fixing the dvd player at 21 weeks

post by mandy

i got stuck behind the tv trying to fix the dvd player last night. guess i better stick to bedrest.

21 weeks and counting

post by mandy
ok so i need to explain what this "Y crack" thing is. my mom swears that when i was little i had a "Y" at the top of my butt crack and insist that i still have it. So as you know after reading previous posts i am really modest. my mom is an opportunist so she is always wanting to get a peek at the "Y" that does not exist. I DO NOT have a "Y" at the top of my crack. She also thinks i ate my twin in utero and that is why i had tera toma tumors. So we are in the waiting room waiting to be called back and my mom says, "um can i ask for a free herpes sample of medicine?" I just shook my head, and said, "we are at the baby doctor they aren't gonna have that shit." So i told her when to bring it up, because once we are back there we are shuffled from room to room. So we get to the room where she is supposed to ask for a sample of medicine for lip cold sores and i am talking to the nurse and i look over at my mom and she starts pointing to her lips for ME to ask the nurse if my mom can have a free sample of cold sore medicine. That's like going to the cow barn to milk a chicken. So she is very persistant with her hand motions and it distracting me from listening to the nurse so i finally just ask. The look on nurses face was about as thrilled as mine was in the lobby when my mom first brought it up to me. No herpes medicine here but you can milk a chicken. Then mom points out to me that the reason i am carrying quads is because i am a pack rat. When amy signed the papers to send the sperm back i didn't mail it i hoarded it away. Then when we had 6 fertilized embryos i couldn't stand the thought of throwing any away so i put all of them in. Well she is right. However, you breed pony you get pony!! Needless to say the doctor was quite eventfull.
I do have to have an EKG done because my heart is beating really really fast. I am gonna be sooo pissed if that is why i have to go in the hospital early. Before pregnancy my resting heart rate was in the 60's. Now it is 120. I am going to meditate and do some other things to control it. I gained 2 lbs. Right on track. 3 more weeks til i'm at 24 weeks. Sugar babies have a 40% chance of survival once i reach that milestone. 90% once i reach 28 weeks. (by the way posting this pic was a major stretch for me)

21 weeks

We had another dr's appt. today. We are now going weekly. Mandy's mom went with us today to see the babies. She went to kind of a dud appt. Not much looking around at the babies. She was more concerned at seeing the y in Mandy's butt? Wierd, I know!!! The ultra sound tech said it again. 3 girls 1 boy. All hearts still beating, all babies still doing well. We really are switching names around a lot lately. So, it is probably best not to share anymore, until we narrow it down a bit. We really had 2 boy names and 2 girl names decided on. Which you all know.... Those stinkin babies did our names a doozy. O well....someone told us that when we meet them, we will know who they are and what name fits them. I agree. Sometimes ya just know when the time is right. Time must not be right ?
Amanda came home from school, we told her that the dr said there were 3 girls, 1 boy. She looked at Bradley and said "no offense Bradley, YES....I WIN!!! 3 GIRLS!!! I still love you Bradley! And I am getting 3 girls!!!" They are in love with the idea of having more brothers and sisters. They really don't care. Ok, They really do care. Bradley wants a brother to play with. He thinks this boy will come out ready to sword fight.

Contraction Monitor

Mandy was set up with this device that goes around her middle, and counts how many contractions she is having in one hour, if any. Tonight after dinner she lays down turns it on and asks the kids to go get the old maid cards. We have been playing games with the kids while Mandy lies on the couch. Good family time. During the past few times of Old Maid Bradley ALWAYS gets the old maid. He is obvious about it....actually gets this huge giggle going, and says NO PICK THIS CARD. We play along, and sometimes pick it on purpose. He then laughs his butt off thinking he tricks us. I don't think Amanda has ever gotten stuck with the old maid card, she is all about making matches....must be a girl thing.
Mandy kept laughing at the kids during the game. I told her I didn't think that moving around that much would give a good reading....she kept laughing. Belly laughing at the kids.
When the machine was done, and the reading was sent, the phone rang. It was the nurse.
She said "well, either those babies are moving around A LOT, or you were laughing really hard."
Mandy admitted that we were playing Old Maid. We are going to wear these people out!!!

funny kid story

post by mandy
today karley is watching tv and says, "aunt amy i think i am allergic to bees, because i just saw a bee on the tv and when i saw it i sneezed once and farted twice."

