If I hear one more person say "you look like you're about to pop" I may very well pop them (aside from family of course). Today I was out hunting for stuff for our new house and was in Lowes. I swear that in the 20 mins I was there I must have had five or six people come up to me and say something to the effect of "you look you're about to pop." They must have thought I was unaware of my appearance, or hadn't noticed that my belly is entering rooms about 3 steps before I am. I admit, I take pride in the fact that I am still up and about at 31 weeks pregnant with quadruplets. I would just rather people not point out the obvious as I waddle my way through Lowes, the bank or anywhere else, closely resembling the likes of the penguins Jake and Owen so thoroughly enjoy at the zoo.
Tomorrow is 31 weeks exactly. This past week has gone by fairly quickly, given all that's been done. We've had the new house cleaned and painted, started packing, Weston took in a Phillies game, I took the boys to start school shopping, etc. We ended our week with a get together at my sister in laws last night complete with food, lots of family, and drinks (God, I so miss Gin and Tonics....). I also was lucky enough to have "belly pics" done by Hilaire, the sister in law who's house we were at. She dolled me up, told me how to pose and all of that fun stuff. For as awkward as I felt during the "session," I felt completely at ease by the end and was in love with some of the pictures she took. I wanted to have them for the babies and for West, so I am SO incredibly grateful that she took the time to do that for me. I really can't wait to see them when they are finished!
To celebrate our 31 week anniversary (yes, I have been making West celebrate with me every week since 28 weeks) we're heading to Raymour and Flanigan for date night. I know, it sounds so romantic. But it will be nice to have an uninterrupted couple of hours tonight with my husband, day dreaming about our new house and our new life with our six children. Of course, reality will settle in and I'll be thinking of the utter chaos and mess that's soon to come sometime after dinner ;)
The boys are with their dad until tomorrow so I hope I have some time to relax a bit. For as much time as I spend in bed these days, I'm not feeling really relaxed, lol. I'm off to nap while I wait for West to get home and get date night started.
Happy 31 weeks Babies!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
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 beachI'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!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
It's a beautiful Sunday here in Merion. The birds are chirping, the house is somewhat calm and our dog hasn't eaten anything overwhelmingly expensive yet today. I've also been taken to breakfast by my very attentive husband (at least when it comes to feeding me, lol) and had some great french toast. So why am I inside blogging on this gorgeous day? Well, I'm not allowed in the sun anymore. But that's a-ok because the babies are doing well, the boys are doing well and Weston and I are doing well too.
As of tomorrow we are 22 weeks pregnant. The doctor seems to think that we have 8-10 weeks to go! It's amazing how quickly the time has gone by. We have two or so weeks left until we reach the "safe zone" of viability, and I am thankfully still moving around quite well for carrying 4 babies. My biggest concern now is carrying them for as long as I can and making sure that they continue to grow well. I am now going to the doctor once a week, which is both great (I love seeing them during the ultrasound) and overwhelming. Every week I essentially prepare for bad news. Thankfully we haven't received any to date!
At our last visit the babies each weighed in at over a pound each. They are big, gorgeous and unfortunately very cramped. So much so that John's head has a home nestled inside of my liver. But as I said they are all healthy, and growing at an exceptional rate. We really do feel so blessed.
Our concerns and fears now lay more in the logistics of how life is going to be for the next few months. We leave for our shore house in 2 weeks for a 3 week stay. How am I going to survive at the beach for three weeks, not being able to go in the sun or extreme heat? Especially with Jakob and Owen being as active as they are. What the heck are we going to do if an emergency occurs and the babies are born while Weston is flying? Like anything else in life, we'll adjust and make due because that's what we have to do. There are no other options. But trying to plan for the "what ifs" when we have no idea what's going to happen is often a tedious and exhausting task.
