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Roid Rage!

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We had a great appointment with Dr. Tabor today. Each baby performed for our ultrasound tech, Samantha, with movements and practice breathing. They were all reluctant to show off, but in time, they did. I am relatively certain they were sleepy after the four ring circus they had in my stomach earlier in the day.  Dr. Tabor did a bio physical profile aka growth scan for everyone. Sydney remains our little peanut, but she did grow. At this point, she is in the 15th percentile overall. However, we were assured that there are no indications of illness or complications. Dr. Tabor said if she were in the 5th percentile or below he would be worried. She is simply small because there just isn’t much room. Mason is just slightly ahead of Sydney, but within normal limits. Rylin and Harper are on track for singletons! Apparently, everyone but Sydney has a large head.  Don’t worry though, they are within normal limits. It does run in the family too….my Grandma always says my Dad had a HUGE head.  Actually, he still has a big head. I suppose large heads will help store all of their brains.

Here are the current weight estimates:

Baby A, Rylin: 3 pounds, 4 ounces

Baby B, Harper: 3 pounds, 5 ounces

Baby C, Sydney: 2 pounds, 2 ounces

Baby D, Mason: 2 pounds, 14 ounces

Dr. Tabor wants to give Sydney more time to grow in the womb before we deliver. Our goal is now 32 weeks and I will have appointments twice weekly. If I’m not being admitted, two appointments per week will reassure me that the babies are okay. Since we should deliver within two weeks, I got my first round of steroids today. They are administered when babies will likely be delivered preterm to help them develop surfactant, which is a liquid substance that helps them breathe easily after birth. I go back tomorrow for round two. The fun part about steroids is that they sting after administration for at least 10 minutes and cause contractions. My stomach has been pretty much taught since 5:00, it’s nifty. George said its all just a “Roid rage”! Oh, and these steroids will not help build my muscle mass, darn!Workout on the red carpet  If I want to get abs like this chick, I will have to do it the hard way.  Work out!  These steroids simply won’t help my physique.

 

Before we left, we had a slew of questions and concerns, which Dr. Tabor calmly put to rest. (I was planning to let him have it.  After all, I am totally uncomfortable and my body is protesting this.  Plus, I get scared being at home.) I told him I was constantly uncomfortable and having tons of contractions, but he said this was okay unless there was pain. I told him I have to take Tylenol pm to get any sleep at night and he said, “Okay”. We ran through what to watch for, when to come in, and when to call 911. He doesn’t plan to admit me unless contractions are painful as home is a better place to be. I am constantly amazed when I get more time at home. However, at this point I need more babysitters when George is at work because anytime could be “go time”! Thankfully, my Dad is off work for the summer, and he likes movies.

Hugs!Amber

30 weeks, 1 day

 

 

Bed Rest Movie Reviews

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I have officially been on bed rest eight weeks now, six of them strict (e.g. Mostly in bed). At first, I really didn’t watch much television mostly because I cut the cable in our bedroom (genius idea I know). I started with a list of sedentary activities to occupy myself: order various items for the babies, read several novels, write thank you notes, fill out insurance forms, contact insurance companies and human resources for work….you get the idea. Being on bed rest has not been easy for this fiercely independent busy body. Under normal circumstances, I don’t even sit still for a 30 minute sitcom in the DVR. That’s because if there’s a commercial, I figure it’s a good opportunity to get a few chores done like run a load of laundry. I also used to hit the gym 3-4 times a week for yoga classes or kickboxing with our trainer. And, we walked the dogs nightly. It pains me that they rarely if ever get walked and the outlook for future walks is grim.

As the weeks pass, I have pretty much attacked my sedentary to-do list and honestly don’t feel up to doing much. I don’t sleep much at night so the fatigue is insane and I am mostly uncomfortable. Thus, I am becoming an official movie watching professional. Gross, I know. I decided I should review the current movies I’ve seen while on bed rest. The fact that I am taking the time to do this is probably a testament to my utter boredom and attempt to maintain sanity.

