The "Just Us" League Chronical Episode 2

Hey everyone! I hope y'all have been having a great week.  I know today is not Wednesday but we had a hectic day yesterday and by 9:30 I was loathing the thought of having to pump and not being able to immediately go to bed.  It should tell you something about how tired I was because I WANTED to go to bed. Chris is still shocked at that revelation. So this is what we did last week:

1. On Thursday, Aunt Konni, Gabe and Declan came to visit us from Bossier! We had a great day.  I realized the last time I had seen Declan was when I was in the hospital waiting for the quad squad to be born. He has grown to be such a big boy.  He is walking, talking and stealing every woman's heart for miles around.  Gabe is one of my favorite little boys in the world.  He has me wrapped around his finger and has for years.  He is currently thinking of superhero names for each of the kids.  When I asked him the other day he told me he would have to think about it.  Love that kid.  Plus I finally had an adult conversation with someone who is not in my family! Here is a few pics of our play date:

Declan was hugging Adley

Love my Gabe!

Aunt Konni with Adley and Declan

Declan was getting Adley's nose

 2. Monday was an eventful day! I left the kids in the very capable hands of  Chris while I had lunch with a friend and ran some errands.  Thirty minutes into my lunch I get the dreaded call from home.  I answered and my husband said "Where's the neosporin?" So after my mini heart attack I found out Adley wanted to attack snuggle with Jax and had scratched him.  It looked much worse than it was and Jax wore his wound with pride.  His Grumps started affectionately calling him "Scarface." Thankfully as I write this it is only a tiny line and is healing nicely. 

3. Monday was also Grumps birthday and we did the impossible we took the kids to a restaurant.  Yes, you read that correctly we went to a Restaurant with ALL 3!!!! That task takes lots of planning and lots of adults.   We fed at 5 then loaded all kids into car seats and ran out of the door. We went to a little Mexican restaurant and got a table for 8.  Chris and I sat with Grey and Jax between us and Adley sat between Gram and Grumps.  Uncle Jared sat on the end to provide additional support.  Grey made it all of 5 minutes before she hated the car seat, but was kept contented for an additional period of time by my straw and water.  She then screamed like a banshee fussed and needed to sit in Mommy's lap.

Grey and Jax between us

 

Gram tried the straw trick with Adley!

Jax was the only baby to remain in his car seat the whole time!

 4. Yesterday we went to see Dr. B for our well baby visit.  The kids did great.  Grey is 21.5 inches long and weighs 8 lbs 13 oz.  Jax is 22 inches long and weighs 11 lbs 1.5 oz. Adley is 22.5 inches long and weighs 10 lbs 15 oz.  Dr. B said we could start doing rice cereal and start solids when we are ready.

Grey, Jax and Adley

5. We got to go see MawMaw yesterday after we went to Target. Grey was putty in her hands.  She went from being fussy to the most relaxed and contented child you would ever meet.

6. We attempted our first spoon feeds last night:

7.  Multiples Questions:

A) Can you tell them apart when they cry? Yes all three of our children have different cries for each of their different needs.

B) Do you have help all the time? For the most part I always have another set of hands (either my mom, my dad or my awesome husband.)

C) Does your husband help? Of course, in my opinion there is no better father than my husband.  He has even handled all three by himself!


I hope everyone had a great week! Special Happy Birthday to my favorite identical twins! Aunt Monkey and Aunt Poodle we love you! Please forgive my grammatical errors, I hear the natives getting restless!!!!!

Erin

The "Just Us" League Chronicles

Okay so thanks to our friend James we have a new weekly blog title.  I plan on asking my nephew Gabe to name each baby with a superhero moniker when he visits tomorrow.  I am secretly hoping Jax becomes Batman. Why? Because given the opportunity everyone should have a chance to say "I am Batman."

Things that have happened on Planet Owens in the past week:

1. Grey got a haircut/trim.  Sad huh! My baby had old man hair.  Now I do not claim to be vain but I am also the woman who color codes the entire family to blend for church on Sundays. Luckily for Grey, Gram did the cutting.  If you know me, I cannot cut a straight line. A friend of mine did my cutting assignments in elementary school. How am I a pediatric OT? Simple, those who can not do teach!!!!!!

Before

After

 2. Adley Grace started rolling from her back to her tummy.  She was really proud of herself.  Chris also developed his own game with Adley called Dancing Baby.  Adley cackles and laughs the whole time they are playing this game.  She is the child that will melt your heart with her smile.

Motivation for rolling: Attacking your siblings!

"Dancing Baby"

3. We had two very special outings last week with Mommy and Gram.  We braved Lowe's, a Farmer's Market and Sam's.  The kids like to be moving so shopping is sometimes difficult. However Gram and I are becoming pros and maybe the kids will start to like outings more. Oh well, I can dream. 

4. Friday we had a very special visitor. Mrs. Colleen came to see us and brought each baby a very special blanket.  They are the greatest LSU blankets any Alabama fan could ever make.  They are gorgeous! I cannot wait till game day for the best photo op with their new blankets. Thanks my friend you are the best.  Jax was quite smitten too, I may add.

5. The kids rediscovered their bouncers this week.  Needless to say Grey likes the bouncer the best and spends time each night in it while the other two tolerate it.

Grey

Adley and Jax

6. Grey went to the eye doctor today and we found out that her ROP has completely resolved. We do not have to go back for three months! Thank you for all your prayers!

We often get questions about raising multiples so I thought I would answer a few:
1. Do you get any sleep?
Yes, the kids are scheduled.  We feed at 8:00 pm and then they sleep until between 6:30 to 8:00.

2. How many bottles do you go through a day?
Currently between 18 and 21 depending on the needs of the day.

3. How many diapers do you go through a day?
At this point 18 to 24.  That is down from 30 to 36.

I will answer more questions next time, so feel free to leave me any in the comments.  I hope you have a great week.  

The Insomina Chronicles

So I feel like I need to start blogging again for three reasons. Reason #1 I have insomnia tonight. Reason #2 It is cathartic. Reason #3 I can have a reason to talk about my kids.

So let me start by apologizing now for not keeping the blog updated.  I feel partly I have not had a lot of time and partly because I wanted to "hoard" my kids.  For the first 63, 65 and 67 days of their lives someone was always around who was not family (however most of those nurses became like family) so Chris and I have enjoyed having them all to ourselves. We do not ever discourage visitors we just don't invite people to feeding time at the zoo. So once again I am ready to start sharing the details of our miracle babies lives.