People continue to ask if we're nervous or apprehensive and "how on earth we think we'll manage" everything. First and foremost this is not a situation "to manage." It's our life, and just like anything else in life, all things will be dealt with accordingly as we continue to raise our SIX children and live as a family. Yes, we need to be prepared and we'll have help (thankfully we have the ability to have help). But to over simplify the joy of having such a family by making it out to be a business proposition seems so unjust. To the kids, and to us. We are of course nervous, about the health of the babies and about the adjustments the boys will have to make. But honestly, we're pretty damn excited too. Some people we encountered have such a negative thought process about what WE are going through that it is utterly amazing. I mean, we chose this for ourselves. Who are these people doing the second guessing for us? On the other hand, we have encountered so many people who are just beside themselves to be introduced to such an amazing situation, which is always something I find endearing.
In other news...Hmm.....I guess there really isn't any other news...At least nothing huge. Jake has fully recovered from his surgery and has regained his usual energy and endurance. Owen has been soaking up the sun (when it's not raining- YUCK!) and is learning to ride his scooter just as well as his brother. Both of them are enjoying all of the time they can at our pool, and getting as dirty as possible while they play outside :) They are just boys being boys....
I suppose that's it for now. I'm headed outside under our covered porch to at least enjoy the weather- even If I can't be in the sun :)
Enjoy the week!
As of tomorrow we are 22 weeks pregnant. The doctor seems to think that we have 8-10 weeks to go! It's amazing how quickly the time has gone by. We have two or so weeks left until we reach the "safe zone" of viability, and I am thankfully still moving around quite well for carrying 4 babies. My biggest concern now is carrying them for as long as I can and making sure that they continue to grow well. I am now going to the doctor once a week, which is both great (I love seeing them during the ultrasound) and overwhelming. Every week I essentially prepare for bad news. Thankfully we haven't received any to date!
At our last visit the babies each weighed in at over a pound each. They are big, gorgeous and unfortunately very cramped. So much so that John's head has a home nestled inside of my liver. But as I said they are all healthy, and growing at an exceptional rate. We really do feel so blessed.
Our concerns and fears now lay more in the logistics of how life is going to be for the next few months. We leave for our shore house in 2 weeks for a 3 week stay. How am I going to survive at the beach for three weeks, not being able to go in the sun or extreme heat? Especially with Jakob and Owen being as active as they are. What the heck are we going to do if an emergency occurs and the babies are born while Weston is flying? Like anything else in life, we'll adjust and make due because that's what we have to do. There are no other options. But trying to plan for the "what ifs" when we have no idea what's going to happen is often a tedious and exhausting task.
People continue to ask if we're nervous or apprehensive and "how on earth we think we'll manage" everything. First and foremost this is not a situation "to manage." It's our life, and just like anything else in life, all things will be dealt with accordingly as we continue to raise our SIX children and live as a family. Yes, we need to be prepared and we'll have help (thankfully we have the ability to have help). But to over simplify the joy of having such a family by making it out to be a business proposition seems so unjust. To the kids, and to us. We are of course nervous, about the health of the babies and about the adjustments the boys will have to make. But honestly, we're pretty damn excited too. Some people we encountered have such a negative thought process about what WE are going through that it is utterly amazing. I mean, we chose this for ourselves. Who are these people doing the second guessing for us? On the other hand, we have encountered so many people who are just beside themselves to be introduced to such an amazing situation, which is always something I find endearing.
In other news...Hmm.....I guess there really isn't any other news...At least nothing huge. Jake has fully recovered from his surgery and has regained his usual energy and endurance. Owen has been soaking up the sun (when it's not raining- YUCK!) and is learning to ride his scooter just as well as his brother. Both of them are enjoying all of the time they can at our pool, and getting as dirty as possible while they play outside :) They are just boys being boys....
I suppose that's it for now. I'm headed outside under our covered porch to at least enjoy the weather- even If I can't be in the sun :)
Enjoy the week!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Half Way There
I finally got to see my Mom yesterday. And my Dad, and my sister and a lot of my other family that I miss so very much. Weston, the boys and I made the trek out to my parent's and I am so happy that we did. It was a great start to the week, and I enjoyed every minute of being with my family. I think one of the hardest things I'll go through with these babies is not having my family close. Jakob and Owen spent their first years seeing my parents daily. They were a huge help to me, and the boys developed such a strong bond with them. Now, we're two hours away and I am so sad that the babies won't have that same experience.