UNCLE

Mandy is 20 weeks pregnant. And while I think that I can do it all.....the truth is that I can't. She has been doing nothing for oh....about 20 weeks. We have been so careful that she doesn't do anything to over do it. For awhile now Mandy has been coming home from work and going straight to the couch. Now that she is on bed rest, she has been in bed or on the couch all day. One of the chores of the house that I STINK at is laundry. I can wash and dry clothes all day long, but when it comes to putting them away...oh darn it I am bad at that! Mandy called her mom...Teri. UNCLE!!! Teri came over yesterday and today and washed every piece of clothing in this house. I put away all our laundry tonight. Now, the kids laundry is still in a basket in the hall....only because I want them to help put it away. They have been on Easy Street. Mandy, Teri, and I have agreed that they need to help put their laundry away. Then they may realize that the mess they are creating in their closet isn't so fun.
My dad has been coming over doing odds and ends for us. Each time he comes over he has a talk with the kids about picking up their messes that they are making. I keep telling the kids that we have to start picking up after ourselves so that when we have 4 babies here, our lives won't be upside down as much if we can help ourselves a bit more. Does that make sense?
Last week Tricia came over to paint with me, and while she was here, I had a melt down about painting the nursery , because the kids were under our ladders.(literally) I called my parents and yelled UNCLE. They came running over to help with the kids. Mom cleaned the kitchen and took out the trash. Dad fixed things here and there and put a crib together.
So do you have the picture? We have great parents. Who else would wash your clothes, do your dishes, and work on all the grunt projects Mandy and I can't do for ourselves?

Today the nurse came to hook Mandy up to the contraction monitor. It really hit home for me how close we are to an everyday accident. How important it is that she really is in bed. I slept down the hall last night with Amanda. Bradley wasn't home, and Mandy has been SNORING, and watching tv at all hours of the night. So I snuggled with Amanda. Well, the phone rang at 5:30 in the morning. It was school being cancelled. But, I woke up and first thing that came to me was... "somethings wrong with Mandy". Everyday is crucial for her and the babies.
She is on many Prayer lists. Put her on yours if you have one. Please remove us from your shit list if we happen to be on that list!

Thank You Mom, Dad, Teri, Ron for all you do for us. Your efforts to help us in every way and any way are soooo appreciated!

Why do I keep owing these apologies?

I formally apologize to Mandy. Yes, every day I look at her and say "oh my GOWD". She grows by the day. LITERALLY. This is a journey worth blogging about. It is amazing. [ (the bachelor says that all the time) LOL side joke with me and mandy]
This morning I woke up and asked Mandy if I could see her navel. Hollllly Cow. It is like 3 navels rolled into one. Yeah, Sorry Mandy, but your belly is for sure gonna pop out.
Baby c moved over last night. Now instead of a,b,and c stacked on top of each other, c is right in the middle of everyone. Right under her navel...wow, maybe thats why all of a sudden her navel is turning into 3?
That's all I can think of for now....just keep Mandy in your thoughts as bed rest is really tough for her to shut down that busy brain and just veg. She is working on her laptop, and her phone, but not doing for herself is a challenge. I have been putting her shoes on her and yesterday I got an "i told you so" She has always been my third child. LOVE YOU MANDY

20 weeks

post by mandy
here's the official puss gut at 20 weeks. i guess that would be why none of my clothes fit:) I have been fortunate enough not have to have spent any money on clothes. Thanks to people giving and loaning me stuff. YIPPEEE Just got a surprise in the mail today to help hold my belly up once it gets a little bigger. Trust me it gets bigger by the minute. Amy looks at me everyday and says, "oh my god" Like she just realized i'm pregnant. 38 weeks is gonna be a site. i don't feel like visitors most of the time. i am soo uncomfortable and can't breath. lets talk about "the shower" we absolutely love getting things for us and the sugar babies. we love handmedowns and gifts. However, this is a very crucial time for me and the babies and it's not to be taken lightly. I have three focuses right now; the sugar babies arriving healthy and vibrant, my health, and amy, manda and bradley. guess that is more than 3.
Mandy handed me the computer and never got it back....geez, do you all ever do that? Someone hands you a magazine to look at something, then before you know it, your flipping through the pages? I just did that to Mandy. Sorry Mandy.
Mandy went to the pool on Sunday and floated for an hour. She said the weight came off of her belly right when she landed in the pool. Dr. says she needs to float to take the weight of the babies off her cervix.
Mandy looked at her phone tonight out of habit to see what was on her schedule for tomorrow. She looked at me, (embarrassed) and said "ope, there's nothing in there".

