{Quad Squad} 29 Weeks!

Why hello there, I'm back! At least for this post, anyway. I hope you all enjoyed the great information my mom shared in her guest post last week—she'll also likely be posting the big news once the quads arrive! I've been "under the influence" quite a bit with the different medications they've got me on for everything from nausea and contractions to pain and that always lovely magnesium sulfate. I really can't believe that tomorrow marks seven weeks (that's 49 days) in the hospital and about 46 days on the mag.

The past two days have been pretty good, and today has been average as well. I'm extremely exhausted most of the time and have kept to my bed, staying horizontal to keep things calm and contractions to a minimum. I've had a few close calls over the past week where the contractions picked up and we all stood by to see what they would do. Some of them have gotten to the point of being painful, but eventually they would calm down. During the last bout, my doctor had me start another round of Indocin (to help slow contractions), which is that medication I can only take for 48 hours about once a week. Anything longer and you run the risk of depleting the babies' amnionic fluid levels. The fluid is able to replenish itself if it gets a little low, but push it too far and you might end up in a tricky situation. I just finished my last dose of Indocin last night, so now it's literally a waiting game. There's really nothing else they can give me if the contractions pick up again (I can't take Indocin until closer to the weekend and I'm already on 2 grams of mag per hour), so we've got our fingers and toes all crossed. Today I've had very few contractions, tonight or tomorrow could be a different story!

All that said, I've scooted my little quad-pregnant booty past the 29 week mark and we're now headed for 30. It's insane that I've held together for this long. I seriously don't think I have much longer. My stomach has grown even more and the quads are probably all weighing from 2.5 to 3.25 pounds by now. Their weights are good, their hearts and health look good and now the husband and I are just standing by to meet them! My skin on my stomach is starting to really hurt and my belly has taken on a weird oblong shape as it struggles to accommodate the quads. These babies are literally pushing the limits now. Each day, I'm amazed I've gone another 24 hours without bursting at the seams. Last week, I had a hard time of it—the days were passing by so slowly and I just didn't know how much more I could take. But sometimes you have to let it all out, take a deep breath and start over. The husband has stayed with me this Memorial Weekend and we've kept quiet so as to keep my body calm and at least make it a few days closer to 30 weeks if possible.

Yesterday morning he brought honey butter chicken biscuits from Whataburger for breakfast, delish! Then we had fajita tacos, chips and queso for our dinner last night and watched a movie. Today I've been napping most of the day and he's gotten some work done at the make-shift desk near my bed and even went jogging on an outdoor path near the hospital. He's been so awesome spending so much time with me up here, to the point that even the nurses comment how much better I do when he's around.I truly love him for his selfless support of me and our babies throughout this pregnancy and I can't wait to see him in action as a father.

Last weekend, for my 28 week celebration, the husband brought up these huge number balloons to help celebrate. I loved them!

And my mom and step-dad came up to the hospital, cake in hand, to spend time with us and relish the fact that I'd reached my main goal.

Yesterday, since I was having a good afternoon, one of my favorite nurses nabbed a wheel chair and took the husband and I to the OR so we could see where all the action will happen. It's literally down the hall and one turn from my hospital room, so very close. We were very happy to get a look inside, actually, since it will help us stay oriented when all the chaos starts. That way I can picture where I'm at and I'll know where the babies are going once they come out, versus trying to familiarize myself with a completely strange new place in the midst of all the rush. And of course we had to snap a super lovely picture of the husband and myself, looking hot and sexy as ever. (We're in the recovery room in the photo, which is right next to the OR.) He'd gone jogging in the heat just prior to our tour and I'd woken up not long before, so between the sweat stains and makeup-less face....well, it is what it is. ;)

There's a small room in between the two operating rooms that we saw, which is where they keep the warmers for the babies. Typically they have three warmers in there since that usually accommodates "normal" deliveries. However, with our quad squad we'll need a whopping four warmers. Just outside the OR in the hallway was a fourth warmer with a sign that read "For the Quads, Please do not move." Love it! It feels good to know they are ready and waiting for these little guys to arrive.