I had grand plans to describe in detail the days, weeks and months of their lives.  One day I may actually go back and write that information down. However this is not the day and I will only write a quick catch up piece and then hopefully start writing a weekly piece.  It will be published on Wednesdays each week.  That way you can keep up with each of the kids and we can share our lives. 

Let's start in March:
Grey ended March in a bang with eye surgery.  Her ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) was not resolving and she had to have laser surgery on both eyes.  Best part about this story was that I was in Deville for my baby shower (which was beyond amazing) and I had decided to stay an extra day to attend my Uncle RD's funeral and sort through the gifts.  We had just finished lunch when I got the call that they were doing surgery at 5.  This is at 2:30.  Needless to say thank goodness God takes care of children and fools.  He took care of my child and this fool made it to Shreveport with time to spare.
Our first Easter was excellent! Chris and I got each of the kids baskets and they had books and toys in them.  I know it is silly, but I got carried away so much so that the kids had two baskets apiece.  Cut me some slack it was a rookie mistake from a new mom (does the fact my kids were in the NICU at approximately 5 pounds and one had already had surgery, cut me any more slack?) The Monday after Easter we received a call from the ophthalmologist that Grey's retina had detached and we were being sent to Dallas Presby to have it fixed. This set off a whirlwind of emotions and planning that I will save for sometime later. 

April:
Grey was sent to Dallas where she spent her two month birthday with Gram and I in tow.  She had her right retina reattached and was given more laser treatment on the left.   Chris stayed in Bossier with the other two, who were still in the NICU there.  Did I mention Chris had LASIK done the same day Grey had her surgery? Eventful day in the Owens' family.  Gram and I got the privilege of staying with Grey in her hospital room at Dallas Presby. (I think this is where she got her Diva complex.) I will forever treasure learning how to be a full time mommy with my mommy by my side.  It was an amazing experience.  Grey came home with us from Texas and I only checked her 7,598 a few times on the ride home to make sure she was still breathing.  Chris and I laugh because we can actually say remember the time we only had one baby home.  Adley came home two days after Grey and just as we were use to having two, Jax came home. Thank goodness my mom never left us alone for more than a couple of days.  Chris's family helped out a lot
as well.  Our wonderful Sunday School class cooked for three weeks.  That is all I remember of April.

May and June:
We moved at some point! My kids started sleeping through the night at some point.   We went to an awesome wedding! It is a blur and my meds are starting to help me get so very sleepy.

July:
Chris started his new job and the kids turned 5 months.  We went to NICU follow up clinic and everyone is progressing in their developmental milestones (rolling, grasping, tummy time, etc.) The month deserves a more detailed post later when I can add pictures.

I just want to say thank you once again to everyone who has spoiled our kids and us with presents. It has truly been a blessing to see what God has done for us. Please know we are working on some thank you cards but due to the timing of everything it has been hard to get those done.  Please keep praying for us. Grey has an eye exam Wednesday and we need everything to continue resolving.  Oh think of a name for my weekly blog post (needs to be something related to superheroes).

Remember you can follow our blog by email.

What had happened was . . .

The title of this blog is a common phrase in my household,  frequently said by Christopher. On a typical day I'll ask Chris about something and he responds with "Well, what had happened was . . ." Chris is know to suffer from a serious condition called ADOS (Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny!) So I feel this phrase is an apt title to give the details of why we delivered the quads at 29 weeks and 3 days. Plus I have another 45 more minutes to kill before I can pump again!

So to give background I was not having any signs of preterm labor on February 3rd. I say the OB on call and she said everything looked great.  We watched the Super Bowl and my loving husband brought me Newks. It was a normal Sunday in hospital jail.  My mom and I talked that day and she made me promise not to have the kids until she got back from San Diego on Wednesday.  She was flying out the morning of the 4th for a NAMB meeting. I told her the doctor said she thought I could go until 34 weeks and everything was fine.  I remember talking to mom that night and I think both of us were having second thoughts about her leaving.  However neither of us listened to our premonitions and she prepared to fly out as planned.

Now we are fast forwarding to 2 a.m., I remember waking up and my back was hurting.  I thought I was having gas pains because I was all hopped up on ambien and could not remember if I had had a bowel movement that day (okay I know that was TMI but I have always been honest on this blog and shared all details.) So I used the restroom and went back to bed.  Needless to say I got up every hour or so until it was time for Chris to get ready for work.  Once again premonition to call my mom and say I don't think you should leave town. Once again I do not listen to my body and blow it off while convincing myself I am being a big baby. While he was in the shower I went in there to discuss what was going on and requested some coffee to make my stomach feel better (pain was getting worse.) So I went and laid back in bed and started watching the clock.  I realized I would have pain for 30 seconds and then nothing for a minute or less then pain again.  At this point I realized that gas pains did not operate on a synchronized schedule, but contractions can. I tell Chris what is going on and he goes and gets the nurse.  This is a Monday morning and I see the perinatologist and get an ultrasound  at 7 am.  Our ultrasound tech comes in and goes to do my cervical ultrasound which I see her face get a look of horror.  So now I am really panicking that I am about to have kids and my mom is on a plane.  I convince Chris to call my dad and find out if mom has flown out yet or where she is.  My dad tells Chris my mom is on a layover at DFW. The ultrasound tech tells me my cervix is completely gone (dilated) and we could still be awhile away from having babies so not to panic. The perinatologist comes in looks at the ultrasound and my contractions then tells me I am going to have kids today.  I have no cervix left, Adley is out of room and Jaxon has very little fluid left.

This is where the story gets interesting. I tell Chris to call mom and get her here now.  I tell the doctor the situation and tell him we are not having kids until my mom gets here.  Chris is calling my mom at this point.  Now I need to explain Chris, he likes to joke around and unless you really know him sometimes you can not tell if he is joking or telling the truth.  Most people's first inclination is that is joking with them.  So Chris calls mom as I am talking to the doctor and I hear him say "Erin, she doesn't believe me and she wants to talk to you." I am now contracting more regularly and now officially panicking so I take the phone and tell her "I am in labor, we are having babies today, get on a plane." Needless to say Mom believed me and she found a flight.  Mom arrived in Shreveport at 9:30 and dad met her at the airport. They arrived at around 10:00 and we rolled to the operating room at 10:30.  I never expected to be in labor so Chris and I did not do any Lamaze classes. By the time my parents got there I was in hard labor.  The nurses had given me a shot of Demerol that did not phase the pain.  The first thing I said to my mom was "How did you do this?" She explained that she had prepared for this and then tried to coach me in breathing. I was not having it and probably was a little testy to everyone. So to all the women who give birth naturally, I am super impressed by you! I however have never been so excited to have a spinal!