1 day down

Yesterday was our first day with Mandy on bed rest. Whew. We made it. Started the day out with a blurb and ended the day in a blurb. oops.
We'll get better at this Im sure.

Trish came over yesterday and we painted the nursery. It looks soooo good! Mandy had no input in the nursery and I think that made her nervous. Last night she went in to look at it, and smiled. She loved it. That made me happy. She has had too much to do and to worry about than designing nurseries. Right? So, she's cooking the babies, and Im making them pretty rooms.

This morning all 3 kids woke up and said "can we go look now?" So they RAN to the nursery and fell on the floor like 3 little drama students and they loved it too. Then, they each had me pick them up like a baby and put them in the crib one at a time. I rocked them in my arms and kissed them like babies. They had a good time. They asked me where the other 3 cribs were going, so I showed them how I was going to line the cribs up. Amanda says "that's hillbilly". Like how many choices are there to cram 4 cribs in any room?
Gotta love their honosty.

Mandy is taking a bath this morning before she makes her final pitstop on the couch. She has decided a daily bath or shower will keep spirits up. I am looking for a pool today to take Mandy to. She has orders from the doc to float in a pool 2x a week for an hour. That should be entertaining? Pregnant with quads in a swim suit? Glad that's not me. :)

Mandy had a rough night last night....nausea set in. I'm sure her body was in a bit of shock from not moving all day. It isn't like her to lay around. She wanted to help me finish the room so bad last night. She kept telling me she would go get this or that. Then she would remember, she wasn't suppose to do ANYTHING. It must be hard to shut down your mind like that.
I kept thinking last night that I needed to call our cell phone and record her snoring, but I figured by the time I called she would hear me and wake up. I will plan ahead tonight and take a phone to bed with me. She won't believe the noises coming from her when she is asleep. 4 babies are crying in there! TILLIE is the smallest, and the only one we know for sure of the sex. We have lots of clothes that are 2 of this and 2 of that. oops. We just pray for 4 healthy babies, and one healthy mom.
Oh, the kids asked me at breakfast why mom was so fussy yesterday. I told them that she was really pregnant, and it is a lot to have a baby in you... They don't get it, they just want her to be her fun self today. We will make sure she has a good day. Lot's of nice pills.

It's official

post by Mandy
well today's dr.'s appt was quite eventful to say the least. started out with the ultra sound and when you go in there are 3 ultra sound techs so you might not get the same one. well we never had this one before. she still can't tell 100% percent what the sex of Baby A is. So we think we have 2 boys and 1 girl and 85% chance of Baby A being a girl so that would give us 2 and 2. So here's what we think going in.

A= 85% chance girl
B= Boy
C= Boy
D= Girl

today we hear that baby c is a girl.


Tech infoms us and shows us that C is a GIRL. It's a darn good thing we have unisex names picked out. So now the count is 3 girls and 1 boy unless A turns out to be a boy. It has it's legs crossed and baby B has his head in it's right on top of B. They are really squished. I am equivalent to a 8 month pregnant person carrying one baby and I am only at 20 weeks. The babies weighed between 10-12 oz. Baby Tilly (i vote for Y ,she's baby D ) is our smallest. However, she has the most room in there. She is on my right side just chillin. The rest of them are crammed like sardines. So bradley kept asking over and over again to see the boys penis. (perve) Then we got to see Tilly in 3-D. She has my eyes:) LOL impossible.
So i have been getting ready to get bossed and be put on bedrest. Tying up lots of loose ends here and there. I will be able to work from bed -i just can't go anywhere. so i was very nervous to meet the doctor today because he's the one that doesn't mess around and puts you on bedrest at 20 weeks whether you need it or not. so i must say i'm doing VERY well. i really just can't breath or walk long distances. i did have a bout of low blood pressure last week. so anyway he comes in and we chit chat about stuff for a minute then he asks how my pregnancy is going. and he cuts to the chase and BAM! Bedrest for me. I could feel my face look upset. I could see Amy out of the corner of my eye just glowing with thanks that he did that to me. I had a range of emotions run through my mind and body zoning in and out of what he was saying. i started to get a little light headed like i was going to pass out. The mini blinds were out of the corner of my other eye and it was making me dizzy along with the great news he just handed me on a silver platter. This pregnancy has been a major stretch for me up to this point. I feel so limited and restricted and have followed every rule to the T. I was supposed to gain 50 lbs by week 20. I did it. I have gained 56 lbs total. For those of you that know me I see things very black and white. So the thought of MORE restriction and it becoming a reality was really faint worthy at the time. I didn't faint. The doc proceeded to share a very emotional story to him and he teared up and his face got really flush. GEES we are both gonna pass out. So out of all the charlie browns teacher talk that i heard today the only thing i could really hear was this. if these babies come now or before 28 weeks. the likelihood for survival is not good. so i am processing all of this thinking to myself. ok, i did buy the ticket for this i can't half ass it. The 4 babies that are in me and the 2 at home need me. he went on to say my uterus is the strongest muscle in my body and it could be contracting without me knowing it. with the abdominal cerclage in place my uterus could burst and kill me and the babies. well after all this great news who needs a drink? (and i don't drink) so amy, bradley and i leave the appt. amy can tell i'm a little fussified. she asks if i want to talk about it. i reply, "uh no" we went to lunch and it was silent. so finally i say, "hey the good news about today is that all 4 babies are doing really great and we got to see there heartbeats." i start to think to myself while i am driving back to work. i am willing to do whatever it takes to ensure healthy me and healthy babies. I am human and am allowed to experience emotions and have them. i have known bedrest is coming and i am not even to the hard part yet. it's a process and i am sure i will figure it out. always do:) so i came to my office and cleaned it, packed everything up i need to work at home and i am blogging here at my desk for the last time before our healthy, beautiful, vibrant 6 lbs babies will be born. Since i am carrying these babies for 38 weeks i won't be back here until summer!!!!