We are in the day-by-day zone now, it's all a waiting game at this point. I feel like I could possibly make it through to 30 weeks but am not sure about anything past that based on how I feel physically and the pressure and weight of these four babies. But stranger things have happened! The main focus right now is keeping me comfortable—even sleeping on my side is becoming an issue—and maintaining my spirits until the end. Many times, especially in the evenings when I'm alone, I log onto my blog from my phone and read all the incredible comments that everyone's left to encourage myself to keep going and stay strong. So thank you for reading! 29 weeks, one day and counting...

{Quad Squad} 28 Weeks!!!!

I couldn't wait to post my 28 week photo, and thanks to my awesome husband I've got some huge balloons to go with it!! We are ecstatic to have reached our big major goal for this pregnancy.

My doctor came to check on me this morning and was very, very pleased with how I'm doing and how the babies' are progressing. Physically, things are getting rough for me. I'm generally in a fair amount of pain, I can no longer stand up straight, I have a lot of difficulty getting in and out of bed and I may have had to put a chair in my shower. But I haven't lost all my pride and I did straighten up long enough to take some photos this morning, slapping a big grin on my face to hide the discomfort. I want to look back on this and think, "Damn, I looked good for 28 weeks with quads!"

Though we're no longer counting down to any particular goal, my doctor seems to think 31 weeks will be my magic number. I'm a pretty small person to be accommodating four babies and he wants them to all reach three pounds and then he'll be satisfied. This is mainly to combat the weight they'll lose after birth while adapting to life outside the womb. Since the smallest baby, our little Logan, was an even two pounds earlier this week I've got some work to do. Bring on the protein shakes!

My doc seems to sense how hard my body is fighting for every 24 hours right now, though I know pain is certainly no indicator that it's time to deliver. I am game to go as long as possible with this pregnancy as safely as I can. These kiddos are definitely vying for space in my stomach as things become a little bit more snug in there each week but that just means they won't mind sharing cribs for their first few months. ;)

As we pass 28 weeks, there's a lot of good news and warm, fuzzy feelings to go with it. Doc says we are getting rid of risks like brain hemorrhaging, hearing and vision loss and complications, etc. He also mentioned that here in this particular hospital, 92% of 28-weekers go home. He has every intention of sending us home with four brand new little babies. 

My husband and I are so grateful that God has blessed us with this adventure and that He's steered us safely this far. We continue to pray for his protection, grace and strength to make it the rest of the way. Until then, we will enjoy every good milestone and every gifted day. My mom and step-dad are coming up to celebrate with the husband and I this afternoon (including cake!) and my dinner tonight is going to be filet mignon from Vic & Anthony's! Yum! I'll be sure to take photos and share the rest of our day in another post. For now, happy 28 weeks Harrison, Logan, Trystan and Kailey! 

{Quad Squad} 27 Weeks & Happy Mother's Day!

My post today shall be short and sweet. Yesterday I hit the 27 week mark in my quadruplet pregnancy and I'm completely elated. Just one more (hopefully short) week to reach my 28 week goal. I can't believe I've come this far and I am determined to get to my goal and then cruise a little farther. My husband brought up ribs from Chili's for my special meal yesterday to celebrate the new time frame, next weekend will be steaks! His parents are also in visiting for the weekend and brought flowers, adorable baby clothes and a set of four small rosaries they picked up for the quads while at the Vatican in Italy recently. I love them, they will be so special in the babies' room and a long lasting memento of our vigilant, prayerful journey.

I did start having some pains yesterday for the first time, I couldn't quite tell if contractions were completely to blame though. Two of the babies are sticking out really far in my stomach and often contort it into a square or you'll see a big lump literally sticking straight out under my skin. I feel perhaps this is a combination of even less available space in the womb right now as well as a few contractions that's pulling my uterus and my stomach tight around them. Either way, it was becoming more and more uncomfortable and starting to hurt a bit so the doctor on call this weekend upped my magnesium to two grams an hour again. Afterward, I started feeling nauseous (to be expected) and took some Phenergran and passed out for a solid two hour nap. I was very grateful the husband spent the night last night and we watched a movie when I woke up and relaxed together then went back to sleep.

Today I'm completely exhausted and feeling very weak and shaky. It's most likely the increased magnesium in my system, despite the fact that I slept better last night. Nausea is coming and going and I'm just wiped out. The babies are feeling very heavy and still forceful under my stomach at times, but other times I can feel my stomach relax some so I hope the mag is working. Everything hurts!