Young Adult
Synopsis:Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a writer of teen literature who returns to her small hometown to relive her glory days and attempt to reclaim her happily married high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson). When returning home proves more difficult than she thought, Mavis forms an unusual bond with a former classmate (Patton Oswalt) who hasn’t quite gotten over high school, either. — (C) Paramount

My Two Cents: I felt duped by this one! It is NOT a comedy (its listed as a drama/ comedy) or even a dramedy for that matter. It was somewhat depressing as Mavis is basically an alcoholic who falls on her face throughout the movie. I would not bother with this one.

New Year’s Eve
Synopsis: New Year’s Eve celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year. — (C) Warner Bros

My Two Cents: This was a good mood provoking movie even though it was predictable and didn’t have a ton of plot. It’s worth a dollar redbox movie night.

21 Jump Street
Synopsis: In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier – and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind. — (C) Sony Pictures

My Two Cents: Okay, this one was pretty cheesy and predictable, but has it’s laugh worthy moments. I liked that Johnny Depp made an appearance as an homage to his days on the television show. Channing Tatum makes for good eye candy so that helps this movie. Again, worth renting from redbox for a buck, but that’s it.

Mirror Mirror
Synopsis: One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in the motion picture event for the whole family, Mirror Mirror. A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over. The film also stars Armie Hammer as the Prince, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen. — (C) Relativity

My Two Cents: I have to admit, I am a sucker for fairy tales so I liked this one a lot. The set and costumes were whimsy and I loved them. The story is mostly the one you know with a few twists. I say this one is worthwhile.

Wanderlust
Synopsis: George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) are an overextended, stressed out Manhattan couple. After George is downsized out of his job, they find themselves with only one option: to move in with George’s awful brother in Atlanta. On the way there, George and Linda stumble upon Elysium, an idyllic community populated by colorful characters who embrace a different way of looking at things. Money? It can’t buy happiness. Careers? Who needs them? Clothes? Only if you want them. Is Elysium the fresh start George and Linda need? Or will the change of perspective cause more problems than it solves? — (C) Universal

My Two Cents: Ugh!!! I like Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston, but this movie fell flat. There seemed to be holes in the story leaving me to think I missed something. The best parts were when Paul Rudd seemed to be improvising. Seriously, not worth your time.

We Bought a Zoo
Synopsis: This holiday season, acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) directs an amazing and true story about a single dad (Matt Damon) who decides his family needs a fresh start, so he and his two children move to the most unlikely of places: a zoo. With the help of an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, the family works to return the dilapidated zoo to its former wonder and glory. — (C) Official Site

My Two Cents: This was a sweet story inspired by a real family. I found it heartwarming and endearing. The little girl who plays Rosie, Matt Damon’s daughter, totally makes this movie. I say give it a whirl.

The Vow
Synopsis: A newlywed couple (Channing Tatum) recovers from a car accident that puts the wife (rachel McAdams) in a coma. Waking up with severe memory loss, her husband endeavors to win her heart again. — (C) Sony Pictures

My Two Cents: Although it was melancholy at times, this was a sweet love story by Nicholas Sparks. It makes you want to cherish each moment. Again, Channing Tatum served as eye candy at the very least. Worthy of a rental.

American Reunion
Synopsis: In the comedy American Reunion, all the American Pie characters we met a little more than a decade ago return to East Great Falls for their high-school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn’t and that time and distance can’t break the bonds of friendship. It was summer 1999 when four small-town Michigan boys began a quest to lose their virginity. In the years that have passed, Jim and Michelle married while Kevin and Vicky said goodbye. Oz and Heather grew apart, but Finch still longs for Stifler’s mom. Now these lifelong friends have come home as adults to reminisce about-and get inspired by-the hormonal teens who launched a comedy legend. — (C) Universal

My Two Cents: I have to admit….this one is sort of a guilty pleasure. The American Pie series came out when I was in high school so it is reminiscent for George and I. As the rest of the series, this one is down right raunchy and not for your mother. If you graduated in the 90’s you’d probably appreciate it.

Any suggestions about movies I should watch??? I have plenty of time for at home movies, and I have Netflix online.