Is it possible to be that untallented? Is that a word? I turned on my computer tonight, and I had every intention on figuring it out. Knitting. I had it in my head, I could visualize what the needles were suppose to do. I could feel it.
NUTHIN! O WELL.
So, while I'm trying all this nonsense knitting, I realize Mandy is beside me huffing, puffing, and moaning --- I look over and ask "are you OK?"
"I know, I sound like my dad over here making all these grunts and stuff, I just can't help it." She says.
Mandy actually admitted to me tonight that she was travelling down hill fast. That is something huge for her to admit. I knew it though. I have been in tune with her ability. The ability to lay there, with that blank look in her eyes. The look of "oh my god, I'm carrying multiples". It is like the most empty, lost, blank, absent stare you will ever see. Well, if you were in my algebra class in 9th grade, you've seen this look before. But that was a long time ago.
Trish came over tonight. Karley came over tonight. All 4 kids (Amanda, Karley, Dylan, Bradley)were sitting on the couch looking at the computer. Mandy told me later that she was a little taken back watching them all sit there staring into the computer, working on it....and she realized soon, we would have 4 more of them in the house. Obviously not on the computer...but someday. Mandy and I love having all the kids here. They all play so well together. Dylan and Bradley were playing swords, and coloring, the girls were on webkins feeding their pets. (side note) Webkins is the worlds worst website. Anyone else out there have problems like we do with Webkins? It is 2009 and this site stinks. Wonder if Cogent could help them out in a pet project?
Ok, back to my overly pregnant Mandy. We are getting closer. We can't stand it. Patience isn't something either of us have. So we can't wait until Friday's dr. appt ...it will hold us over for another week.
Teri found a van in Florida today. Ron thinks she wants to buy it for her. Mandy told him she didn't have a need for a passenger van. That obviously she was shopping around for us. I have decided that it really is for Teri. She use to want to be a cab driver. I think she wants to be our driver!!! She is going to surprise us with that! I just know it. Finally, a personal driver!

Knit Queen

post by mandy
ok so the whole reason why i am pregnant is because amy says, she's too old to be pregnant. I am wondering if she really is getting old.
I am laying in bed last night watching the bachelor with amy and I hear this "soft porn" music playing on her computer. and she is really really into what is on her screen. She isn't even blinking and the screen is like 3 inches from her face. so i am thinking to myself what the hell is she watching? I had recalled hearing that music before on her computer. has amy really turned into this porn freak? so i continue watching the bachelor. We love trashy tv. and the porn music keeps playing and playing and playing. amy is still not talking and her face is so close to the screen that it's fogging. so commercial comes and i look over to see what she's doing and here's the link to what she has been watching over and over again.
Click here: YouTube - How to Knit - The Basics
Then i see that she is sending messages on her facebook about knitting and there are knitting how to books and pamphlets laying all over the house. so i questioned her about her getting old and she told me that knitting was a new trend for people 18-25. oh dear.
Click here: YouTube - How to Knit - The Basics

Tricked ya!!