Before I close, I want to wish all of you mother's a wonderful Mother's Day! I'm so happy to have gotten to know so many of you fellow quad moms, not to mention all my friends and fellow moms who have tirelessly supported and encouraged me throughout this pregnancy. I don't even have my kids yet but I already understand how they truly change your life and I wouldn't wish things a bit different then the way they are now. My own mom has been a huge source of inspiration and encouragement and has never failed to be there for any single event in my life, especially this one! I am so glad to have her alongside me during this experience and I know she's going to be the best quad-grandma out there. :)

{Quad Squad} 26 Weeks!

We have reached another big goal in this pregnancy, 26 weeks! I was way too tired yesterday to update the blog, but am feeling a little better today so y'all get to hear all the exciting ongoings from my hospital room, lol. Thursday my contractions really started increasing, which I mentioned in my last post, but they were still irregular and not highly concerning like I'm-about-to-go-into-labor kinda deal. However, I hadn't had that many contractions in awhile and I felt my stomach never relaxed at all, it just never "let go" and my entire body was physically worn out by day's end. This slightly concerned me because sometimes you just have a gut feeling about things. I knew I needed some "help" to get over this hump and try to maintain smooth sailing to 28 weeks so I talked to my doc and we agreed to up my magnesium to the 2mg/hour. I did fairly well with this increase, although it made me completely exhausted, wore out my muscles and gave me double vision. (Try watching the Kentucky Derby race on TV with one eye shut and your hand holding up your other eyebrow. I still wasn't sure who won, ha.)

During the night and early hours of this morning, every time I got up for a bathroom break I felt like I was getting sick—like I was about to come down with something. By this morning, I recognized that lovely feeling as just a side effect of the mag. Body aches and pains, fatigue, nausea, etc. My doc's partner, or rather the one who actually owns the practice, made the rounds this morning. He's as nice as can be and the husband and I like him as much as our regular doctor. My husband sees them palling around the hallways sometimes walking in between buildings and they seem to work very well together and both have great experience. (There's four docs total in the practice that cares for me, but you still have your own individual doc. The others fill in as needed. They are all great!)

We discussed my current condition, how I felt and making it the next two weeks to 28. His decision was to decrease my mag back down to 1mg/hour (very tolerable for me at this point), give me 1/2 a round of Indocin (normally a 48-hour only medicine once a week, this time I'll just take it for 24 hours) and go ahead with my first round of steroid injections. As I write this, my right ass cheek is protesting that last decision, though with very little effectiveness since it already got poked and dosed. The steroids help grow the babies' lungs a little bit faster, so in the event they are born any day now, they'll have a leg up in the breathing department. Hugely important for preemies. And I've responded very well to the Indocin in the past, so we're confident this will help me get through the next 13 days to reach our 28 week goal. After that, every day will be a huge milestone and I will be taking things 24 hours at a time. No more week by week counting!

I feel more upbeat about reaching our goal and I'm surprised at how positive and energetic I sound through this blog post, even. Many of you kind folks have commented on my good attitude and positivity and I am glad it has sounded that way. There have been many days that I have not felt the least bit positive, which I know is normal, and sometimes I just have to sulk for awhile and wish I wasn't in this hospital anymore. But I also know that every day I lay in this bed, take these meds and will my body through another day, is less time these four little babies lay in the NICU. It's getting more and more real with each passing day, as well. They've prepared the NICU wrist bands that my husband and I will wear to gain access to our quad squad once they're born; I've received my first steroid injection, a sign that we are preparing for the eminent; the NICU nurses upstairs have received word that I'm down here cooking away and will be adding four teeny bodies to their unit soon; and my husband got me a calendar to hang on the wall so I can mark off each day that passes.

I'm glad for a good day every now and then to get me through the harder ones, and I know that things are only going to get tougher the longer I go. But reading your wonderful comments, sharing my journey with everyone and basking in the support of family and close friends has truly helped so much. Not to mention my amazing husband who has gone above and beyond throughout all this! So here's to another week under our belts and growing babies a little longer. :)

{Quad Squad} 25 Weeks & A Video Greeting

We've made it yet another milestone! Today I hit 25 weeks, which has increased our quadruplets' chances of survival by an estimated 20% since last week. (Don't forget I have a medical degree and all, so my facts are never off, lol.) Getting to 26 weeks will see another significant improvement and every week we progress after that will be truly all the more amazing.