Hugs,

Amber

Movie synopsis courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

29 weeks, 6 days

Roller Coaster

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Yesterday we had a great appointment with Dr. Tabor, perhaps the best we’ve had in weeks. This time, all of the babies performed on cue. My vitals were fine, and he said my blood sugar was “perfect”. So, I was sent home for another week of freedom.

As usual, I was totally exhausted when I got home. I tried to take a nap, but never got comfortable enough to rest well. By early evening, I was getting increasingly uncomfortable and had sporadic contractions. As the evening progressed, so did the contractions. They eventually ramped up to a pattern of occurring every 10-15 minutes so we called Dr. Tabor who instructed us to head to labor and delivery. By the time we got to the hospital, contractions were two minutes apart and intense. Once we checked in, I was attached to a Toco monitor to check the contractions and a fetal heart rate monitor for two of the babies’ heartbeats (it was too difficult to get all four so we settled on two at a time). Dr. Tabor ordered for me to increase fluid intake and prescribed Vicodin. At first, I was uncomfortable, but not in pain so I didn’t know why I needed Vicodin. Well, two hours after having contractions every two minutes cleared it up for me. That many contractions becomes painful! The Vicodin literally couldn’t start working fast enough. My nurse, Katie, checked my cervix and it was unchanged, but we were in it for the night.

Lucky George got to sleep on the sofa in jeans with what he called “denim sheets” and “diaper pillows”. My bed was fairly comfortable, but I was hooked up to several monitors, there were lights from the monitors and I could hear everything in the hallway. Needless to say, sleep was somewhat elusive. At 6:00 sharp, Dr. Tabor stopped by to check on me and my cervix. That was a fun wake up call! My cervix was still unchanged so we just had to wait for the fetal fibronectin (ffn) results to find out what would happen next. My ffn was negative meaning labor would not likely occur within the next two weeks so we got to come home. Whew! This is becoming quite the roller coaster!

After spending the night at the hospital, George is now tweaking a few things so it is better next time (we know there will be a next time). He is packing a “go bag” for himself with a toothbrush, pjs, and bedding at the least. Plus, he got the neighbors phone numbers so we can call them to care for the dogs if needed.

This is the computer screen showing my contractions, the hills are contractions and the lines between show one minute intervals. Below is what the Toco monitor looks like from my perspective.

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Since we got to stay the night, I was served a delicious hospital breakfast in bed. I bet you wish you had some too. George refused to have any of it and I choked down the toast and hash browns. I have no idea what that bacon looking stuff was.

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Hugs,

Amber

29 weeks, 3 days

Getting Pretty

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I have the best hair stylist ever! Matt has been cutting my hair for about four years, or maybe five. Honestly, I can’t remember. I found him at an Aveda salon after not getting so much as a trim for seven months. My hair was in dire straits when we met. You see, the previous stylist gave me a horrendous bob that needed to grow out and I pretty much fired her. I had never trusted my hair with a boy, but figured Aveda salons wouldn’t steer me wrong, and they didn’t!

Matt has also become the stylist for George and Courtney, which means he probably knows all the family secrets by now…he he. He keeps us all looking our best, and is a friend too. He was so sweet that he made a home visit today. Of course I haven’t been able to visit the salon in months, and have been seriously neglecting my hair. Since I am mostly in bed, I basically wash my hair and pony tail it, which is not a good look. I was hoping he could put toner on my hair to tame the color, but realized there was no way to rinse it out. Oh well, I will just have to wait to work on the color. In the meantime, Matt gave me a great trim and I feel much better. I may be “large, and not in charge”, but I can have pretty hair. Thanks, Matt!

Here’s Matt armed with scissors, blow dryer, and flat iron. Hair, beware!

Here’s the new “do”

Hugs,

Amber

Ps…we made it 29 weeks now. Yay!

Just a Little Scary

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We made it to our 28 week doctor’s appointment today. Thankfully, Dr. Tabor was happy with my blood sugar levels so I don’t have to monitor daily anymore. He does want me checking Monday and Friday to make sure they don’t go crazy. I can handle that. My vitals were also in check.

Then we had a scare….