We think we have changed one of the baby names. Maybe even all of them? OOps. Told you we were indecisive.
I cannot wait until Friday's doctors appointment to see the babies again. It is strange that we get to see them every 2 weeks. I think this may be the last appt. that is biweekly. Next week may go weekly. ??? Anyway, when you carry one baby you see it maybe once. We have seen these boogers every two weeks. It's nuts. I love it. It is such a reassurance that they are all doing well. This is Amy by the way.
Thanks to the anonymous post about the quad stroller. There was one stroller on there that I had not seen , and I liked it.
I went and purchased some fabric to recover a couple of cushions for a chair that is going in the nursery. Does anyone out there have anyone that covers cushions? Sews? Makes Pillows? I was gonna look in the phone book, but if someone can refer me to someone, that would be awesome too. It isn't a big project. BTW
Bradley told Mandy tonight that her belly was getting big, he said "mom, you won't be able to fit in your clothes very long." I hated to tell him that she would be wearing a hospital gown soon, so it wouldn't matter. Mandy just laughed and said she doesn't fit in them now. She is literally rolling herself out of the bed. HAHAHA.
If you know Mandy and I....we make deals all the time with each other. Like, If you let me buy a limo, You can get a cat. Or If you let us have more kids, you can name them. So, it wasn't in writing when we made this agreement, so the details were vague. We didn't know that there would be 4 babies to name. Now we like so many names that we may need more kids to name. So, if your having a baby, can we name it? We love the name game. We went to barnes and Noble last night, and Mandy found a new name. She asked me if I liked it and the lady sitting beside us put her book down and was like "oh, what a fabulous name. That is such a cool name". I love the name so much we may have to rearrange all of the names. Ha...we wear each other out.
Oh, the ie's have it. Tillie.
Amy

99 pillows in the bed, 99 pillows to hold, take one down, pass it around 98 pillow in my bed.
Mandy had literally 99 pillows in this bed.
She has one body pillow, one over her head, one under her head, and the list goes on and on.
She is starting to snore. LOUD. Mayby thats what the pillow over her head is for? Oh, that would be me needing it over my head. I get it.
We went and bought 2 baby mattresses today. Went to once apon a child and bought lots of onesies for the babies. Girls had a blast looking at all the clothes when we got home. Matching them up with each other. Once upon a child in greenwood has sooo many clothes to choose from. Good deals too. Thanks Tricia for the heads up on that.
We went to the movies with the 3 kids today. Now that our kids are big enough to go through 2 slushies and cry in a movie....we are having more? Oh my! We saw Hotel for Dogs and the girls both cried. I think it was a first for that milestone. Cute huh?
So, we have our lights installed in the nursery now...thanks to papa boo. Now we need to go and pick paint colors which I think I can accomplish tomorrow. Had that on the to do list today, but Mandy wears out to quick. She sat in the car while I did the shopping for the mattresses and clothes and the kids played thier ds's in the car.
We went out for lunch today on a Christmas gift card to the Olive Garden? Anyone ever notice they bring out your lunch at the same time you get your salad? Bogus huh? Anyway, the kids were freezing and Mandy was wearing 4 shirts....so she went to take one off to give to the kids and her entire outfit went all the way up showing all of her big prego belly, back! You should have seen her red face. Miss Modest! I keep telling her to let it go.
I have been online looking for a quad stroller. Hey, that isn't an easy task. What's up with all the triple stuff? And, the carseat we were going to buy...I saw a lady at Walmart with the same seat and asked her if she liked it, SHE HATES IT. So, I need to start that task over again. If you have a favorite item that you like send it our way so we can check it out. Ok, it's 12:30....I need my beauty rest, I don't have the natural glow that Mandy says she has. My hair isn't quite as messy as hers either, but who's keeping track?
Over and OUT!

63 second pee

post by mandy
i can really notice that the sugar babies are growing. i guess when you are carrying quads. i have been very fortunate that i don't have all the nasty things that come along with being pregnant. the things i do have, i can handle. this morning i was laying in bed awake with my eyes closed and i heard amy go to the bathroom to pee. and so i started counting how long she peed. I am not telling a Mandy lie. She peed for 63 seconds straight. when she walked by me to get back in bed i said, "bitch" she was like, "why'd you say that" i said, "because when i have to go pee it doesn't even feel like it used to when i have to pee. my foot might as well hurt telling me to go pee because my insides are so discumbobulated. when i do pee it's for 3 seconds. my bladder never really empties. " she graciously ignored my complaning and hopped back in bed. I am so lucky to only have that complaint. some women have hellacious acne, nope i don't have that. i only have the pregnancy glow

Jokes on me....