The quads have started growing and fast—I'm exhausted much more of the time than I ever have been during this pregnancy. Which comes in handy when you're on hospital bed rest and napping is one of the most efficient ways of passing the time. As always, though, things are never boring, I now have gestational diabetes. I took my one hour glucose test this past week, which I failed. My blood sugar levels were only slightly elevated but it still called for the three-hour glucose test. That one's just a daisy. After fasting all night (no, seriously, I normally eat two to three snacks during the night!), about 4:30am the nurse brought me the most sugary tasting drink I've ever had. It was like drinking a can of Mountain Dew with six extra packets of sugar in it. Gross! After that, they drew a vial of blood from the back of my hand every hour for three hours. It's totally the best way to start your day. (And that was total sarcasm, by the way.)

Turns out, I failed that test too. Again, it wasn't anything extreme but still failed. My doc said the main goal was for me to keep eating and gain weight so the babies can grow—so no diabetic diet for me. I don't have to change my eating habits or anything, the nurse just pricks my finger once a day after breakfast or lunch to be sure my levels aren't crazy. So far, so good. I knew gestational diabetes was common for multiples, but wasn't sure exactly why. So I read up on Google and it sounds like it's due to the placenta, which produces hormones that effect your body's ability to process sugar. The pancreas often has to produce two to three times the normal amount of insulin for a singleton pregnancy, and with four placentas to deal with, mine simply can't keep up. So ta-dah, gestational diabetes. My doctor even chuckled a little when he told me, he knows it never ends with this quad pregnancy, always something! He said it was actually not a terrible thing, since the extra sugar in my system will help the babies grow a little more. Where will they find the room!?!

I've had a couple rough days this week, especially the day after the glucose tests since I was exhausted from being up all through the night. So I've had no shame in accepting some Ambien lately to help me sleep. I feel weird taking drugs while pregnant, but I am in a hospital surrounded by medical professionals who know what they're doing. I've been assured time and again it's fine (just avoid it during the first trimester, they say.) Then I was concerned about getting addicted to it if I'm taking it while staying long-term here, but a nurse yesterday pointed out I'd be going home with four babies and should have no problem getting exhausted and falling asleep when my schedule allows!

My friend, Ashley, who was pregnant with her quads in the hospital down the street, had her babies last week. I'm thrilled for her—she was 28w5d and the kiddos are doing great. She was kind enough to share her birth story on her blog, which you can read here. They are already over a week old!

To celebrate 25 weeks, this time the husband brought fajitas. (Last week it was steaks for the big 24!) I decided I was sick of eating in bed so I moved to the chair nearby and my husband pulled the bed table up and loaded it down with all the trimmings. Yum!

We just got back from a quick wheelchair ride and a trip to the cafeteria downstairs for some iced tea and some yogurt—which I loaded down with toasted coconut, chocolate chips, sprinkles and fudge sauce. It was just what my gestational diabetes needed, I figured. The nurses that sent me off in the wheel chair told me to enjoy, I'd already passed my finger prick test for the day!

So it's off on another week, still trying hard to take it day by day. There are days I'm kinda depressed being stuck inside these walls and not getting to have my normal life. Sometimes 30 weeks seems like light years away, and other times I feel more determined that I'll make it. I've also spotted my first stretch marks on my stomach, they're very faint but they have arrived. I know, I know, 25 weeks with quads before they hit isn't bad. I knew they were coming at some point but still not exactly a thrilling moment, to be sure. Pressure on my bladder is growing, so now I'm up for bathroom breaks as often as 20 to 30 minutes. It's annoying since I have to take off my contraction monitor, haul myself out of bed and roll my IV stand with me. And my ligaments are starting to hurt from the sheer pressure and speed at which I'm growing and accommodating space for the quads. These babies better appreciate it all when we're done is all I have to say! Here are a couple of 4D photos of two of the quads, Harrison (C) and Kailey (B), they were cooperating during the ultrasound. Their little faces are so cute and the picture of all the arms and hands crack me up!

To sign off, I leave you with a video greeting to "meet" all my new followers and supporters and just thank everyone for being so positive and encouraging. Both the husband and I feel very loved!