Onto the pregnancy news...Today I am 19 weeks pregnant! That's means we're more than 1/2 way to the end of this pregnancy and that we're getting closer and closer to meeting these four babies!
I'm feeling well right now. I mean, I'm having a hard time moving faster than a newly walking toddler but generally I am ok. All of the other ailments that I have are still persistent but keeping myself busy is really a great way to forget about them. I am slowly purging everything that we don't need, and getting more and more organized every day. I was somewhat organized before, but I've taken it to a whole new level. I just keep thinking how having a system for everything is going to make life that much easier when the Quads arrive.
Another great way to forget about how badly you're feeling is to have a child who's sick and feeling worse than you are. Jake spent a day in the ER last week for abscessed tonsils, and is having surgery to remove his tonsils & adenoids in addition to putting tubes in his ears on Wednesday. We've gotten to the point where the doctor is confident it's the wise choice after he's had recurrent infections for a year. So, my oldest son is having his first surgery. Sigh.
Jake was such a brave guy last week. He didn't flinch when they put his IV in, he didn't move every time they gave him more meds, and he didn't complain when he couldn't have any snacks. He just sat in his hospital bed watching Nickelodeon and coloring with Owen. I'm hoping this week he proves to be just as brave, for his sake and (selfishly) mine. He knows he's having surgery, and seems ok with the idea. BUT, that's only if you say they are "shrinking" and not "removing" his tonsils. He's more comfortable with the idea that they are going to remain intact, lol.
Jake also graduated from Preschool on Friday night. He was so incredibly adorable. I can't believe I have a 5 1/2 year old who is making his way QUICKLY towards Kindergarten. Where on earth has the time gone?
The graduation from Preschool and the end of preschool for the year for Owen marks the start of summer for the Veith/Liebe clan. The pool we belong to opens this weekend, our summer vacation to Sea Isle is planned and the weather is finally getting warmer. I can't wait. I know I'll be a beached whale for most of it, but at the very least I have all the time in the world to spend time with Jake and Owen before our lives become even more hectic.
I'm off to bath time. Have a great week~
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Here's an update....
I want my mommy. Badly. I don't care if I'm 29 and shouldn't. Sometimes a girl just needs to have her arm scratched (long story but she's been doing it for 29 years and I'm in need of some arm scratching now!).
I also want my sister. Why, I don't know. Yes, I miss her too, but I'd really just like for her to make me some weenies in a blanket. She's the best weenie in a blanket maker I know...And I don't even LIKE weenies. Ok, that came out wrong-but you know what I mean.
While I'm on the "I want" tangent, I'd also like to add the following:
*Sunshine. I am SO tired of it raining. The boys are going stir crazy and we all want to go outside and play
*My husband. He's flying until late tomorrow night which means I won't sleep nearly as well because he's not home and next to me in bed.
*A sugar free cherry Rita's. Because everything in my life at this point revolves around food.
*A Gin and Tonic. It's been WAY too long.
Consider that my tantrum for the day.
I want my mommy. Badly. I don't care if I'm 29 and shouldn't. Sometimes a girl just needs to have her arm scratched (long story but she's been doing it for 29 years and I'm in need of some arm scratching now!).
I also want my sister. Why, I don't know. Yes, I miss her too, but I'd really just like for her to make me some weenies in a blanket. She's the best weenie in a blanket maker I know...And I don't even LIKE weenies. Ok, that came out wrong-but you know what I mean.
While I'm on the "I want" tangent, I'd also like to add the following:
*Sunshine. I am SO tired of it raining. The boys are going stir crazy and we all want to go outside and play
*My husband. He's flying until late tomorrow night which means I won't sleep nearly as well because he's not home and next to me in bed.
*A sugar free cherry Rita's. Because everything in my life at this point revolves around food.
*A Gin and Tonic. It's been WAY too long.
Consider that my tantrum for the day.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
I'm tired. Really, really, really tired. I'm also achy, emotional and various other things, so as you can see not much has changed.
What has changed is that we are all much more aware of just how fragile I am physically and how my health is going to play a huge role in how long this pregnancy lasts.