I will not give you any details of the c-section other than some back story and the kids birth times. My dad's family all has girls first.  It doesn't matter if you married in or not you are going to have a girl first.  I told my doctor that I had to have a girl first.  He informed me he could not control that but he would lie if he had to and say that one of the girls were born first. Well luckily Grey decided she was going tired of being baby B and decided to come out first.  So I continued family tradition and my first born was a beautiful baby girl. Grey Alexandra Owens born at 11:04 am, weighing 2 pounds 9.6 ounces and measuring 14 inches long. Next came Jaxon Douglas Owens, he was born at 11:05 am, weighing 2 pounds 3.2 ounces and measuring 14 inches long.  Adley Grace Owens was born at 11:05 am, weighing 2 pounds 7.6 ounces and measuring 14.5 inches long. Last was our sweet little Dexter Charles Owens, born at 11:07 am, weighing 1 pound 10 ounces and measuring 13 inches long. The best sound in the world was hearing my children cry.  That is a major thing for 29 weeks! Here are pictures of the kids the first time I saw them:

Jaxon Douglas

Grey and Adley

 We had a large group of people that showed up to make our day special.  Chris's parents and my parents came, as well as Chris's brother and sister in law.  Aunt Kathy, Aunt Sherrie, Aunt Kim and Aunt Lesli were there as well as Uncle JT.  Nana, Aunt Sheri D, Melissa, Aunt Julie, Jaycee, Aunt Karen, Dana and Ainsley all drove in as well.  We had a full house and we were so happy everyone was there to experience the day with us.

That in a very long abbreviated is our "Well what had happened was . . ." story of our children's birth.  So sorry it was long, but there was a lot of details. I promise I will try to update this blog more frequently, but it has taken me 5 weeks to write the delivery story so I am making no promises. Please keep praying for our children and us as your prayers are coveted. 

Erin

My hero's name is Dex

Dear Grey, Jax and Adley,

I am not sure where to began this letter or how to explain all the things you need to know, but I will try.   My sweet babies you will hear stories of how you were born quadruplets and we lost your sweet brother Dex on the day you were born. However, mommy needs to tell you who Dex was and why he has become mommy's hero. We found out your brother was sick on the day we found out Adley was a girl.  I remember this because Adley Grace, you were being a pill and would not show  whether you were a girl or a boy on 2 different ultrasounds that were over an hour a piece. After that magical moment  of finding out we were having 2 boys and 2 girls, Dr. Briery told daddy and I that Dex had lots of problems and he would not live past birth.   I told daddy when we left that at least we had one happy moment that day before our world was shattered.   Daddy and I prayed and discussed options and we decided to place all four of you in God's hands.   We have said all along that we have prayed for one baby and were blessed with four.  The doctors warned us that your brother could die in mommy's tummy and hurt the three of you or he could stay in mommy's tummy and maybe hurt the three of you or he could be born and then go to heaven.   These were all three very hard things for mommy and daddy to hear, but we chose to trust God.  God had a plan and a purpose for your brother's life, it was you!

On the crazy day you were born I had a discussion with the neonatologist about your brother.  He asked me what I wanted to do about your brother when he was delivered.  Daddy and I agreed that we would not create pain for your brother and chose to keep him comfortable until he passed unless the doctor thought he had a chance to live.  God once again provided for me and daddy.  I was able to see the three of you and steal a kiss from Jax before they took you to the NICU. Then the neonatologist came to my bedside and apologized not long after to tell me there was nothing he could do.  When mommy went to the room to recover they brought us your brother.  It was the most heart breaking and wonderful experience of mommy's life.  In that instant mommy was so proud of your brother and so sad that he would never get to grow up with the three of you. The only picture we have of your brother is the one I am about to show you.  It was the best and worst moment of mommy's life, but mommy will always treasure this picture.

Dexter Charles Owens born 2/04/13 at 11:07 am weighing 1 pound 10 ounces and 13 inches long. 

Mommy does not choose a hero lightly in fact I have only had three in my life. A great man named Stephen was one.  He was my hero because he taught mommy to love daddy with all her heart and that God's plans are always better than mommy's even when it is the worst thing at the time. Another hero is your Pawpaw Sherman.  There has never been a more Godly grandfather in my opinion.  He was a man that loved the Lord, loved his wife and kids and would do anything for his grandchildren.  Pawpaw Sherman is the reason mommy loves oatmeal and pancakes.  He is the person that I wish daddy and each of you could have met because there was no greater man.  Lucky for you he was Grumps' daddy and Grumps is striving to be that type of man for you.  The third hero is still alive and she will be in your life daily.  Grey you are named after her.  It is your Gram and she is my hero because she is the best example of a mommy I know.  I will not always be the best mommy, but I will strive to be for you what she was for me.   A woman who loves God and instills important values in her children while showing them unconditional love.  Gram and I are freakishly connected some could almost say soul mates, because I think we complete the other one.  I promise each of you, mommy will follow Gram's example and be the mommy you deserve. Out of these three wonderful people I now need to add a fourth.  Your brother, Dex, is mommy and daddy's hero because his sacrifice gave us you.  You see he did better than anyone expected in mommy's tummy, he breathed, he ate and he survived for each of you.  He never once caused any problems that placed the three of you in harm's way.  He is mommy's hero because he gave his life for each of you.

Mommy misses Dex very much especially at night.  That is when the four of you were most active.  When mommy would lay on her right side Jax and Dex would kick mommy for all they were worth. Girls, you will not know what that means until you become a mommy yourself one day.  Aunt Monkey and I were talking and she asked me what I missed about being pregnant. I told her now I have to share you.  I loved that for the most part only mommy knew y'all were kicking.  I could tell all four of you apart and who was kicking, as well as who had the hiccups. That was the saddest moment for mommy on the night I delivered the four of you.  I was not able to see any of you in the NICU that night and when mommy went to sleep for the first time in months no one kicked her.  I realized fully in that moment that Dex was gone and it would be a long time before mommy would get to see him again. Mommy will never get over the loss of Dex but the three of you make her happier than you will ever know.