Today I was picking Bradley up from Pre School. I was waiting on Bradley when a parent came up and said "I heard you tell Jackson I was here. " Teacher says, "yeah, I called Jack, Jackson, and Jackie! I guess they all want to stay here."
Ok? Is Jack overdone at the time?

I was at Walmart picking up some totes to pack up some coats, shoes, and clothes that have been outgrown by Amanda and Bradley. I had been talking to Mandy on the phone, and when I hung up I got a text message (I thought) from her. The text went like this...
*Hey, my armpit really stinks like a pickle. Im a little freaked out by it.
*me* Really, that is wierd, why are you freaking out?
*because, my armpit smells like a pickle.
*me* why would it smell like that?
* from old deodorant, dirty shirt, and being stinky I guess.
*me* wierd!

I get in the car, and look at my phone and I have a text message from Dusty. Mandy's cousin. So I look at it, and read it, and the texting was between me and Dusty. Not me and Mandy. So is dusty pregnant in the armpit?

Votes on Tilly or Tillie 1 for "Y" 2 for "IE"
Better get your votes in....
Under the post, there is the time and date of when the blog was written. Then it says "comments". Click on comments.
Yeah for the 2 hour delay tomorrow again. I get an extra hour tonight with the kids, and I love that!!!

MY apologies

Dear Dental Hygenist....
I was really kidding about you putting the kink in it. When we had our oldest child, Amanda, we didn't share her name until the day she was born. Reason being, we are so easily persuaded. We are not changing the name because of your conversation with Mandy. I promise. She get's herself worked up with everyone's opinion. She told me the exact conversation and I did know that your son was a Jackson. If we change Jack to something else, it won't be because she visited the dentist. HAHA.... It will be because we are so indecisive.
We have gotten so many responses of my blog yesterday. Why hasn't anyone aggrevated me about the name Tillie? Ok, here is a good one.... Is it Tilly Or Tillie?
Vote now.

Amy....
Mandy is doing so great. All babies are moving now. Every once in a while, Mandy will say "oooh" like something is wrong, and it is baby A kicking her straight down. Baby A has been named Sam. It is a girl. Amanda wants to name her Sam. From icarly. My Grandpa just passed last month. His Name was Sam Selke. So, to pass on his name, we were going to name a boy Sam. Amanda begged for us to switch it to the girl. Well, now Mandy went to the dentist and told the names we were going with, and the dentil hygenist says "oh, everyone has that name." Which was Jack. After Mandy's grandpa. So, now Mandy wants to switch Sam back to baby B which is a boy. And find a new name for Baby A. !!!! Is everyone confused? Or just the dentil hygenist for putting that out there to make things complicated?
So, the names we have chosen...for the minute are Sam, Jack, Tillie, Kerry. All 4 are names from our families from loved ones who are no longer here. We are having some switching going on daily, with which baby is who...although, I have to say from the start - baby D has always been Tillie. I won't waver from that. Bradley was going to be Tillie if he had been a girl, and I just love the name. I know that is is a different name, and when I tell people the name, I can see such a look in their eyes like ??? WTF? What is that? LOL. I love it. For once, I don't care. The love that Tillie put out to my grandpa, (she raised my grandpa) and the stories I have of her are soooo wonderful, that it has to be passed on.
Kerry... Mandy has wanted to pass his name on for quite some time now. It has been a name that I wasn't sold on, nor was Teri. It was so fresh, and still so hurtful. I feel though, that throughout Mandy's pregnancy, the circle of life has been in full swing, and Mandy's pregnancy has not taken the hurt away that Kerry is not here, but the pain has dulled a little, and good memories have surfaced. Time heals all wounds. We still talk about Kerry all the time, but in a new light. I like it. I feel like it is healthy now.
We are discussing replacing the name Jack for now. TBD at a later date. We will let you know...

Mandy told me yesterday that she is going to be putting herself on her own bed rest soon. She is getting really tired. She took 2 naps yesterday. Isn't that funny. She came home and her hair looked good. She laughed and blamed it on the second nap.