You see, each week, all of the babies are monitored via ultrasound to check fluid levels and for movement. In addition, something called a Doppler is used to check the blood flow and pressure on Sydney’s umbilical cord. Since we hit the 28 week mark, today each baby needed to demonstrate “practice breathing”, or moving fluid in and out of the lungs. Rylin, Harper, and Mason all passed as they had good fluids, moved, and practiced their breathing. Our tiny girl, Sydney had adequate fluids, but did not perform. We could hear and see her heartbeat, which offered a piece of mind, but this usually acrobatic girl did not budge. Our ultrasound tech, Celeste, persisted for 15 minutes, but Sydney did nothing. Finally, Dr. Tabor came in and said we needed some movement within 30 minutes, which meant Sydney had 15 minutes left to perform. If she didn’t, I would head to the hospital for observation, and we would possibly have to deliver today. Because we were past 28 weeks I didn’t meltdown, but I was really worried about the possibility.

Celeste didn’t give up on Sydney and kept searching for movement another 15 minutes. Everyone tried to help. I poked my belly, George directed her to “move”, and even Harper kicked Sydney. Nothing. This girl was not moving. She was happily curled up and that was that. I literally prayed, “God, please help Sydney move.” It was simple, but that was all I had. Dr. Tabor returned and I figured it was to the hospital with me. Fortunately, I was wrong. Dr. Tabor used the Doppler and noted that Sydney’s cord and pressure were good. The she did it, she moved! Hallelujah!!!

Dr. Tabor said we caught her during a nap. Apparently babies at this stage go in and out of sleep cycles like that and she was conked out, and they don’t breathe while they sleep since it is practice anyways. She woke up just in time to pass her test. Whew! That meant, I got to go home and the hospital was averted for a bit longer.

Why the monkey picture? George insisted I include it since we had a scare today. I hate this monkey because I think it looks deranged and scary. However, I got it as a gift for George from an antique store when I found out he really loved it. It has a home perched on a bookshelf in our study because I told George it was far to scary for the boys nursery and he’s ok with that. Hey, this monkey is lucky to even have a home!

Hugs,

Amber

28 weeks, 4 days

An Affirmation

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I’m sure every expectant parent has at least some degree of angst, wondering if they are qualified for the job and hoping they will make the best decisions for their children. George and I have had probably more than our fair share of those feelings while awaiting our quadruplets. Of course we are very organized people and have prepared to the maximum extent possible, which helps minimize some of the worries. We also know that raising quadruplets will be the most amazing journey, privilege, and experience of our lives. It is also a great responsibility so our angst is multiplied by four. Just imagine!

Back when I was a senior in high school I landed the most incredible job, caring for two children, Hayley and Brennen. At the time they were only six and eight years old. I ended up staying with them for five years, seeing them mature from children to a pre-teen and teenager. I will be honest, taking care of them wasn’t always a cake walk as all children can be challenging at times, but was always a joy and privilege. By the time I headed to graduate school, it was time to leave my little charges behind, and that was heartbreaking. I remember dropping Hayley off at gymnastics for the last time and Brennan at his golf lesson and fighting back tears as I bid them farewell. It wasn’t goodbye forever, just our relationship as caretaker-children was ending.

I still keep in touch with their family and love updates. Hayley is now about to enter her junior year of college and tackles endless extracurricular activities with gusto as well as maintaining academic success. She is currently spending her entire summer in working the Ozark mountains as a department head at a camp. There she is disconnected from all technology, which shows her dedication to her work and impacting the lives of others. I mean, how many of us, let alone 20 year olds could go just a day without our smartphones? Way to go, Hayley! I am always so proud of her! Brennan attended The University of Alabama with a full scholarship and achieved many honors. We tragically lost Brennan in December of 2009, and I will always miss him. He left a hole in my heart that will never be replaced. Not a day goes by that I don’t pause at least a moment to think of him and am still proud of what he accomplished in a short lifetime. I hope his family knows that.

