22 Weeks

Hello Everyone!
This post is not going to be the most exciting (as far as pictures go), but I will explain below.
We had an appointment yesterday with our high risk doctor for growth measurement, heart rate measurement, and my cervix check.  Needless to say, it was our worst appointment to date.  I knew everything was not going to go perfect forever, but that does not make it any easier.
The babies are doing wonderfully and growing exactly to schedule.  Baby A is 1 pound 1 ounce.  Baby B (the girl) is 15 ounces.  Baby C is 1 pound.  Baby D is 1 pound 1 ounce.  That is all very good news, and everything as far as the babies are concerned looks great.  They are very active, so that is reassuring to me because I can clearly feel all four of them kicking and punching me all day and night.
Bad news is that my cervix length is shortening a lot faster than we want it to.  At my last appointment 2 weeks ago, it was 30mm, and yesterday it had shortened to 16mm.  So it lost almost half of its length in not that much time.  Obviously, this is not good news, especially since we need to get some more time before the babies are viable outside the womb.  So, this changes our course of action.  My doctor prescribed me Progesterone which has been shown in some singleton pregnancies to strengthen the cervix.  It is not a sure thing, but it does not hurt anything and is a normal hormone so we are going to try it.  There is no reason not to, and if it helps us gain even a day or two, it is worth it.  Also, I am on strict bed rest at home.  I cannot leave my bed for any reason other than to go to the bathroom and to shower (sitting down) as needed.  I have to lay down in bed except for while I am eating.  I am also increasing my intake of protein to try to spur as much growth for the babies as possible.  I have to pay close attention to my body, and if I feel anything different at all, then I go straight to the hospital.
I have another appointment with my high risk doctor next Wednesday to check my cervix again.  At that point, the babies will be more viable, and it is likely I will be hospitalized for the duration.  I will also likely get my first round of steroid shots starting next Wednesday (it is 2 rounds of shots, 24 hours apart).  This will help spur the babies growth as much as possible in case they do come earlier than we hoped.  
All of that leads to me saying please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  If you know me, you know I tend to worry a lot, and that is the last thing I need to do right now.  I am trying to keep distracted with books, tv, and the internet, but there is only so much of that you can do in a day.  We need to keep those babies inside for another couple of weeks so we will have the chance to bring them home.
Love to you all, and thank you for the support.

Well I promised a bare belly picture.... Don't say I didn't warn you!

Hello Everyone!
I don't have too much to update with, so this will be a short one!  We have reached 20 weeks 6 days with the bambinos which is great news.  Like I said last week, I am definitely starting to feel the pressures, so I do not leave the house nearly as much as I used to.  If I do leave, it can only be a short trip.  I made the trip up to Babies R Us with Chris over the weekend.  It was his first time there, and it was hilarious.  We got some 20% off coupons, so we were able to get some of the "big" stuff we still had left on our list.  We also got some adorable outfits at Carters for the little ones.  I wanted to get some matching outfits, and the cashier lady looked at us and said, "Ummmm, do you know you have 2 of the same thing?"  I said, "Actually, there are 3 of the same thing in there!"  I told her about the quads (3 boys, 1 girl), but it all seemed to go over her head.  We laughed about that one!

Happy to report there are no stretch marks yet, but you can see all of my veins!

Aleah says my belly button is "really weird" and it is "up" like hers! lololol

On the home front, we have been moving stuff around like crazy.  My brother, Nick, is moving back to school (Miami University in Ohio) tomorrow, so things are busy tearing down his room, finding furniture for his new apartment, and gathering all the supplies he will need.  We are also preparing more to start putting the nursery together, so we have been moving all of that furniture as well so we can paint and get everything in place.  It has been a little crazy!  I mostly just sit and watch.  I also watch lots of movies, and I have probably read 3 more books since my last post.  It seems like I can pretty much do one "big" thing per day, and the rest of the day is spent resting.  Thankfully, Chris and my fam have been super helpful in helping me to accomplish all of my "to-do" lists.  Just because I am laying around hasn't changed the fact that I am Type A and want everything a certain way!! Actually, it is probably worse because now if things aren't just perfect I will probably end up a crying mess from all these hormones.  Thinking back, some of the things that can set me off on a crying spree are just hilarious.  I would just like to reiterate to everyone that has to deal with my crazy- NOT MY FAULT!

We went through a whole big tub of old beanie babies with Aleah the other day and she LOVED them!