{Quad Squad} 24 Weeks!

Today is a very important day...we have reached 24 weeks! Here's a sort of breakdown on the details of preterm delivery for multiples from the book When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy.

Weeks 20-24—the border of viability: Most babies born during this time zone do not survive. Those who do must remain hospitalized for many months. Their chances of experiencing permanent adverse health effects are high.

Weeks 25-28—very early preterm: The odds of survival are better, but babies born during this period must still spend weeks or months in the NICU. They are at risk for long-term medical consequences.

Weeks 29-32—early preterm: Many triplets and quadruplets are born during this time zone. Although the babies typically remain in the hospital for several weeks, or more, the outlook is generally good.

Weeks 33-35—preterm for multiples: Twins are often born during this time period. If they are well grown, they generally spend a week or two in the hospital and are unlikely to experience any long-term serious effects of their early birth.

The percentage of survival for the quads drastically increases between 24 and 25 weeks and again at 26 weeks. It continues to rise after that, but most assuredly our next HUGE goal will be 26 weeks. In the meantime, every day we get past 24 is a blessing. I continue to pray that our little babies are strong, healthy fighters! They at least seem to have the fighting part down with each other in my stomach. ;)

These days my photos include no makeup, hospital bracelets, an IV and a curtain for my backdrop. Not quite like the pictures I prefer to take, but I refuse to give up on my weekly snapshots! The stomach is getting pretty huge, especially for my 5' 3" stature. I'm measuring 40+ weeks pregnant for someone my size and have gained approximately 32 pounds to date. I can tell the quads are growing, because I'm eating normal-sized meals for the first time my entire pregnancy and managing a few snacks in between. That's never happened! Normally there isn't enough room for me to store much food but they are blazing through the calories, I think.

(I feel like my face is getting a little more round and my eyes are pretty relaxed from the magnesium sulfate IV I'm on, but I'm sharing the pics anyway!) The husband continues to amaze me with his endless efforts to be sure I'm comfortable in my hospital room. He visits me every day after week and extensively on the weekends. Today, he'll be bringing up steaks from Texas Roadhouse for our early dinner to celebrate 24 weeks and he'll be taking me on a short wheelchair ride later! I haven't been out of my room in days and I've not been on a "joy ride" yet, due to either medications, contractions or feeling bad. But I think I'm up to a short outing today, I need to see something other than these four walls!

My mom has also been an enormous help during her frequent visits. Not only does she keep me company at the hospital during the day when she's here, she rubs my feet, arms and legs (which are all sore from inactivity and the magnesium IV), makes me tea, helps me to and from the restroom and more. And then she feeds and tends to the pets at our house when she's staying in town, which is a huge advantage for the husband so he can get to work on time. What an incredible mom! I've learned from the best. :)

Recently, some close friends of ours came up to visit and brought fajitas with them for our dinner. The husband and I love their two kids dearly and I was thrilled to see them after many weeks. Thank you guys for stopping by!

Things are continuing to go well at 24 weeks—because the babies have now reached their first point of viability, their heart rates will be monitored more extensively each day. I'm also looking forward to the anatomy scan I get this next week that will reveal how much they all weigh now! The husband and I hope they are all at least 1.5 pounds, but it's hard to say. I have no idea how I've got the room for four babies on any given day.

Thanks to you all for your amazingly supportive comments, emails and messages. I read each of them to the husband and they have truly brightened our days! Time to keep on truckin'...

{Quad Squad} 23 Weeks + Quad Names Reveal!!!

It's now Day Six of my hospital stay and I'm doing well, feeling great and eating like I just might be pregnant with four little babies, ha. After my last post, we were happy with our new plan and hoping for an uneventful week but just three hours after the doctor left I began contracting frequently. At one point, I had 10 in an hour—that's a lot for someone that needs to be far from delivery right now! And the better we do at controlling and limiting my contractions, the better our odds are of avoiding pre-term labor, which unfortunately can't really be stopped once it starts rolling. It's simply too early to deliver the babies right now, they need to make it a couple more weeks at least. So for now we're aiming for 24 weeks, which is next weekend, then we'll set our sights on the following week, the week after, the week after and so on.

