office. This meant I had to get four babies up before daybreak, load them in the van, and haul them downtown in rush hour traffic for an appointment in an unfamiliar place. GULP! The mere thought was daunting!

Furthermore, I got the lowdown on said appointment from a friend with triplets. She warned that it took her crew 30 minutes per ear and they got cranky with it being so early, not in tune with their normal schedule, ect. UGH! I did the math and it was grim. With eight ears at 30 minutes each, it would take four hours. I knew that there was NO way on earth any of us could handle four hours of hearing screens. Panic mode struck me. I called the clinic hoping to reschedule for a later appointment and/or possibly breaking it into two appointments. No avail. However, I was assured there would be two audiologists working that day. I accepted our fate and hatched the best plan I could muster.

I am highly independent and care for the babies on my own the majority of the time, but for appointments like these I call for reinforcements. This time, my mom was able to lend a helping hand. The night before the appointment, we dressed the babies in pajamas that are onsies with footed pants (super cute and look like outfits) and brought their car seats into the nurseries. The next morning, Mom and I woke up just before six and got ourselves entirely ready to go. Next, we dropped bottles in the warmers while we made ourselves some coffee (gotta fuel the day!). After all bottles were heated we stored them in an insulated lunch bag and headed to get babies ready. We each took a nursery where we quietly got babies out of beds and changed diapers, but not clothes. We were careful to use only night lights and keep noise to a minimum. Of course the babies woke up, but weren’t awake before we loaded them into the van. By 6:40 all babies were loaded into the van and we were on the road.

Naturally, the day of this appointment was on one of the worst weather days of the year. We had a huge thunderstorm and chilly temps for April. Anytime there is so much as drizzle on the highways around here, traffic stacks up for miles. We navigated rush hour gridlock for 80 minutes, but we reached the clinic right on time!

Since the weather was dreary and damp, I pulled the van right to the door where mom and I loaded the babies into Snap ‘n’ Go strollers. Together we rolled the babies into the clinic where I checked in as mom distributed bottles. By the time I parked the van and filled out registration paperwork, the babies had drained their bottles. Because I called in advance, the clinic was prepared for us. In fact, the staff cheerily greeted us and complimented the babies numerous times on their behavior as well as their attire (yay jammies!). Everyone was so kind and accommodating for us. They separated the babies into two rooms with an audiologist and assistant in each room. Mom took the boys and I took the girls. This way, hearing tests were completed simultaneously. It ended up taking a little over an hour for all four hearing tests to be completed. Before leaving, we had to change a few diapers and take care of a few other housekeeping items, but we were back on the road by 9:45. Thankfully the weather improved drastically so we were back home before 10:30. The babies were easily back on schedule upon our return. The early bird appointment wasn’t horrible after all!

When we left the house, it was ptich black outside, but a sea of headlights and tailelights illuminated the highway.

When we left the house, it was pitch black outside, but a sea of headlights and taillights illuminated the highway.

Gotta love rush hour in the rain!

wubbanubs always come along to doctor's appointments because they help soother fussy babies.

Wubbanubs always come along to doctor’s appointments because they help soothe fussy babies.

The Snap ‘n’ Go strollers make it relatively easy to load and unload four babies. I’m dreading the day they all outgrow their car seats and we have to load them into different strollers from car seats. The babies are not used to watching TV so they were enamored with the TV in the waiting room.

If given the choice, I don’t think I would schedule another appointment far from home quite that early. However, I do prefer early bird appointments whenever possible for these reasons:

Offices are not behind schedule since they just opened!
Staff is generally friendly and welcoming since they aren’t exhausted from a long day of appointments.
Offices are freshly cleaned and therefore less likely to harbor germs.
The babies start the day in pleasant moods, which tend to deteriorate as energy reserves deplete.
Early appointments are less intrusive to the babies’ schedule and it’s relatively easy to get them back on track.

This particular appointment preceded a rather busy weekend so stay tuned for the March of Dimes and NICU Reunion!

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. We are now in 6th place for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Blogs list. You can vote every 24 hours until May 8 (one vote per device). It’s simple. Just click the badge below or on our side bar, then click “vote” under our picture.

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March for Babies

April 14, 2013April 15, 2013Amber 1 Comment

Having four premature babies brought a whole new appreciation for the March of Dimes to our family. Honestly, prior to the arrival of the babies we never gave it much thought. Thanks to state of the art medical care, our babies who were born 10 weeks too soon are thriving. To show our support of this cause, George and I started a fundraising team for the March for Babies 2013. If you are able, we would appreciate any donations made to the March of Dimes in support of The Shawver Quads. Please visit our team website at: http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=2061354 Money raised supports the March of Dimes’ research to help expectant mothers reach full term pregnancies and to support families who have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #11

April 11, 2013Amber 10 Comments

It’s 11:00 pm as I type this, so technically it is still Thursday. I’m working at “game time” no doubt! Nonetheless, it is time to reflect upon the little things that filled our week.

1. George and I were inspired by the Glawson Triplets to take the babies to our community playground. We stuffed two babies in each baby swing and they soared. Of course, before we stuffed them in, I sanitized each swing with Clorox wipes. Oh yes, I am that mom. We are enjoying freedom from lock down, but I’m not completely ready to let my germ guard down. Rylin and Mason thoroughly enjoyed their ride, giggling and grinning the whole time. Harper and Sydney didn’t protest, but seemed rather lackadaisical about the whole ordeal.

This is how quadruplets roll at the playground!

Rylin thought this was big fun. I love the wind in her hair.

Hmm, these two don’t seem terribly interested.

2. After I took Mason to Cranial Technologies for his weekly band adjustment, he and I took a detour to one of my former schools. I introduced Mason to the principal, Samantha, and secretary, Mina, at Bonnie Brae. Both of these ladies helped me trudge along as I worked full time the first 20 weeks of a quadruplet pregnancy so I thought it was time they meet at least one of the quadlets. I promised to bring the others someday. And…Springdale and Riverside friends, I promise we will swing by to see you as well.

Mina, Mason, & Samantha.
Mason was highly interested in Samantha’s glasses and seemed to thing they’d be a tasty snack.

3. My Uncle Mark sent this picture to me a few days ago. It is me and my Grandpa I think at Easter, which would make me about 13 or 14 months old. It’s a sweet picture that reminds me of how special he was to me and all of the little things we did together. I will always remember catching fireflies in his yard, swinging from vines, looking at stars with his telescope, performing on his hearth, and going to the beach. In his 87 years, he always stopped to look at bluebonnets and never let the little things go unnoticed. Thank you, Grandpa for teaching all of us to appreciate the little things!