We are going to join a group in greenwood ... a multiples group. Hoping we can find ways to get all the things we need. Or what we need, or how it will all work. Im caught up in the mechanics. I do know from friends with twins that it isn't necessary to have 4 swings, or 4 of this or that, but to rotate babies. Im not worried so much about that yet, Im worried about finding a FREAKING passanger van to fit this HUGE family in. LAUGH OUT LOUD FOR ME!!! A passanger van. Im so crushed to give in to that. Want a real laugh? Ron brought me an ad the other day about a limo. I called about it, but it didn't seat enough. Wouldn't that be hilarious? Dropping the kids at school in a limo? HAHA

Doc appt jan. 8th 2009

post by mandy
so today was the Big day to find out what baby A's sex is. Our doc deals only with high risk pregnancies so the lobby is filled with a bunch of fussy pregnant women. there was a lady next to amy and i that was sleeping on a couch. i was soooooo jealous that she had the couch. we were already an hour late for being called back for our appt. my fun meter was pegged out. so finally they called sleeping beauty back before me and her ass wasn't even off that couch and i was on it ASLEEP in the lobby. so i walk back and immediately say "i have to pee" pee in my cup and proceed to the ultra sound room where the lights are low so we can see the screen. the technician gets right to work and ask us "ok who do we not know the sexes of yet" we tell her and she takes about 5 min. of pushing and prodding on me to find the parts to tell us boy or girl. she finally says. I am 85% that you have 2 and 2. It's a girl. right before i have an ultra sound i am always sooo nervous. nervous that my cervix will be bad or the babies won't be doing great. i was really upset that i was going to be fired from Dionne Warwick's Pychic Hotline because i was wrong on my prediction but I was SOOOOO relieved to see 4 healthy heartbeats.
so we switch rooms to see the nurse and then the doc. i always see 3 people when i go in that ask a lot of nosey questions. the nurse says, "now have we given you a nandicap plackered yet?" i was thinking to myself oh my god i am really pregnant with quads. I quickly responded, "no and i need one." really without even hesitation. i was soooo thrilled to get that. it is very difficult for me to get around. oh i forgot to tell you this. i gained 12 lbs in 2 weeks. YIKES. talk about and yo yo experience of emotions. amy asked the nurse if that was normal and the nurse ignored her and didn't yell at me so we figure it was ok. i have been really really nervous about the dreaded "best rest" conversation with the doc. so i casaully bring it up to the nurse and she says, "well if you ask one doc he says at 20 weeks and the other says case by case" luckily the one i have been seeing is the case by case doc. nurse informed me that 20 weeks is like the magic number when shit hits the fan. i am at 18 weeks. so the doc comes in to the room. now he is about 55 years old, about 5'5" and funny as hell. so he comes and and immediately starts looking into my soul. literally. he's trying to figure me out. i have had really no problems to speak of up to this point and i am very fortunate. so he says, "so having any problems" i say, "uh nope" he says, "really, none?" i reply, "nope" he is just starring into my soul and then he says,, " well what about heartburn?" i reply, "yep, i have that" so he says, "ok that's the stuff i am looking for. he says, "i think you are going to be sooo easy" i reply, "yep, I am going for 38 weeks" he says, "how bout 40?" now mind you 38 weeks is setting a world record. 28 weeks is the first goal. the babies have 90% chance of survival once i reach that point. I WILL get to that milestone. i told the doc i was tired, that was the only problem i could think of so they were very happy with me today. i go back in 2 weeks to get the babies measured again. i have to go i have heartburn. uhhh

funny amanda story

post by mandy
ok i have to tell a kid story. amanda is 7 and is in 1st grade. she is very open about having 2 moms and is very very comfortable talking about it and it's just no big deal to her. so i have to preface the story with that info.

soooo the rules are you can't be let off the school bus if an adult isn't waiting for you. the bus pulled up yesterday to let amanda off and amy was trying to find bradley a show to watch per his request. and amy told bradley, "i can't be in here finding you a show and open the door for amanda and get her off the bus." so bradley goes to the front door and opens it and is just standing there with his knees bent swinging his arms like a monkey and the big yellow bus pulls up. amy is still in the other room flipping channels for the king. and she comes running to get amanda and the bus was just sitting there and the driver wouldn't let amanda off the bus. amanda was laughing when she came in and amy says, "what's so funny?" manda replies," i told the bus driver that bradley was just my REALLY short dad and it was ok if i got off the bus"
Guess the bus driver wasn't buying it. i can't stop laughing everytime i think of her saying that. funny shit.