The situation changes so rapidly around the clock that sometimes it's almost hard to keep people informed because we may have gone through three different plans since we last spoke to someone! It's definitely a day-by-day and week-by-week situation, but we've also figured out that by me staying calm and laying down most of the time seems to help my body stay relaxed and keep from contracting as often. My last dose of the Indocin contraction medicine is at noon today (you can only take it for 48 hours about once a week), so we're a little concerned about what will happen when the medication wears off and whether or not my contractions will return. I'm having very, very few right now, which is great. And I'll remain on the Procardia, which is also supposed to help, so you can bet I'll be laying down taking it easy. (Would you believe half of this blog post was written with one hand while lying on my side!?)

On to some exciting news, here's my 23 week photos for which I slapped on a little makeup and even changed clothes just for you guys! Hospital life doesn't call for good looks as part of the deal and when you're on a new medication every other day, beauty concerns can easily go out the window. My face looks really tired in these, no matter how hard I tried.

And now for (drum roll).... 

the BIG NAME REVEAL!!! 

Folks have been asking for awhile now if we had names picked out and we hadn't finalized them until last week. So now we are excited to share the official names for each of our quad babies, in order from Baby A to D (remember Baby C is the boy in the bunch).

So Harrison is our boy and the other three are our feisty little gals. You'll notice they all share the same middle name as a sort of tribute to their life as quadruplets. It's subtle but meaningful to both the husband and I, and we are thrilled to become even more attached to our sweet kiddos now that they each have a name. :)

That's all for now, folks, it's time for me to relax and be still for awhile. It's hard not to get to do much, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes for these babies to stay in as long as possible. The husband is here with me this weekend and I'm loving getting to spend some time with him. He even bought me a 32-inch flat screen and brought it up to my hospital room with our DVD player. Can you believe it!?!? He seriously thinks of everything and has been so thoughtful and diligent in being sure I have things to keep me comfortable and entertained. (The hospital TV is pretty small and doesn't have DVD-capability.) I am truly blessed to have such an incredible husband, he's sort of the unsung hero in all this because he's been balancing a boat load of things just since I got admitted on Monday. And he does it all with a smile, showing up to the hospital every day with an armful of goodies, whether it's a burger or clean clothes or some new movies. It all just makes me realize what a wonderful dad he's going to be. :)

{Quad Squad} 22 Weeks & Admitted

Holy cow, we are only two weeks from our first big goal! Reaching 24 weeks (remember, it's the earliest opportunity the quads have at survival should they be born) hasn't really been as prevalent up to this point because the husband and I were just biding our time with this quadruplet pregnancy—focusing on keeping me rested and off my feet and taking the doctor appointments one week at a time. But all the sudden, it feels like we're in the serious hours now. (Not that any hours of a multiple pregnancy aren't serious. But now it's just getting really, really serious. You know what I mean!)

To kick off this week's update, it now appears I may have swallowed two basketballs instead of one. That will only continue to increase in appearance until I have these kiddos. In addition to my body attempting to accommodate a cargo load much beyond it's originally intended capacity, my ribs are still hurting pretty badly most of the time and I now fear I could be one of those horror stories you hear about where the mom gets cracked ribs due to all the pressure and one ill-timed sneeze. Although last night, I felt the baby at the top of the pile (Baby D) sort of wriggle her way down into my side. How there was room for that I'm not sure, but it did get her out of my rib cage for a bit. Though I'm pretty sure she's back up in there now. And the first baby (Baby A) feels like she's about to sit on my thigh, she is so low in my stomach it's unbelievable. Doc says it's normal, she's gotta go somewhere! But it makes me nervous to feel movement that low, like she's, er, about to walk right outta there. She is what we lovingly refer to as the "gate keeper" meaning she's taking the heat from three other babies stacked on top of her and is holding everybody inside as long as possible. Once the ranks break, we'll be in trouble!

The Procardia I've been taking (a blood pressure lowering medication to help keep me from having too many contractions) still tends to make me feel very dizzy and light headed. The feeling usually passes in an hour or two, but it's not much fun. Things are about to likely take a turn for the worse feeling-wise as I'm getting admitted to the hospital tomorrow and the doctor is going to start me on magnesium sulfate. This is an intravenous medication used to slow uterine contractions and is known for having some less than desirable side effects like blurred vision, muscle weakness and exhaustion, vomiting and nausea. He's planned to put me on a high dose for the first two days to knock out any "movement" in my uterus and stop all contractions (I have a few every few hours but so far they are painless, it's more of a tightening sensation), then he'll lower the dose drastically and hopefully I will not have any side effects moving forward. I'll let ya know what really happens...