Crossing the bridge over the creek at my grandparent's house =)

I had a doctor appointment yesterday with my regular OB (have I mentioned how much I love her?!).  The ultrasound machines in her office are definitely starting to not be able to take as good of pictures as the babies get bigger and bigger, so I do not have any pictures to share.  BUT, we were able to hear the heartbeats of all 4 of the Waugh-Nuts, and everyone looks like they are growing according to schedule.  Two of the babies had their legs stretched all the way out!  And, bonus (not!), one of the babies has migrated to pretty much doing the tango with my stomach which accounts for all the nausea I feel when they are moving around.  Have I mentioned that these little ones are kicking, punching, and jabbing me like mad people?!  It was so weird because one day it was flutters and the next it was jabs.  Chris (and others) have been able to feel them from the outside too =)  Baby C is the instigator.  He is in the middle, so whenever he moves, they ALL move (and jab, and punch, and kick).  I have to say, it is pretty cool (and majorly weird) to feel all 4 babies moving at once!  Back to the doctor visit.  She also checked my cervix because it puts my mind so much more at ease for the upcoming week.  Glad to report that my cervix has not changed!  Still holding strong at 30mm in length.  I likely will not have to go to the hospital until it goes down to 20mm, so this is good news.  She also said that the lowest baby (Baby A) is still way up in there and is not trying to come down, so that is also good news.  Sorry for the overshare, but these are the things that I get happy about these days! =)

Another one of my mom's sneaky pictures at the doctor yesterday

My sister, Haley, feeling the kicks 

Chris' first time feeling the babies move

Lots of people have been asking about names.  We haven't decided on anything for sure yet... we are actually still brainstorming.  It has always been easier for me to come up with girl names, so 3 boy names is proving quite difficult! PS- Chris is very picky and unpredictable with what he likes/doesn't like.  That man likes to keep me guessing!  Even when we do decide, though, I think we are going to keep the names to ourselves until they are born =)
Thank you again for keeping up with our journey!  It has been a whirlwind, but it is our normal =)

20 Weeks!

Hello Everyone! Well, it feels like I have officially hit the wall.  I was starting to feel it last week, but this week it has definitely set in.  I do not think I will be leaving the house anymore for anything other than doctor appointments.  It is just too hard and it hurts my body too much that it is not worth it.  So, if you haven't guessed, that means I am HUGE.  Lately, I have been measuring how much I am growing by the status of my belly button.  It is starting to pop out, which is terrifying and gross.  Aleah is very concerned about this development.  The skin is also EXTREMELY sensitive.  Actually the skin over my whole stomach is extremely sensitive.  I feel like I have very noticeably grown in the last 1-2 weeks.  My stomach is now starting to grow wider (since Baby B and Baby D are both on the sides).  It is not really a "bump" anymore- more like a mass growing and taking over my midsection.  It continues to amaze me every day that my body is able to handle the pressures and the stretching to accommodate 4 little ones growing inside of me.  Maybe next week I will do a bare belly shot?  People have been asking....

19 Weeks

20 Weeks

Last week started with Aleah being sick, and then the sickness took over the whole house.  Everyone seemed to get sick (at least a little bit).  I was using hand sanitzer and Lysol wipes, showering, and washing my hands like it was my job.  By some miracle, I did not get sick!  Thank heavens, because any little thing like that could land me in the hospital.  Because of the sickness in the house, we did not have the garage sale last weekend.  So, now it is on for this weekend!  Friday and Saturday out in front of my parents' house if anyone is interested =)

My dad, asleep in the coffin pose (in the hammock) while he was sick

Aleah drew this lovely picture of Uncle Chris (she says it looks just like him!)

I told you we were preparing for a garage sale............

We also had to say goodbye to our childhood dog Lucky.  We have had her since she was born, and she lived a good, long life of 18.5 years!

Chris also got home from Chicago (he was there for work).  He had a good time, but he wished I was there to explore Chicago with him at night- what a guy!  He was doing some continuing education which was hilarious for me because he had to take a test at the end of the week-long training!  It has always been me going to school, studying, and taking tests, so of course I had to make fun of him and rub it in.  He pretty much hates all things to do with schooling in large doses.  Good news is that he passed his test =) and he got to go to a couple of concerts while he was there (his favorite thing to do). On Friday, Chris surprised me by taking off work and spending the day with me- it was great!  Someone to entertain me for the entire day.  In the morning, I went to get my "last haircut."  Miss Aleah got her first haircut, too!  Then Chris went with me to my "last dental visit" in the afternoon.  My life is filled with fun these days.  By the end of the day, though, I had worked myself into such a tizzy about whether some of the things that I was feeling were normal.  So, to ease my mind, we ended up going to the hospital.  Because I am over 16 weeks now, we get to bypass the ER and go straight up to the Labor and Delivery floor at OSU where they have an ER area of sorts solely for pregnant women.  To say this experience was a million percent better than going to the ER is a complete understatement.  It was quick, all of the doctors know exactly what they are looking for, and they have all of the equipment they need right there.  Needless to say, everything looked fine, and I now know that those feelings I was having are my "new normal."  It all ended up working out for Chris because we picked up Adriatico's Pizza on the way home since we were close.  The boy loves his pizza.

I cannot even begin to tell you how big of a diva this girl is.  She loved getting pampered =)

Do you see that grin?!