There is a book called the Littlest Angel that mommy has loved ever since she was a kid. I have been thinking about it a lot lately since we have lost your brother.  I believe he is humble and happy and by far one of the littlest angels in heaven. I believe he is fishing with Papaw Sherman and Stephen.  I believe he was met in heaven by daddy's grandfather, who not even daddy got the pleasure of knowing.  Your cousin Gabe said it best when he said "Dex celebrated his birthday in heaven." I believe Dex is whole, happy and not in any pain.  I believe he is sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning more than I can imagine. I believe on the happiest and saddest day of my life, heaven gained a hero.  Your brother gave his life and through his sacrifice has made mommy and daddy closer to God through prayer.  I cannot wait to see your brother again one day, but for the rest of my life I am so happy to be your mommy.

I love you,
Mommy

The Captivity Chronicles

Hello from Hospital Jail!!!

Hospital Jail is really not that awful but I am starting to go a tiny bit stir crazy.   There are only some many episodes of A Baby Story, I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant (Yes I yell at the tv for the whole hour this stupid show is on,) What Not To Wear, Chopped, Friends and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives before a girl goes crazy.  I will tell you the highlights of my day are taking a shower and watching Jeopardy. I know how glamorous this life may sound, but please don't let me mislead you.  Oh yeah I eat dinner at 5:00 (Dear Hospital Cafeteria, I am 29 not 80.)

I want to say thank you to all my visitors so far.  Sorry if you caught me in the time before I dried my hair (it is a curly mess) or before I had a shower (as Chris says , "Babe have squirrels been romping through your head.) Let me explain my look for anyone that has not seen me in the morning.  My hair would make Texas women jealous.   It somehow grows in the middle of the night and stays that way.  My mom and dad stopped in Saturday to visit and brought me a basket of goodies and then my MIL brought me a basket full of stuff yesterday.   Needless to say I cancelled my snacks from the hospital.

Let's discuss hospital jail.  The staff is amazing. I cannot say enough good things about my nurses.   I have only had one that annoyed me but I think it was me being pregnant pissy not in my best mood.  She was very helpful but I wanted things a different way.  Imagine me wanting things a certain way.  Who would have guessed that. The nurses leave me alone except to chat, check vitals or bring me food.   I see them a few times a day otherwise it is like hanging out at home (I wish the fur child was here to hang out with me.)  I watch tv, read or play on the ipad the majority of my day since I try to stay in side lying to keep my BP down.   I have had great Blood Pressure the last few days mainly because the nurses will not take it if I am sitting up (it tends to become 176 / 99) so they wait until I have laid down for 15 minutes at the least (115/66). Big difference!!!! My protein levels still look great and we are avoiding pre-eclampsia for now.  My cervix is back to a 3.1 so awesome.   I feel at this time I need to clarify what I mean when I give numbers on my cervix.   That is the length of the cervix.   When labor is approaching your cervix shortens and then dilates.  So the rule for quads is anything under a 2.5 is immediate hospitalization to put you on bed rest and try and buy you some more time. My cervix went from a 2.2 last week to a 3.1 this week.  That is amazing news.   It means we are further away from having the kids.

Update on my 6 kids:

Let's start with my oldest! Chris is a trooper! He is doing great but I think he goes crazy in hospital jail (ADHD is in full swing,) but hates to be home by himself.  The nurses laugh because we play cards every night to entertain me (I think they want to join in.)  Chris has charmed the nurses out of the code to get coffee and ice.  He has even requested a mint for his pillow on occasion. Chris stays 2 nights here and 1 night at home.

Now for my 4 real children, Jaxon, Grey, Adley and Dexter are all doing well!  The nurses monitor them on ultrasound twice a day to make sure everyone moves and their heartbeats are within normal ranges. It goes one of two ways really long and uncomfortable (imagine two nurses trying to look at your spine through your stomach with an ultrasound wand) or super fast (this has happened three times in the last 11 days)! I have come to realize some of my children's personality traits, now they may surprise me at birth, but I have opinions about them already. Jaxon is Christopher made over.   One of the nurses was giggling the other day when trying to ultrasound Jax, apparently he was doing the worm in my stomach.  Jaxon also has some sick Ninja moves that makes his father proud. Grey is my child.   I feel like she is very calm, but only does things when she wants to and not because you have asked.   She frequently turns her back to the ultrasound techs or nurses when they are looking for her heartbeat.  Then there is Adley (what do people say about the third child?)  Adley Grace takes after her Gram and is always on the move and I feel controls leads the others.   In the past week she has gone from across the top of my stomach, to my ribs, to my diaphragm and ribs, to in between Jax and Grey and now today she is sitting on top of Grey in the center of my stomach.  Then there is Dex who is a wiggle worm.  There has always been some questions to whether Dex is really a boy due to his size.   Well let's just say my son decided to display all his glory for a good 5 minutes to a set of nurses.  Hopefully we will weigh the kids next Thursday!


Last but not least our Fur Child Aribella (Ari, Bella, Bella Grace, Gracie, Gracie Facie, Bells, Facie Pants (It's amazing she even knows her name))  is now living at Gram's and Grump's house.  It was sad for me to see her go, but  I know she is well taken care of and happy! Grumps can sound gruff but he loves how excited Ari is to see him.  That small white fluffy dog has charmed him, I have a feeling he will be pathetic with grandchildren.   My girly dog has a secret desire to be a country dog and play outside non-stop.   She is getting her wish!

I think that wraps it up for this blogging session.  It has only taken me three days to write and I am apologizing now for grammar and spelling mistakes as Jeopardy starts in a few minutes.

Prayer requests:
1. Please pray for the Wiley family.   This family has my heart and my prayers and now they need yours.   Please pray for God's will to be done.   Dustin goes in for a scan next week to determine the prognosis and what options if any are still available.  I pray to provide him, his wife, his inlaws and his children for strength and peace no matter the outcome of the scan.  Please take time to pray for them.

2. Please pray for my blood pressure to stay within normal ranges and my urine tests show no protein.  I would like to make it six more weeks. I am 28 weeks today and that is a huge milestone!