But back to the admission part. We knew it was coming and that I could get admitted to the hospital any day now. There's so many reasons that could change my situation and land me in a hospital bed faster than I can say "quadruplets." Fortunately, for me, nothing in my situation has changed at 22 weeks. My cervix is still closed, I'm not having intense contractions and all the babies are doing fine. I figured I wouldn't get admitted until my cervix changed, even just the tiniest bit, because I know I make my doctor nervous "running around" during the week and him having no idea how we're doing until we get back to the office! But he had hinted that around 23 or 24 week he'd likely admit me to keep a close eye on everything and be in a situation where he could treat any complications right away. He said I'd been doing so well thus far, why would we change that? So I didn't argue when he sat down and slowly broke the news to me last week that I'd need to come in Monday morning with a packed bag and ready for "hospital jail." (Although the husband said I did roll my eyes once or twice and looked like I was racking my brain for an excuse not to go... he said it was all very "cute" and he knew I was trying to behave, ha.)

Our doctor is so personable and wonderful and we trust him implicitly as he's led us through this pregnancy so well thus far. And I pray for him each week and I truly feel that God is leading us safely through the pregnancy through our doc. So I did my best to buck up and prepare myself to spend a very extended stay in the hospital beginning tomorrow. Once he'd left the room, I got a little teary-eyed and the husband said he felt really bad for me, but I pulled it together before we left the office and told my doctor that I'd see him on Monday and bah-humbug! 

So ladies and gents, that's where we stand at 22 weeks. Looking good and ready to take over the hospital and be the "talk of the town" with these little quads in my stomach! It's overwhelming a little bit to have already been on bed rest since roughly 17 weeks and now go from that to strict bed rest in a single hospital room. But I intend to make the best of it as possible! I've ordered some new books and movies, I've got a few articles to finish writing over the coming weeks for work, friends promise to come visit and my husband will be up to see me every day when he gets off work. Plus, my mom and step-dad are still in town—they decided to stay a little longer when we got the news I was going into the hospital—and will be spending some time there with me this week to help me get settled in. 

A teeny part of me, though, is ready to go in and let the professionals take care of me. No more worrying about how low my blood pressure is or how many contractions I've had in a day or trying to stay off my feet and not walk around the house or trying to remember the last time I took which medication. All of that will be taken care of! It's exhausting to be pregnant with quadruplets and it's more exhausting to do all the "upkeep" that goes along with it. I know some days will go by quickly and others will creep by slow as ever, so be sure to visit the blog often as I'll be updating from my new post as soon as I'm settled! I'll need lots of encouraging comments! 

I may not be leavin' on a jet plane, but my bags are packed and I'm ready to go...

{Quad Squad} 21 weeks!

This post is coming to you two days early and my 20 week post came a day late, so didn't want you to think we're speeding up in some weird time warp here. And before I get into any specifics regarding this week's quadruplet preggers update, I can go ahead and haul off the biggest pain in my side that's popped up: rib and back pain. Dang! It really hurts, and I like to think my pain tolerance is pretty admirable. I don't know if it's my organs and body parts stretching to accommodate my growing brood or if one of the kiddos has taken up permanent residence in my rib cage (which I still can't seem to locate, all I can feel is, um, an inflated roundness if that makes sense). No position is comfortable, no amount of stretching and wriggling around seems to take the pressure off and after several hours of enduring the awful pain in my ribs each day it then begins to spread to my back—taking up residence in muscles that have sadly gone unused for quite some time now.

Alright, that's my biggest complaint for now and I just really thought you all should know about it right off the bat. Now that we have that out of the way, let's commence with some photos, shall we? The bump (if you even wanna call it that anymore, it's becoming more of a mass) is on the rise. I have gained four pounds in five days, racking up a total of 25 big ones since the beginning of the pregnancy. With multiples, 40+ pounds is encouraged (and a bit daunting!) but perhaps the two Ensure I'm now drinking every day are doing their job. Like I tell my husband, if you make me mad, I will just sit on you!