Shortly after we announced our quadruplet pregnancy, Hayley sent me an amazing gift. She was applying for admission to a student organization, which required her to write an essay about how she obtained her standards for living. Surprisingly, she chose to write about me, and she was willing to share it! It meant so much to me that she felt I impacted her life. I always hoped I had, but it was beautiful to be affirmed by her own words. It literally brought me to tears and still does. With her permission, I am sharing her essay below:

“Hey Amber! I applied for an organization on campus and wrote one of my essays about you! Mom thought that you might want to read it:) I hope you are doing well, I know you must be stressed, but I can just feel it – y’all will be AMAZING parents! Even to four at once!

Prompt: How do you obtain the standards by which you live?

Answer: Because our parents had to go back to work soon after I was born, my brother and I had countless nannies. Well you could count them, but you’d get lost somewhere in the twenties. We encountered the surprising: finding one to have a warrant out for her arrest. The crazy: a woman who would steal birthday money from a four and six year old. And the girl who didn’t understand the standard flip on and off light switch. Then we found the great: Amber. By no means do I have an anything but amazing mother, but I owe a lot of who I am today to Amber and the lessons she taught me while driving me to and from school, gymnastics practice, and friends’ houses. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that Amber was only seventeen when she was hired by my mom; she seemed to have life so figured out, and happiness and success in her grasp. Amber taught me the importance of character, hard work, and of being the type of person that I would want to meet. She is the embodiment of the standards that I set and hope to live by.

Amber did not come from an extremely wealthy family, she had to work for what she wanted, and she did. She is the reason that I refuse to go only halfway into anything, and she taught me that excuses are only in the mind. Amber is the purest and kindest person in any crowd. Kindness is not a trait easily learned, and I know that any kindness I shaped into my personality came straight from her example. I recently read that we should “live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of [us], no one would believe it.” I know that I have my faults, but this explains perfectly the standard by which I hope to live, a quote which Amber completely exudes. Today, Amber radiates as she walks into a room, and even ten years ago my brother’s and my friends probably cared more to know if Amber would be at our house than if we would! As I have gotten older, I realize how long it has been since Amber was in my life, and I remind myself of the standards in character, hard work, and kindness that she taught me. Not only does Amber still radiate, but she is now actually “glowing” as she has been blessed to be pregnant with quadruplets. Yes, that’s four children… at once! I know that she is worried about where this will take her, but I have no doubt that she was taken down this road because God knows that she is the best to travel down it. Those four babies have no idea how lucky they will be, and I am so happy to know that four more lives can have the privilege that I had.”

So, I owe Hayley a BIG THANKS for sharing this with me! While we still have our moments of doubt in our future parenting abilities, Hayley has affirmed that I CAN and WILL do a good job.
I try to remember this when I am doubtful.

hugs!

Amber

Test, test, test, and test again

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After two days of waiting for results, Dr. Tabor’s nurse called about my glucose tolerance test. She said that since it was a two hour test she wasn’t quite sure exactly how to interpret the results, but Dr. Tabor ordered a glucometer for me with no dietary change yet. So, I either have gd or am borderline. I get to prick myself and test glucose levels 4 times a day, when I wake up, and two hours after each meal. If my levels are consistently above 100 fasting and 180 after meals, I need to call Dr. Tabor about it. Otherwise, I just record the readings and bring them to my next appointment.

Testing two hours after meals means I will have to watch between meal snacks so I don’t flub up results. I probably rarely go a full two hours with nothing to eat. Since I was a child, my mom called me a hummingbird because of the way I eat little bits at a time, all day. The pricking part isn’t so bad, the harder part is going to be keeping tabs on testing and not eating again before I test. I did my first reading this morning and will repeat in two hours. I hope the babies appreciate all of this 🙂

George pointed out that all this testing will help pass the time. Ha!

Here is all my new paraphernalia, picture quality is not great, but that is a iPad picture for you.