We have been very fortunate throughout the past 17 weeks to not have any terrible scares with the babies. In fact, we really haven't had any scares at all since the very beginning. What we did have was a scare with me.
We've known all along that my caloric intake, liquid intake, etc had to increase tremendously. Unfortunately I hadn't realized just how much what I ingested and when would have such a huge effect on my ability to function on a day to day basis. So essentially I woke up last Saturday eager to get outside and enjoy the nice weather with the boys and West. I had my usual juice, but not my usual heavy breakfast. I ate toast on the way to the dog park with Owen (we were meeting Jake and West) and as soon as I got there I knew something was wrong. After resting for 10-15 minutes I started the very short walk back to our house. I continuously had to stop and make an effort to breath. I felt faint and exhausted. Finally after stopping several times I fell...twice. I had passed out cold and couldn't function. Thankfully, we had neighbors who were in the area and they brought out juice and a cereal bar. After I drank the juice, I was able to get up and waddle home. That incident landed me in the hospital overnight and left all of us extremely scared. Never again will you catch me doing anything without eating/drinking first.
Obviously the babies are all fine- they are just draining every ounce of everything I have out of me. The doctors explained that I had a low hemoglobin (my body isn't making enough blood), a low blood sugar, low potassium and dehydration. It's amazing that no matter how much I ingest, it's never going to be enough.
This experience showed me just how fragile I am right now- but it also showed me how fragile we all are on any given day. Jake and Owen fell witness to something very traumatic to them. Weston was left in the middle of a chaotic and frightening situation in which he was left to care for me, the boys and our crazy dog Hamilton. Once you go through something like that you have no choice but to acknowledge the possibilities, both good and bad, of what can happen at any given moment.
Thankfully we made it through last weekend unscathed. Family came together to help Weston with Jake and Owen (which I am so eternally grateful for), Weston managed everything so incredibly well and we've learned some very important lessons. Weston and the boys continue to take amazing care of me on a daily basis and I have to say I feel so blessed.
I am still trying, no matter what the circumstances, to maintain a sense of normalcy for Jake and Owen. Their lives are going to change so much, and I want to devote all of the time and energy I can to them right now. I took them to the zoo on Wednesday and we had such a great time just walking and talking (Obviously I ate a lot before we went, lol). That peaceful time is just so meaningful to me.
While we're all so excited to welcome our four new additions, we are also very aware that life will never be the same. That alone is reason enough to be scared.
As the pregnancy progresses, my emotions change quite often. At first we just wanted to make sure our children would ALL be happy and healthy. Now that we now that the babies are healthy, I worry about the effect of doubling our family will have on Jake and Owen. Of course, this often subsides to excitement of seeing the interaction between all of the children. But just as I take that minute to relax and enjoy those thoughts, I am left with the sinking feeling that something is bound to go wrong. It really is a roller coaster of emotions.
At 17 weeks, we are likely 1/2 way through this pregnancy. It's amazing, isn't it? The babies are roughly 1/2 pound each and fattening up as we speak. For obvious reasons we're hoping to stay pregnant as long as possible. However the reality is that we'll have the babies between 30-34 weeks. To prepare we've started the nursery, which is a great distraction from thinking too much.
We've also settled on names for all of them, which was a task in itself. So, joining Jakob Douglas and Owen Russell we have:
*Mary Elizabeth (Weston's mom is also named Mary. To honor Owen's request that we have a sister named Emmie, we've decided that we'll call Mary "EMMIE" for her initials- M.E.).
*Katherine Mae (Mae is my grandmother's middle name. We'll call her KATE).
*Benjamin Charles (Charles is Weston's middle name. We'll call him BEN).
*John George (Weston's father and brother who have both passed away were both named John George. John is also a nod to my mother, JoAnne which is the female form of John as well as my Great grandfather, John Kiefer. We'll likely call John "JOHN JOHN"
I'll admit, it took quite an effort to name them all :)
For now, I am going to go enjoy my time with Jake and Owen who are fighting over puzzle pieces. Not because they want to do a puzzle, but because they want to use the pieces as boomerangs. They are truly boys.
What has changed is that we are all much more aware of just how fragile I am physically and how my health is going to play a huge role in how long this pregnancy lasts.