I have to constantly remind all my lovely family and friends that, though I may still look "normal pregnant," I am only five months and one week along! Most pregnant gals are just starting to show a bump, and I'm already measuring past nine months with child(ren). Another eight weeks of growing? I have no idea where it will all go. Or how it will fit. Or how I'll keep from tipping over. Or sitting down. Or standing up. 

The doc gave me another good report this morning. Normally, we see him a little later in the week but he's off to Costa Rica for two days—that's all the vacation he would spare, since he said you can't be gone long with quads running around! We are so blessed to have such a great doctor that's positive, pro-active and even excited for us. He truly is a great influence and we trust him completely as he guides us through this pregnancy. I prayed for weeks prior to finding our doc that God would lead us to the right one, and now I pray for our doctor each week that he knows exactly what we need. I'd say so far, so good...

In addition to my cervix still being completely closed (random personal fact, but this is a good thing y'all!) and measuring just over 4 centimeters (anything two or below gets me automatic hospital admittance), I've had minimal cramps and contractions. Even still, doc's starting me on a low dose of procardia, which was initially developed to lower blood pressure but is now quite effective in keeping one's uterus relaxed and contractions at bay—if you should ever need that sort of thing. I'll be taking mine sparingly and keeping a close eye on my blood pressure several times a day to be sure it's not getting too low. I haven't had any issues with high or low blood pressure thus far, so hopefully this doesn't cause any adverse effects. If it does, the doc said to stop taking it and it's out of my system within six hours and my blood pressure will return to normal.

Next up, is another nurse visit each week. I already have one nurse that comes out weekly to give me a shot of progesterone in my hip—also another source of support for my uterus, since it decided to play host to not one but four babies. This second nurse visit will monitor me for contractions to be sure I'm not having too many, another cause for immediate hospital admittance. But it's all helpful in attempting to prevent any sort of complication, which I'm all for, and is ultimately keeping me at home longer and out of the hospital one less week at a time.

But enough medical jibberish, on to the fun stuff! I was ecstatic to get some time in our neighbor's pool the other day, and being outside really does lift my mood and break up the monotony of being on bed rest and inside our house all the time. Today's weather was so nice that I (carefully) moved my "bed rest" out to our back patio with my lap top, some magazines, my iPod and, of course, my camera. Couldn't let you miss out on my four-legged-outdoor-bed-rest companions!

Here's Shiner, our white lab who's normally quite serious but decided to take an out-of-character roll in the grass:

This is Reese, an abandoned pup we adopted over six months ago and is quite the goober:

And last but not least, my baby girl Jersey, a lab/mountain cur mix who loves her momma (and the hot sun) dearly:

Then of course, there's the work station "set up" and yours truly, keeping a serious face as always:

And this is generally my view, especially when attempting to intensely work on an important email or, er, blog post:

Silly doggies.

Wanna know what's jamming on my iPod that's totally got me in the mood for summer time, four babies at home and an ice cold beer for mom during their naptime!? (Hey, a woman can dream.)

I'll leave you with the lyrics from "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" by Kip Moore...

Something about beer sitting on ice

After a long hard day makes it taste just right

On that dropped tailgate on a summer night

Something about beer sitting on ice

...

Something about a truck in a field

And a girl in a red sundress with an ice cold beer to her lips

Begging for another kiss

Something about you and me and the birds and the bees

And Lord have mercy it's a beautiful thing

Ain't nothing about it luck, something about a truck!

{Prego Pics} Pool Time!

Let's face it, bed rest isn't always very exciting. I work from home and have kept up with a fair amount, watched movies, read books, made jewelry for my Etsy shop and more—but at the end of the day, I'm still stuck inside. And on beautiful sunny days it can really get to you!

Thankfully we have some pretty awesome neighbors, and one of them cleaned out their pool this weekend and turned on the heater so the husband and I could come float around. Entertained us for several hours, kept me off my feet (and weight free, loved it!) and gave us a chance to relax together doing an activity that even my doc approved.

Nothing like a PB&J poolside to break up the monotony and get some sweet Vitamin D! (All while staying hydrated, of course, and slathered in sunscreen.)

Happy Sunday, y'all!