Please feel free to share the blog with anyone!

The Bed Rest Diaries!!!!

Okay so I am finally awake enough to blog!  They give you some good drugs in the hospital if you want them!  Ha Ha

Let's start from the beginning so hopefully all this will make sense:

Jan 2nd: First official day of bed rest! Wahoo!  I was allowed to stay home but due to my blood pressure being high I was told I could no longer work.  Oh well at least I made it to 24 weeks and 5 days before being commissioned to a couch.  Cervix was still holding at a 4.2.  Yay for it being a rock star.

Jan 3rd: New cough meds!  Cough has been going on for 7 weeks at this point.  Wahoo!  However Dr. Labarre's awesome staff gave me a box full of diapers, wipes and assorted other things! 

Jan 4th  -  6th: I am now 25 weeks!!!! Captivity at home!   However Konni and Gabe as well as Aunt Kathy, Kim and Lauren all came to visit!

Jan 7th:  Measurement day at the Perinatologist. Jax was measuring at 24 weeks 4 days weighing 1 pound 9 oz, Grey 25 weeks 2 days and weighing 1 pound 12 oz, Adley 25 weeks 5 days and weighing 1 pound 14 oz.   Unfortunately we do not get measurements on Dex.  However the last time we did he weighed 1 oz less than Jaxon.  So if that is still the case at 25 weeks and 3 days I was carrying close to 7 pounds of baby! BP was down a little so I was allowed to stay home for at least another week. Cervix was measuring between a 4.2 - 3.3.

Jan 8th: Happy Birthday Mama! Wish I could have celebrated it with you!  Can't wait till I am there and we can have PJ breakfast with the kids on your birthday!!!!

Jan 9th: Happy 23rd Birthday JT!  Love you more than you will ever know! Remember all the stuff I did for you as a kid and a teenager, just think you and Cammie get to do it for my kiddos.  Ha Ha they are going to love Uncle Jared!

Jan 10th: Dr. Labarre is wondering what kind of charm I have to still be out of the hospital! I am measuring 42 weeks for a singleton pregnancy.  I have had zero contractions.  I baffle all of my doctors.  I keep telling them I am stubborn and I have prayed to make it to 34 weeks. 

Jan 11th - 13th: 26 weeks!!!!! Home bound with Christopher and Ari.  Ari has decided to lay beside me in the recliner and put her head where Adley likes to lay. The thing about Adley is that it is her way or no way and if you push on her she kicks you (the ultrasound techs despise love her).  Well Ari lays down Adley kicks and then Ari growls.  Welcome to my world!!!!

Jan 14th:  The Bad News Bears Perinatologists laid down the law and I have to be admitted. BP was still high and rock star cervix failed me.  My rock star cervix is now equated to a one hit wonder, still impressive but not returning with a string of hits.  It was down to a 2.3.  So I was told to go pack a bag and eat a good lunch then check into WK South permanently.  I arrived at Labor and Delivery to a very welcoming staff.  They tried to hook me up to monitors to trace each babies heart beat.  In theory it should work, in reality it took over two hours to get 2 minutes where all 4 heartbeats were tracing.  Epic Fail!!! I was told I would be moved to a new room when one of the long term moms were ready to deliver.  It could be a day, a week or a month.  I can not say enough how awesome the nursing staff is here at WK South.  They arranged for me to take a tour of the NICU and convinced my doctors of better ways to monitor all the babies.   Dr. Labarre prescribed lots of meds to help make me comfortable and rest. 

Jan 15th: Day 2 of hospital jail! I have nothing! I was given Adarex? It's like dramamine or benadryl every 6 hours.  I slept. Ate. Slept. Ate. Slept. Saw Chris. Wait did I say I slept!

Jan 16th: Changed meds and I was still groggy but could function a little better.  Day 3 brought deliveries all over the hospital.  My poor nurses were running ragged.  However one of the long term moms delivered so I found out I was moving rooms to my permanent room!  Okay let's face it, it is still a hospital room. However, I have a large bathroom, a dvd player, a remote for my lights and can type in the number for the tv channels.  It really is the little things in life that makes a pregnant girl happy.  I also had nutter butters on my 8 pm snack cart. Amazing!  The nice thing about being pregnant with quads.  They feed you well! I get to order off of a special menu and get three snacks a day!!! Sorry having a fat kid moment!

Jan 17th: First day on the anteparteum wing! My nurse is awesome and only comes in a few times a day.  I love that it is not like being in the regular hospital where the nurses are in all the time.  They make it as close to home as possible. I am also more alert today. Hence the blog. 


Sorry for the long post but I needed to fill everyone in and put any worries to bed.   I am fine and so are the kids.  The doctors just like having me close by and monitored daily at this point.  Very exciting news all of our kids now have beds. Big weight lifted off of our shoulders.   I also got in all of the babies bedding.  This was an amazing gift that my mom and dad gave to us!!!! So of course I have  to post pics:

The girls bedding is identical!  It actually looks better in person.  I can not wait to see it when mom finishes the nursery! 

Okay well my computer is running low on battery, I am about to fall asleep and I have a snack waiting for me!

Thanks for the prayers they are felt.  Please continue to pray to keep our little ones in here for 7 more weeks at least!


Erin

I can not come up with a title or point to this blog!

Warning: Do not get your hopes up this is not going to be an extremely informative, exciting or purposeful blog. It's more to let you know we have been busy and are not dying.

Now that you have been warned, here goes nothing! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is enjoying this New Years Eve! It has been a whirlwind for us, but we have enjoyed every moment.  We were very blessed to be able to go to Deville the weekend before Christmas to celebrate with my dad's family.  It is always a great time. I come from a very large family and we genuinely love each other.   This year we had 37 people in attendance and of that number 12 were kids. So needless to say our kids will have lots of cousins and playmates next year, if anyone can pry them from their great aunts hands! It was a great time with good food (still wishing I had some shrimp mold) and family.  The best part of the night was the fireworks.  The older boys, Chris, Brent and Shane were in charge of lighting the larger fireworks.  However they seemed to have a pattern. Step 1: Light the Firework, Step 2: Run and finally Step 3: Giggle like school girls!