We have been very fortunate throughout the past 17 weeks to not have any terrible scares with the babies. In fact, we really haven't had any scares at all since the very beginning. What we did have was a scare with me.
We've known all along that my caloric intake, liquid intake, etc had to increase tremendously. Unfortunately I hadn't realized just how much what I ingested and when would have such a huge effect on my ability to function on a day to day basis. So essentially I woke up last Saturday eager to get outside and enjoy the nice weather with the boys and West. I had my usual juice, but not my usual heavy breakfast. I ate toast on the way to the dog park with Owen (we were meeting Jake and West) and as soon as I got there I knew something was wrong. After resting for 10-15 minutes I started the very short walk back to our house. I continuously had to stop and make an effort to breath. I felt faint and exhausted. Finally after stopping several times I fell...twice. I had passed out cold and couldn't function. Thankfully, we had neighbors who were in the area and they brought out juice and a cereal bar. After I drank the juice, I was able to get up and waddle home. That incident landed me in the hospital overnight and left all of us extremely scared. Never again will you catch me doing anything without eating/drinking first.
Obviously the babies are all fine- they are just draining every ounce of everything I have out of me. The doctors explained that I had a low hemoglobin (my body isn't making enough blood), a low blood sugar, low potassium and dehydration. It's amazing that no matter how much I ingest, it's never going to be enough.
This experience showed me just how fragile I am right now- but it also showed me how fragile we all are on any given day. Jake and Owen fell witness to something very traumatic to them. Weston was left in the middle of a chaotic and frightening situation in which he was left to care for me, the boys and our crazy dog Hamilton. Once you go through something like that you have no choice but to acknowledge the possibilities, both good and bad, of what can happen at any given moment.
Thankfully we made it through last weekend unscathed. Family came together to help Weston with Jake and Owen (which I am so eternally grateful for), Weston managed everything so incredibly well and we've learned some very important lessons. Weston and the boys continue to take amazing care of me on a daily basis and I have to say I feel so blessed.
I am still trying, no matter what the circumstances, to maintain a sense of normalcy for Jake and Owen. Their lives are going to change so much, and I want to devote all of the time and energy I can to them right now. I took them to the zoo on Wednesday and we had such a great time just walking and talking (Obviously I ate a lot before we went, lol). That peaceful time is just so meaningful to me.
While we're all so excited to welcome our four new additions, we are also very aware that life will never be the same. That alone is reason enough to be scared.
As the pregnancy progresses, my emotions change quite often. At first we just wanted to make sure our children would ALL be happy and healthy. Now that we now that the babies are healthy, I worry about the effect of doubling our family will have on Jake and Owen. Of course, this often subsides to excitement of seeing the interaction between all of the children. But just as I take that minute to relax and enjoy those thoughts, I am left with the sinking feeling that something is bound to go wrong. It really is a roller coaster of emotions.
At 17 weeks, we are likely 1/2 way through this pregnancy. It's amazing, isn't it? The babies are roughly 1/2 pound each and fattening up as we speak. For obvious reasons we're hoping to stay pregnant as long as possible. However the reality is that we'll have the babies between 30-34 weeks. To prepare we've started the nursery, which is a great distraction from thinking too much.
We've also settled on names for all of them, which was a task in itself. So, joining Jakob Douglas and Owen Russell we have:
*Mary Elizabeth (Weston's mom is also named Mary. To honor Owen's request that we have a sister named Emmie, we've decided that we'll call Mary "EMMIE" for her initials- M.E.).
*Katherine Mae (Mae is my grandmother's middle name. We'll call her KATE).
*Benjamin Charles (Charles is Weston's middle name. We'll call him BEN).
*John George (Weston's father and brother who have both passed away were both named John George. John is also a nod to my mother, JoAnne which is the female form of John as well as my Great grandfather, John Kiefer. We'll likely call John "JOHN JOHN"
I'll admit, it took quite an effort to name them all :)
For now, I am going to go enjoy my time with Jake and Owen who are fighting over puzzle pieces. Not because they want to do a puzzle, but because they want to use the pieces as boomerangs. They are truly boys.
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