The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

West and I during the first week of vacation

Owen looking like a cross between Popeye and Curious George

Jakers on the tube

Jakers playing in the sand

Owen sleeping in his Radio Flyer Wagon :)

Mommy and Owen snuggling up on the beach

I've had some comments made to me about my lack of attention to the blog, so tonight I'll fight the utter exhaustion and try to get everyone reacquainted with our expanding family (and my ever expanding belly).

* A big shout out to Chris and Krisi who have convinced me to type, even when the energy could be better used trying to roll over.

In the past 7-8 weeks a lot has happened, though nothing significant related to the pregnancy. It's easy to think that as I have to slow my life down to accommodate my growing body, the world itself would slow down as to not leave me out. Unfortunately, that has not been the case and I have been left to view most things from afar. It's been quite a wake up call to realize that as much as I would like life to be at my pace, it likely won't happen.

A good portion of the past two months was spent at the shore for 3 weeks for vacation (coming home once a week to visit our doctors). We had beautiful weather and the boys had an absolute blast. I was even fortunate enough to go to the beach most days (keeping very well hydrated, covered, etc). This year was certainly not as relaxing as one would hope because of the pregnancy and my lack of ability to do most things, but was also very stressful because Weston's mom became very ill. Whenever someone in your family has a serious ailment it most certainly lends a hand in increasing the stresses of every day life. Thankfully, she is making a slow, but steady recovery and she'll be ready to enjoy her four new grandchildren when they arrive.

Aside from vacation, our summer really hasn't been overwhelmingly fun filled. As I said, I've mostly been "out of commission" and we've just now started to more proactively prepare for the babies. One would think we would have been doing that long ago, I know. But something in my head needed me to wait until the babies were viable to start making plans, etc. I suppose on some level I didn't want to jinx having them arrive safely. Having that attitude however has left us scrambling as the due date comes closer and closer. As an example, in the last month we've gotten a new car (Can an SUV that seats 8 really be considered a car?!) and a new house. Yes, that's right....A new house. So now, on top of all of the chaos that surrounds us on a day to day basis we've thrown moving into the mix. Have I mentioned I'm not supposed to do much and won't be much help when it comes to actually moving?!

Maybe our summer hasn't been overwhelmingly fun filled, but we did find out that we were chosen to be featured on a multiples special for TLC. Apparently its like a combination of THE BABY STORY and BRINGING HOME BABY. We're excited to have the birth and some of the first few moments filmed, as we both know neither one of us will be in the right mind to properly document it ourselves. To be able to have those memories forever accessible is a gift and it will be an amazing thing to show the babies once they are old enough to understand what it took to get them here safely. We'll keep everyone posted as we find out more about when the show will air, etc.

So, there is the abridged version of our summer...On to the present....

It just so happens that today I have reached a significant goal of being 30 weeks pregnant with Quadruplets. We've beaten the average, and our in utero children are each weighing in at over 3 lbs, and all continue to be seemingly healthy.

I, on the other hand have been having an increasingly hard time with both pain and mental health management. Essentially I am in varying degrees of pain all of the time and that's causing me to lose a massive amount of sleep. That lack of sleep combined with the pain of carrying well over 12 lbs of babies has left me emotionally spent, and if we're being honest, ready to crack. Laying around all day is less glamorous then it seems, and I'm often left feeling as though the boys are suffering for my lack of abilities and my marriage is suffering for my lack of emotional stability. There is no question that the energy in the house has been altered. We all know that any day, we'll all be left with our lives so off balance we won't know what to do. That's not to say all of us don't have faith, or look forward to the blessings that we're about to receive. It just means that sometimes the time leading up to the event is often much more stress filled that the actual event itself.

With that said, the doctors are expecting great things from us. They expect that the babies will hang in there for another few weeks, and to be honest, I'm expecting the same. Hopefully, the power of positive thinking will pay off. It's comforting to think that just as the babies have each other to take comfort in and grasp on to during the next few weeks, my husband and I can take comfort in and grasp onto each other as well.

I promise to try to write more often. If anything it will be because my memory is terrible and if I don't *I* may not remember what happened during this pregnancy!