I also got to see our niece and nephew in Deville.  These two are not by blood, but might as well be and trust me they know they could get away with murder! Big break this year, Adysen actually likes Uncle Chris.  It has only taken 5 years, ha ha! Adysen was able to feel Adley kick and she said "Aunt Erin, she kicked me!" On Sunday, my mom and I were able to visit with her brother's family.  Remember the incredible aunt and uncle that bought us our crib. We still can not thank them enough! The best surprise was two of my cousins and my cousin's son were there.  So excited to see them, but I missed you Rachel!

On Christmas Eve, we traveled to Minden and spent the day with my mom's family.  It is always a blast to hang out with my boys, Mimi and Nana.  Christmas Eve was different for Chris and I this year we made some grown up decisions (blah!) and bought ourselves a camera. So on Christmas Eve we did not do stockings or open gifts.  I think I am just a little Scroogey this year, it did not feel like Christmas or how I like to pretend Christmas is going to be each year. I am so excited for next year though and I think Christmas will become for me what it used to be.  Let me clarify I am not talking about presents, I am talking about the magic of Christmas.  A little kids excitement is infectious and I can not wait to watch our kids enjoy the season and learn about the true meaning of Christmas!!!

Christmas day started off with my mom's Christmas brunch. Oh how I love thee! It just makes me happy.  Then presents, then everyone settles in while Christmas lunch is prepared.  Thankfully we have pushed it to the afternoon, but even then you are still full to a point.  Then we went to Ringgold to have the Owens' family Christmas.  I love this Christmas as well because I love Chris's family they are a blast and we play white elephant.  With that family you never know what you are going to get.  Which for us is a great way to re-gift or get rid of random stuff.  Jonathan, you are welcome for your box of duck decoys and Lauren, I hope the Icee machine has made your day. 

I saw both doctor's last week. I am still coughing and have started on breathing treatments so needless to say my blood pressure was high.  So my day after Christmas surprise was a 24 hour urinalysis and a blood draw! At least I was not put in the hospital. I was told to increase breathing treatment to every 4 hours and start taking Tussinex again! I was also told I had a week to get my cough and BP under control or I would definitely be in the hospital after the first.  Sadly this also means I am saying goodbye to work for awhile.  I am probably struggling with this the most.  I love my job, my co-workers and all the kids and families, I get the pleasure of working with.  They make leaving hard but I am completely confident in Rebeccah and Jennie.  These two are literally answered prayer and make leaving a tad bit easier. 

Chris and I are exciting people this NYE.  We are watching LSU and have started cleaning house and packing for me to go to the hospital.  However, I must say if I go into the hospital this week at least I had several days home with the hubs!

Prayer Request:

1. My blood pressure decreases and my cough goes away.  I would like to do bed rest at home for a little while.

2. The Wiley's: This sweet family needs your prayers! I think they exhibit an amazing faith in God especially in the dire circumstances they are facing. We know that God is mighty and has healed Dustin once.  Now we just need another miracle.  Please pray for healing Dustin, strength and peace for Chantel and pray for their girls to be surrounded with comfort, peace and time with their dad.

3.Pray for Jax, Grey, Adley and Dex to stay put and grow! I am still hanging in there, but I need them to make it to 34 weeks.  I hit 24 weeks on Friday and so we are one milestone down. 


Thank you for your continued support and prayers!  I will try and update after I see both doctors this week.  I hope everyone has a great New Year! Chris and I are very excited to see what all this year brings!  We are looking forward to meeting our quads!!!!!

P.S. Dana, I am sure my grammar is sub par today, but it is hard to write and yell at the TV when watching LSU! HA HA!

Showers, Sonograms and Kicks, OH MY!

Okay, so I know I have not updated the blog in awhile.  I am very lazy these days and feel very pregnant.  Just how pregnant is very pregnant? Well I am already measuring at 37 weeks for a singleton pregnancy and I am only 22 weeks pregnant.  So what does that mean? Simply stated I waddle everywhere I walk. I am also sick again with a sinus infection and my cough that started before Thanksgiving is still hanging in there.  However I am still not on bed rest so I am thankful for that. So what has been going on in the lives of the supertwins and their awesome parents, well as the title says showers, sonograms and kicks, OH MY!

I had two wonderful showers this past weekend.  Our amazing Sunday School class threw an amazing shower on Saturday.  The ladies did an amazing job and we got lots of goodies from our registry.  Chris was excited we got both of our diaper pails, it's the little things that get him. It was a Christmas themed shower and if you truly know me you know how happy this made me! I love Christmas and snowmen, so I was extremely excited to see a snowman diaper cake.

The second shower was on Sunday and it was a Dr. Seuss themed shower.  This shower was again amazing.  Three of my sorority sisters (thank you Lesli, Soni and Kristi threw the shower, one drove in from Oklahoma and I am extremely grateful because I got to visit with her.  I also got to have two of my best friends (who are identical twins),  their mom (who I love like a mother) and my nephew Brayden (one of the twin's son) there for my shower.  I thought it was awesome that they bought our twin stroller as well as other goodies. My amazing sister and brother-in-law as well as my in-laws bought all three of our car seats as well as Jax's stroller. My amazing coworkers searched long and hard to find us three nap nannies.  Yes, before the comments start rolling in, I know they are being recalled. However, out of everyone I know that has one they have had none of the problems they are being recalled for.  For instance do not put a child that is too big in the nap nanny and then throw a fit when they turn it over. Sorry personal opinion, but I wanted my nap nannies! We were also blessed by diapers and goodies to help take care of our little ones.  I can not thank everyone enough!

Okay so on to sonograms! I get one every week and two every other week. The good news is that I have a rock star cervix and it is holding at 4.2.  The bad news is at this point it does matter how well I am doing I get to start my hospital stay after New Year's.  The doctors want to start giving the quads steroids to help their lung production and I need to be closely monitored for that.  However it is nice that I was able to avoid bed rest for this long.  My blood pressure was up at the last visit so I have until the 26th to get it down or I have to start bed rest a week early.  I chalk up the rise in BP to coughing and being uncomfortable. The best news that I got this past Monday was that I am cleared to travel to Deville this weekend to celebrate the Franks Christmas. My doctor made me promise Alexandria had a NICU and a helicopter.  I am super excited to see my family and enjoy the pig roast.  We are also going to meet a perspective pediatrician on Friday.  So now pictures and updates on the kids!

So this is Jaxon who has decided that he wanted to be face down today and not cooperate.  I love my kids have a mind of their own.  Jaxon weighs 13 oz and is smaller than his sisters but he is growing and they are not concerned.