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Hugs,

Amber

27 weeks, 5 days

The Big Test

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Yesterday was a rough one so I’m posting about it now. We had our 27 week appointment with Dr. Tabor and the glucose tolerance re-test (yipee!). I was really worried about taking the three-hour glucose tolerance test for several reasons. First of all, I had to fast, including water the night before. Because I am carrying quads, I am on a 3000 plus calorie diet and we get HUNGRY! During this pregnancy, I never had morning sickness per se, but getting hungry has typically induced vomiting, which would not be good at 27 weeks. Also, I’ve learned that contractions are usually triggered by either too much activity, too much calcium, or dehydration. I also know that when dehydrated getting my veins for blood draws is a total nightmare. The thought of vomiting and contracting overwhelmed me, so I begged to get out of the test. I was hoping if I would go on a diet and check blood sugars regularly that would suffice, but nope. Dr. Tabor wasn’t keen on my idea. Arghhh. It was worth a shot though. He did give me some pity at least and let me do a two-hour instead of a three-hour test. Cutting that third hour out did wonders!

We started our appointment with a growth scan, which was nice. I had been wondering how they were all doing so I loved seeing them. Here are the current weight estimates based on body size:

Baby A, Rylin: 2 pounds, 4 ounces

Baby B, Harper: 2 pounds, 5 ounces

Baby C, Sydney: 1 pound, 11 ounces

Baby D, Mason: 2 pounds, 2 ounces

According to What to Expect, they should weigh about 2 pounds to 2 pounds, 8 ounces this week so Rylin, Harper, and Mason are on track. We weren’t surprised that Sydney is still so much smaller. I mean, we couldn’t expect her to just have an enormous growth spurt and catch up. The good news is that she IS growing. Also, Sydney’s fluids were still stable as was the pressure in her umbilical cord. At the end of the appointment, Dr. Tabor mentioned having to deliver early. I didn’t know what he meant by “early” so I clarified. He responded, “Oh, 32-34 weeks.” and he added something about triplets being full term at 36, but quads not really going past 34. This caught me off guard. Just a few weeks ago we had a scare that we might not make it to the big 28 week milestone and now he’s talking 32-34 weeks? Wow, how things can change! Of course, no one knows for certain when we’d need to deliver, but he seems to think going that long is possible. I hate to admit this, but the thought of going that much longer scares me a little bit too. My body does surprise me, but I am so big and uncomfortable already. I don’t know where on earth these babies will go as they grow and what my body can do to help them. At this point, I am carrying nearly 10 pounds of baby, not to mention their fluids, placentas, ect. It is stressful on my body no doubt. That being said, I know that every day and every week we can keep them in is a victory and less NICU time.

After the whole routine part of the visit, I had a fasting blood draw then got to drink a bottle of orange hummingbird food. It was drinking super flat Sunkist orange soda with extra hi fructose corn syrup, which caused an odd sort of burning sensation in my mouth. It was all I could do to finish the thing. After that it was time to wait an hour. I fought hard to keep it down (knowing if I yacked it up, I would have to start again) and to not pass out. I got all clammy and had to fan myself with a magazine to keep it together. George ended up taking me for a walk to the lobby to get fresh air, which helped tons.

After the second blood draw was done, we had another hour to kill. This time, George took me on a field trip to Cook Children’s Hospital, which is across the street from my doctor’s office and where the babies will be. We toured the NICU long ago, but never saw the rest of the hospital. Children’s hospitals are sooooo much better than adult ones! They are so bright and fresh with kitschy art every where. On the bottom floor they have this cheerful food court, a Build a Bear Workshop, Starbucks, a recording studio, a playground, and lounge with games and movies. Such fun! It looked like a place where kids would want to be. It really lifted my spirits to see it. We also strolled by the NICU and visited the nurse who took us on the tour. She told us that they have our quad suite ready and waiting, which is pretty cool!

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I snapped a few pictures of proof that children’s hospital are much better than adult ones:

Here is a Lego replica of the hospital-

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Here is the lounge/ game room-

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After my appointment, I was totally drained and uncomfortable so I slept most of the afternoon. I am now awaiting my glucose test results.

hugs,

;

Amber

27 weeks, 2 days

Bed rest? What bed rest? We’re having a baby shower!