PREGO

When you hear Quads, you think to yourself, "wow, that will be hard". You think you have time. You put off for tomorrow what you should have done already. I keep saying "I'll get it done". Mandy is hurting. She is 18 weeks pregnant. Carrying quads. She can no longer lay on her back. She comes home from work and goes straight to the couch. Tonight, she was sitting and helping Amanda with her homework, and that lasted all of 10 minutes, before she was horizontal. Last night her head was hurting her. She needs a massage in the worst way. I was soooo lucky to have massages while I was pregnant with Bradley. I had one every Saturday morning. Mandy is so lucky to get a foot massage from Bradley. He rubbed her feet tonight for 30 seconds, then ice cream became his focus. Poor Mandy.
When we were in Florida, Mandy asked me if I thought her belly button would pop out? I laughed so hard at her. My belly never popped out, so I thought since she had as much belly as I do, that it couldn't possibly EVER happen to her. Like we are both members of the big belly association. She was laying there, and I was making fun of her about it. I said, "let me see that belly button". She pulled up her shirt, and I couldn't even fit the tip of my finger in there! Holly cow.... reality check...there are 4 babies in there, and they are growing fast. I formally appologize for laughing!
Mandy has outgrown all of her clothes. Refuses to buy any, and she is starting to look like her dad. We were walking through the airport coming home and she had on black crop pants, white socks, tennis shoes, and a shirt that didn't match. I looked back at her, and she was laughing saying that she was dressed like her mom, but she wasn't. She was dressed like RON! Oh, you know they say check out your dates parents, cuz that's what your marrying. I love you Ron!

CRIBS:
I have 2 cribs that I like. I have one that I don't like. And one crib that I haven't seen. I have had lots of people call me and ask if I have all the cribs I need? I DO HAVE 4 CRIBS. What I am looking for is one dark wood crib to match the others. I can paint the one I don't like, so I should just say that I have my cribs fulfilled, Unless someone has a fairly recent crib that is dark wood that they want to part with. Thank you everyone for worrying about my crib problem. You all Rock!!!
Mandy will not let anyone see her belly. She is modest, modest, modest. I will take a picture when she is sleeping tonight and post it on the web.
Amy

having contractions

post by mandy
so i got amy the book about Jon & Kate's family for christmas. she quickly finished the book on vacation so i started to read it. let me just tell you NOT A GOOD IDEA. it goes into detail about how many problems she was having and how many times she had been hospitalized. i got about half done with the book a couple of days into our short trip. let me rewind for a second here. well i am getting up to pee about every hour at night. so i am already not sleeping that great and my body hurts at night. i have not felt the babies move up until this point. i am 18 weeks pregnant. ( i think) i get confused on how far along i am. anyway back to my story. so i have read this jon & kate book and i am hours and hours away from home and from my doc. some woman are already in the hospital at the point i am in my pregnancy and i am galavanting around in florida on vacation. so i am laying in bed and i get a SEVERE pain in my back. in my left lower back. i am thinking to myself. shit am i having a contraction? what does a contraction even feel like? ok how far apart are they? i know they ask that. ok mine is just a steady hurt. i lay there for about 2 hours driving myself nuts on what is happening to me. i am already significantly starting to show. baby c is above my belly button now. i can feel parts and pieces when i press on my belly. so i finally fall asleep. i get up in the morning and start 20 questioning amy about contractions and what they feel like. i then have a really strange feeling in my lower stomach. baby A. i started timing them. they were less then a minute apart. "what the hell, am i having contractions?" this can't be happening to me on vacation at 18 weeks. so after a minor quiet panic attack. (don't forget amanda and bradley are 5 and 7 so drama is not good) i realize that i was the official winner of the Orlando Dumb Box of Rocks Award. I had just felt baby A move for the first time. Jan. 4th.... :) yipppppeeeeeee I wasn't having contractions. that is the baby that we do not know the sex of yet. i go to the doc again on thurs. in 2 days. amanda has requested that we do some name shifting around to accommodate her so amy and i obliged. manda REALLY wants baby A to be a girl. the names we have picked out our unisex so it doesn't matter. my predictation is still 3 boys 1 girl.

quick trip to orlando

post by mandy

we had been casually shopping around for a warm place to take us and the kids over winter break. tickets were just way too expensive. we had saved all of our change and dollars for a full year with the kids. we got out the heavy coined jar about month ago and counted it one night while eating pizza in the bed. we were surrounded by quarters and manda's favorite. Papa John's garlic butter. With all the lute we counted we really really really wanted to take the kids on a final HUU RAAA before the sugar babies got here. we know we will be pretty home bound for a while with 4 new additions. amy and i both kept checking air fare. our suburban had a total fluke of a repair and had been in the shop since dec. 23rd. we really wanted to drive since plane tix were soo much but couldn't since we didn't have our car. sporting a convertible for 17 hours one way is NOT my idea of fun. so just by chance i got online on new years eve and found cheap airfare. Holy Connoly sign us up. One text to amy for permission and it was set we were going to orlando. leaving in less than 24 hours.