Jax opening his mouth and giving us a nice profile picture.  He was very active at this sonogram and this was one of the only pictures we could get when he was not moving.

 

Here is a picture of Grey stretching with her mouth open.  This is a monumental picture because I never get pictures of Grey.  She is my child and refuses to cooperate until she is good and ready.   She is the second largest and weighs 1 pound 2 ounces.

This was my first picture of Grey's face!

I made this one even larger so you could see how compact the quads are. This shot shows both Jax and Grey with their heads down!

So here is Adley! She is our biggest baby weighing 1 pound 3 oz. She is also giving Jax a run for his money on being the most active child.

Adley's profile!

Okay so this is hard to make out but let me try to explain.  Adley's head is on the right of the picture and the leg beside it is Grey! I told you they are compact.

 

 

 

Dex update: I never get any pictures of Dex due to his size and positioning.  However my sweet little boy is hanging in there with a strong heart beat and is growing.  His condition is still the same and we have accepted God has a plan for Dexter.  Please don't think there are not challenges.  Chris and I both grieve for the loss of Dex and we are constantly dealing with this but trusting God! Chris says I have it harder because I feel Dexter move.  Yes it makes it harder, but it is also a sweet reminder of my son, that for the moment he is active and cannot feel any pain.

So that is sonograms of all the kids.  We had a special moment tonight! I have noticed Adley likes to pretend my stomach is the local discotheque especially after I eat.  I had my hand on my stomach and felt her kick. I have been feeling the kids kick, but Chris has never felt them. I know how much he really wanted to experience this so we tried again tonight.  Adley obliged us and kicked hard enough that he could tell! So needless to say we have one very excited daddy at our house tonight!

Okay so this blog is extremely long so let me finish with some prayer requests:
1. Our good friends the Lee's had a scare and thought their oldest child was having seizures.  It is actually a movement disorder and so they will be exploring this diagnosis further with MRI's and another neurologist.  Please keep them in your prayers and they wait for answers.
2. I would also like everyone to remember the Wiley's in your prayers.  Dustin's cancer has returned and he will begin the long road of treatment again.  Dustin and Chantel have two very sweet little girls at home. Please pray for God's will and healing for this family.
3. My friend Colleen asked me to pray for her nephew who was born way too early and is still in the NICU with a large set of complications.
4. Katie who graduated after me in OT school gave birth over 6 weeks ago to Zachary who was born at 24 weeks.  Please keep this family in your prayers and pray for Zbaby to continue to gain strength and for his parents as the manage the NICU emotional roller coaster.
5. Please pray for my blood pressure to stay under control and for me to kick this sinus infection/upper respiratory infection.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers! Everyone have a Merry Christmas! Here is our version of a Christmas card (Chris is in his Halloween costume from when he went as Will Ferrell in the cowbell skit.)

Insomnia Blog

Okay so to blog I have to be in the mood or just bored.  Everyone is in luck, because tonight I am both.  Chris is working a part time so he will not be home until 2 a.m.  So for anyone that knows me, I tend to be a night owl and suffer from insomnia unless the warden my loving husband is home to prompt me to go to bed at 11.  11 is Chris and my agreed upon time to go to sleep and complete the nightly ritual.  Chris learned soon after we were married that I like to stay awake, but want (will annoy) someone to entertain me. So we devised a specific routine.  Step 1 put on a television show or movie that I know by heart. The kind where you hear the words and can picture the scene in your head. Step 2 rub my legs. I know women you are jealous and men you are groaning, but for 5 minutes I am forced to relax and turn my mind off. Which brings us to Step 3 roll over and pass out.   Left to my own devices sleep takes approximately 2 hours with no help and not until somewhere after midnight with the three step plan I will be fast asleep 2 minutes after we roll over. Apparently my children take after their mom, because as I am typing this Jax and Adley are apparently cutting flips. Yes I can tell who is moving because they have distinct positions.  Jax is bottom right, Grey bottom left, Adley top and center and Dex is top right in the ribs.

Well since no one decided to read this blog to get my three step cure to insomnia I guess I should write an update on me and the quadlings.  So last week was Thanksgiving and I was very thankful to have a week off from the OB and the Perinatologist.  It really is the little things in life that make me happy.   Unfortunately that meant I had the privlidge of seeing both doctors this week.  So let's start in order.  Monday my amazing mommy drove in to take me to the perinatologist. I can not tell you how much I appreciate that she was willing to do that.  So we got to see all 4 babies on the ultrasound.   Jaxon of course was showing off and giving us amazing profile pictures (I have 3 new pictures of him.) Grey and Adley were not cooperating, but we were able to get weights and measurements finally.  Dexter is still the same, but by God and only by God he is not causing any complications.   They are concerned that he will stop filtering amniotic fluid and it will become excessive.  However he is hanging in there and doing what he needs to be doing and his fluid is within normal limits.   Sometimes I forget I am so used to seeing them on ultrasounds that I forget how amazing it is to see each of them.  Mom has not seen an ultrasound since I was 10 weeks today I turned 20 weeks.  I think it was good for her to see three healthy grandchildren as well as Dex and have the doctor explain what she was looking at.   It is a sobering reality, but it is also cathartic in a way.   The perinatologist is still impressed my cervix is holding at 4.3 and has said there is no bed rest in my immediate future.  However, I now get to see them every week for the duration of my pregnancy until I go into the hospital. YAY!! On Thursday I saw Dr. Labarre, my OB, and for the second time this week had the privilege of having both types of ultrasounds.  Oh yes, you did not misunderstand me, I get the special ultrasound every time.  Ladies feel sympathy for me and men ask your wife if you do not know what I am talking about.  I love the ultrasound tech at Dr. Labarre's office her name is Erin (how could I not like her) and she takes time and talks with me about each baby.  However she asked me if I drank caffeine that morning because not just Jax, but everyone was flipping and moving non stop, even Dex. Which makes for getting measurements extremely difficult.  I told her I had a root beer and she said well you definitely sugared them up.  Now for the exciting news (probably only to me) I still am on a two week basis with the OB and because the perinatologist is doing the special ultrasound every time I no longer have to get one at the OB!  We were also able to hear all four babies heartbeats on the Doppler, which can be almost impossible for multiples.   We have never had a Doppler done before and it was neat to hear each heartbeat.  Surprisingly they were all four very different and very distinct. I don't know who was more excited me or Dr. Labarre.