Saturday night, Chris' parents Dan and Lori came up and we went to dinner at Z Cucina in Grandview.  We have been there before, but it was SO GOOD this time.  Everyone raved.  It was great to spend some time with them and talk about all of the latest developments since we do not get to see them as much as we would like.  Maybe that will change soon! Other than that, it has been a lot of reading, watching tv, being extremely hormonal, and hanging around for me.  I have had some visitors at the house which is fun.  I started to look for used minivans online.  Holy EXPENSIVE!  Who would have thought that something that no one really wants would be so expensive.  If anyone out there can find me a deal- speak up now!  I can't believe I am going to be driving a minivan.  I think that is the hardest reality for me to face (pathetic I know).  My mom and I also picked up some more "stuff" from Babies R Us- really wish there was one closer.  It is such a hike to get there!  We still have a few more things to pick up from Babies R Us and Target, but I am waiting to get the "Complete my Registry" coupon that both stores send.  Every little bit counts! Yesterday, I had my 19 week appointment with my high risk doctor.  Everything is looking awesome!  Baby A and Baby C each weigh 12 ounces (both boys).  Baby D (boy) weighs 11 ounces, and Baby B (girl) weighs 10 ounces.  So, they weigh about as much as a can of pop.  All of these are perfect weights for their age! =)  They were star students again, and my Doctor is really thrilled about my progress.  She tells me to just keep doing what I am doing because it is working!  My cervix is measuring 30 mm which is also great (they like to see above 20).  So, for now, we are just going to keep on keeping on with the appointments every week and measuring my cervix every other week (when I go to the high risk doctor).  No hospital yet for me!  But I am aware that could change at any time.  Now time for some pictures (they are a little out of order, but I have labeled them all).

Baby D's face (skeletor).

A family picture of sorts, although you cannot really see parts of each baby.  They are getting too big and spread out for that!

Baby C's face.

Baby B's foot

Baby B waving hello =)

Baby A's profile

Baby D is actually up and down (with his head down) on my right side

Can you believe that? Baby B

Baby A's profile

Baby D is on the left and Baby A is on the right- they are filling out a lot more than the last time we got 3D images!

Baby A

Baby C on the left and Baby D on the right

Baby D (you can see pretty much his whole body!)

Baby B (the girly girl)

Now that we have reached week 20 (and beyond), we have definitely entered the "scary time."  So much can go wrong during this time because my body is just so big that it wants to go into labor but, obviously, the little ones are too small to survive outside of the womb yet.  The magic week of viability is 24 weeks which is when babies are able to survive outside of the womb (although they do not always because they are still very very small at 24 weeks).  The real goal is 28 weeks and beyond.  Please please please keep the little ones in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple of weeks that they will continue to grow and that they stay tucked away inside for as long as possible.  Every day counts at this point.  Also, be thinking of me during this time because my nerves are shot.  I know there is nothing that I can do to change any outcome- they are going to come when they come.  But, it is still hard not to worry because we so want to meet our little ones and to have a happy and healthy family. Thank you all for your kind words and for following along.  We could not do it without you!

18 weeks 6 days (ummm WHAT?!)

Another eventful week has passed.  I am now 18 weeks 6 days (!!!!).  I am still feeling okay, but definitely starting to slow down.  Mostly because my stomach is just huge.  I have days where I feel better than others, but I usually feel best if I spend most of the day at home, so I have been doing some projects, reading, and catching up on all of my shows to keep myself busy.  Chris is out of town this whole week for work.  He is in Chicago (not fair!), and I can't wait for him to be back home!

18 Weeks!

Tons of stuff going on around here though!  My dad and brother just got back from a week long trip to Key West, Miami, and then to my grandparents house in Jupiter.  My brother is getting ready to head back to Miami University in a few weeks, so my mom is busy getting everything ready for him to go.  He has an apartment this year, so he needs more things than usual (or so my mom thinks! I think Nick could get by with just about anything.).  We are also busy trying to help my sister Haley plan her wedding next summer, and Haley also just started a new job as a waitress.  She works at Wings n Rings, and we went in for lunch
Monday to torture her =)  We are also having a huge garage sale here this weekend.  Horrible timing, but we all need to get rid of some stuff to make room for the Waugh-Nuts!  We have just started the beginning of the preparations for the nursery.  Of course, Aleah is also now sick as well.  So, as you can see, never a dull moment!

Meet my husband, the trash taker outer (he loves this chore).

I have been slightly obsessed with lunchables.  Yes I am an 8 year old.  Yes I realize they probably aren't that healthy.

Napping House

Poor Aleah has been SO SICK!  I have never seen her sit still for so long.

Hello diaper factory!  Thanks to all of you =)

Last Friday, Chris' work teams at OSU had a baby shower for us.  Everyone was so sweet and generous!  We had a great time, and I got to meet a lot of people that Chris is with on a daily basis that I had never met before.  I had never even seen where Chris worked before (weird, I know).  He said he cleaned up his area for me- hilarious.  Here are some pictures we have from the day.  We absolutely adore the O-H-I-O onesies- so perfect =)

Monstrosity.

Aren't these just adorable?!

Chris was quite the comedian during the shower =)

Yesterday, I had my 18 week appointment at my regular OB's office.  She was out of town, so I had one of her partners in the practice instead.  Not much got accomplished (and I got no pictures!), but we did find the four heart beats, so I suppose that is all that matters!

Until next time- have a great week everyone!