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©FourtoAdore.com

If  you’ve been paying attention, you probably noticed we had several showers, probably more than the average bear.  At first I felt a little gluttonous about it, but here’s the deal 1. we are soooooo blessed to have friends, family, and co workers (and even some acquaintances) who care about us and wanted to shower us 2. we are having FOUR babies!   Do you know how much stuff four babies need?  It is pretty insane!  I mean, George has had to seriously expand the storage in our house to make living in it with four babies even possible.    

Since we knew bed rest was inevitable, most of my showers, especially the school ones were held quite early to make sure I’d be around.   However, one of them just could not be moved up so we scheduled it knowing my location was TBA, but hoping it could go as planned.  Well, I was on strict bed rest by the time the last shower date arrived, but thankfully I was still home.  My sweet hostesses, Terri, Kaylie, Courtney, and Kelsey did an amazing job of relocating the entire shower at my house.  It looked as if they planned for it to be here all along.  They set up a “photo booth” in our study where they left props so guests could take silly pictures and leave messages for us.  (I don’t have all the photo booth pictures yet so those will be posted later.  I can’t wait to see them, actually).  Delicious food was spread out and complimented by “bubble bath punch”.  Rather than doing a diaper cake, they made these cool onsie trees for each baby.  I loved every special touch!  Thanks, girls! 

Having the shower at my house was actually pretty cool because everyone got to tour the now completed nurseries, gawk at our quad stroller and van, and see the playroom.   Plus no one had to deliver gifts from a hostess home to mine.   I stayed propped up on the couch dutifully drinking water the entire time, but my stamina faded pretty quickly.  I ended up enlisting the help of George’s cousin, Brandi, for gift opening because bending over just got to be too much.   By the end of the shower my energy reserves were gone, but since I was at home I just crawled into bed for a nice long nap. 

After showers, I LOVE to write thank you notes.  I know that sounds odd, but I do.  I like using fun stationary and I think getting snail mail is fun so I like sending it.  However, sitting up long enough to write them has become taxing.   It has gotten so bad I can only write 3-4 at a time before I have to lay on my side to rest.  So….I had a great idea.  The guests self-addressed envelopes and inserted sticky notes stating what they brought.  It made a HUGE difference for me.  It allowed me to write hand-written thank you notes, but minimized the sitting up part significantly.  Guess what?  My thank you notes have all been mailed!  =) 

hugs!

Amber

Re-Test

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blood glucose monitor

blood glucose monitor (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, the babies got a good report card on Wednesday, but I got the one hour glucose test results back today. I got a big fat “F”! Not only did I fail, but I apparently failed pretty badly. I can’t remember the last time I got an “F”. It was probably when I had to take Calculus II with engineering majors in college (I was a psychology major with no mathematical skills whatsoever!).

This means I have to re-take the glucose test, only next time it will be a longer, more difficult test. I will fast Monday night and go to Dr. Tabor’s office first thing on Tuesday morning. Lucky me, I get to drink another delicious fruit punch glucose concoction within 5-7 minutes. I bet that will be great on an empty stomach. After I finish chugging that lovely beverage, I will have a blood draw every hour for three hours. The blood draws will be extra fun after fasting (I can only take sips of water so I won’t be well hydrated and the blood draws will be a real treat). The last time I had a blood draw after not drinking water, they couldn’t get my vein and I ended up with bruises on my arm. If I thought keeping that red stuff down for one hour was dicey, three hours will be super fun!

From what I’ve read, gestational diabetes is twice as likely to occur with multiple gestation pregnancies due to the increased levels of hormones. Yippee! I can’t tell by reading the symptoms of GD whether I may have it or not. Primary symptoms include: unusual thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue. Well, I figure I’d have all of those due to carrying four babies anyways! The risks to the babies seem minimal. Babies of mothers with GD tend to be larger, which can force a c-section. Well, I want my babies to be as large as possible and we’re having a c-section anyways so that’s no biggie. Maybe GD would be a good thing if it would fatten the babies up! Unfortunately, exercise is one of the best ways to control GD and I can’t do that. I’m hoping that if I actually have GD that I won’t need insulin shots. I can manage dietary changes, but will miss some of my cravings. Goodbye cookies and ice cream! Oh, and peanut butter!

hugs,

Amber

26 days, 5 days