Okay update on Chris and I. I have been battling a sinus infection that went to my chest. This leads to coughing which leads to recreating the exorcist vomiting. The doctor finally prescribed Tussinex to help control the cough at night.   So hopefully soon I will have relief from that.   Sunday night I made my first trip to the ER as a pregnant lady.  That's was an exciting few hours and I had my first catheter experience. Turns out I had an asymptomatic bladder infection and was prescribed meds and sent home to realize Monday morning it was a full blown bladder infection.  So after two long days I can say I finally stated feeling better.   Greatest part of going to the ER is watching Christopher panic trying to get there as fast as possible.  I feel like if I was in real labor he would have had lights and sirens going on his police car.  He makes me laugh!!!

Praises:  Chris closed on our house in Bossier today! That makes me happy, happy, happy!!!! Now we need to get Chris's truck fixed and sold so we can be debt free and start saving to pay for having the quads!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! My house is now officially converted to Christmas, thanks to my amazing mommy!  Poor Christopher, he tells me it looks like snowmen threw up all over our house.  I however love it and think I may see another corner to put a new snowman in.  Christmas is my favorite holiday and I can't wait to have the kids to share it with.  Thanks for reading our blog and keeping us in your prayers.  The prayers are definitely felt and we are blessed beyond imagination.  

*DISCLAIMER* I wrote this blog while on prescription cough syrup, please excuse any grammatical errors or TMI statements.

Big Announcements and Updates

Since all the last blogs have been so heavy I have decided tonight to take a different route and post an approximately 73% positive blog. So let's start with updates and decisions Chris and I have made.  Chris and I are doing well! We were able to go to Deville this past weekend and visit family. I think my daddy was shocked at how big I have gotten since he has seen me last.  I am 17 weeks and measured at 27 weeks all baby still have not gained any weight but thankful I have not lost anymore.  We had a great and fast weekend, however Ari may still be recovering from the trip to Gram's and Grump's house. Speaking of Ari, I recently bought a pregnancy pillow (best purchase ever in my opinion) and she has now claimed it as her new dog bed.  Who knew I would have to fight my dog child and Chris to use my pillow. 

Okay I digress, I went to the perinatologist on Monday and he told me I was doing amazing and so were babies A, B and C.  Baby D still has catastrophic injuries.  Yes, that is hard to say and hard to write, but our God is mighty and omnipotent.  Baby D is not growing well even though there is a strong heartbeat.  That is good news, because it allows Babies A, B and C more space to grow.   The other thing that is amazing is that my cervix (sorry TMI) is holding at a 4.5 (anything below a 2.5 is immediate bed rest and hospitalization.) 

Chris and I decided against selective reduction because there was too many risks to babies A, B and C if we went ahead with the procedure.  My husband reminded me how much of a man of God he is by making this decision for us with such amazing strength and faith in our heavenly father that it lifted a massive emotional weight off of my shoulders. Chris said he could not have comfort in a decision that could potentially kill one of our healthy children, because in essence we were playing God.  He said that if God allowed something happened to A, B or C due to complications he could accept that only if it was at God's hand and timing.  So we have elected to pray for God's perfect will and accept what ever that entails.  Our perinatologists are both religious men and are supporting our decision 100%.  If Baby D does make it to delivery they have assured Chris and I that we will get to love and support our child until the Lord takes the baby home.  That is music to these parents' ears.  Okay time for fun stuff.  I was finally able to load pictures of the kids.  Prepare yourself there is a lot!!!!

This is Baby A and C (it is sometimes hard to keep them straight). I was 11 weeks at this picture and probably the last time we will ever see 2 babies in any ultrasound picture!

This is from the same ultrasound pictures at 11 weeks!

Baby D at 11 weeks.  You can tell how small compared to the other three.

Profile Pic of Baby B (technically Baby A now due to positioning)

Now to introduce you to our children! This is Baby C and It's a GIRL!!! Her name is Adley Grace.  Adley means God is Just and Grace is Chris's grandmother's middle name!

Baby B is also a GIRL! Meet Grey Alexandra.   I fell in love with the name Grey after I saw the movie Catch and Release.  It is about a girl who's fiance dies and then through the pain and the loss she discovers who she is.  My mom's real name Sandra (mom's real name is kinda like Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series except she would be know as She-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named) is a derivative of Alexandra.

Baby D to the best of our knowledge is a BOY! His name is Dexter "Dex" Charles.   I love the name Dexter from the book Something Borrowed. My SIL asked if we were naming him after the tv show which prompted Chris to now refer to Dex as his little "lady killer." Yep that's what I married. Charles is Chris's dad's name and Chris's middle name.

Now on to Baby A who is definitely a BOY and I must say makes his father proud of how proud he is to show his manhood! His name will be Jaxon "Jax" Douglas.   Jaxon is a very special name to me.  He is named after the first child I ever evaluated as an OT by myself.  Jaxon taught me more about how to be a good therapist and to love a child unconditionally then he will ever know.  His parents have taught me with enough love and sheer willpower your child can do and accomplish anything. Douglas is my dad's name.

Jaxon is our most photogenic baby.  He will always give a profile picture.  Jax is also my most active baby.  The ultrasound tech typically makes comments how active he is. Last time she said "He has somewhere to go." Jax is definitely Chris's (ADHD) child.

More of Jaxon, I told you he was photogenic.  He also as you can see from the next picture is very proud he is a boy!

That is all for tonight! We have a few prayer requests:

1. Our closing of our house has been pushed back again.  Please pray that it will close before the end of the month.

2. One of my dearest friends who is also pregnant had some tests come back abnormally.  Please pray that God's perfect will be done and  these wonderful parents will have comfort in this time of crisis and uncertainty.

3. Pray for my continued health as well as the health of Jax, Grey, Adley and Dex.

4. Pray that I can avoid hospital bed rest until after Christmas. I want to go to Deville the weekend before Christmas for the annual Franks Christmas Party!!

Thank you so much for all of your continued prayers.  They are continually felt and are working!

Please feel free to give our blog link to anyone it is owenssupertwins.blogspot.com and anyone can follow the blog by clicking on the link on the right side of the page to follow by email.  This will instantly update you if I post a blog.