THANK YOU ALL!

Hello! We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We are very thankful this year for many things. We were blessed with our four beautiful, healthy babies for starters! We have also been blessed by all of you! We are so grateful for your prayers, thoughts, phone calls, visits, cards, gifts, food, and time! Thank you cards will probably get mailed out with our kids graduation invitations...lol..but I will EVENTUALLY get those done...sorry in the delay...but please know that we are extremely thankful for everything!! It's amazing how you all have taken part in our journey! We could not survive without you!
A huge thank you to our office staff and patients! Thanks for all that you do!! You are an important part of our family! You are appreciated!
Anna Claire, Price, Finn and Carter would also like to thank thier grandparents! We just had our first virus...ugh...I'm sure you can all imagine what it's like to have four babies sick at one time. I wasn't sure if we were going to have to start smoking, drinking, cursing, or just crying...haha! We had vaccinations last Wednesday and then...wow...they were sick...but we think they had a virus on top of the vaccinations. Our parents were great in helping us out...and getting thrown up on....and changing really bad diapers...and rocking...ect ect!!! Thank yall!!
I'm also thankful that God blessed me with a wonderful husband and blessed our children with an amazing father! You should see Benjy with our babies....he does a fantastic job! He is very hands on....and LOVES to do anything with them....from feeding to changing diapers. He was meant to be a father!
Thanksgiving for us took on new meaning this year! I hope each of you had time to reflect on what you are thankful for these days! May God bless you all!
Have a wonderful week!
Jo Ann

__________________Be careful little feet, where you go..._______________________

Trying on our tube tops for next race in Talladega. Actually we're at the Dr.'s office about to get weighed, these are the belts that hold the electrodes which hook us up to our cardiorespiratory monitors. Can't wait to get these things off!

31 lbs. 1 oz.

Been awhile since our last update, just want to catch you all up on where we are, how everyone is getting on, but no real news to speak of. The babies turned 7 weeks last Friday, which was 2 days past their due date. They are growing quite well for the most part, at their checkup on Friday Price weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz., Carter & Anna Claire were 7 lbs. 10 oz. each and Mr. Finn was 8 lbs. 11 oz! We hope to see Price continue to improve, as you may recall he was the last to come home from the NICU. He wasn't the smallest until recently, he's just had a little more preemie-type trouble than the rest of them. Me and Mom learn more every day how to take care of these babies, and the different needs each of them have, the subtle nuances that we pick up only by spending more and more time with them. And we love every bit of it. It's tough, but we love it. Sometimes they worry us, sometimes they wear us farther than we thought we could be worn, but they ALWAYS find brand new ways to steal our hearts. And we love it.
Speaking of preemie-type trouble: likely the biggest challenge Jo Ann and I are facing right now with these babies is protecting them from getting sick. More specifically, from RSV. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is the number 1 cause for re-hospitalization among infants, especially preemies. To make matters worse, they were born right at the beginning of RSV season, whereas they would have a leg up had they been born in spring or early summer. For an adult, RSV is nothing more than a plain old common cold, but is much more dangerous, potentially life-threatening for a preemie. During the third trimester, protective RSV-fighting antibodies are transmitted from mother to child, so when pregnancy is abbreviated the baby is denied those antibodies. Besides this lack of protection, the preemie's airways are much smaller than his full-term counterpart. Therefore, only a small amount of mucous, swelling or irritation is capable of restricting or completely closing the airways. This is why Jo Ann and I are being so hyper-protective against exposure. We take these babies nowhere except the Dr's. office, and even there we are taken in the back door during his office's lunch hour to prevent exposure.
This is where things become somewhat difficult for us. We need help. Help with feeding, babysitting, just being here (in our home) so we can have an occasional break, or so that we can go to work. Right now either Jo Ann or I am always home. During the week, either I'm working or she is. But I'm running out of leave time so we will have to figure out how to do things a little differently. It is our hope that we will feel more comfortable and confident with those people helping us in the home, whether it be family or friends, and that we can somehow send a clear message regarding any caregivers having been exposed to someone sick or being sick themselves. Unfortunately our babies can't be around children either, sick or not. Between the two of us, Jo Ann and I have 17 nieces and nephews who have never seen our babies with the exception of my 17-year old niece. I think that is the age restriction recommended by our pediatrician. We don't like that, but we can't help it. The babies will likely be on the same 4-hour schedule for 3 or 4 more months. I think we get more used to it as each day passes, hopefully adaptability will not become a problem, sleep is important. I didn't intend to post a thesis here, but this part is really important. Anyway, that's that.
I said at the beginning there was no real news to speak of. I forgot something really exciting! We bought a v-a-n. I will never say that word. Just 3 letters, but I will never say we have one. That ought to be a 4-letter word. Time to kiss cool goodbye. Any suggestions how to look or feel not like a nerd in a mini v-a-n? Or should I just go ahead, give in, get the pocket protector, slide rule, and members only jacket? Or maybe a seersucker suit and bring sexy all the way back? Seriously, we now have an Odyssey, or Jo Ann does, and we really like it. The kids don't know any better and it suits our purposes perfectly. Really nice, plenty of room, and easy to get quads in car seats in and out of. So we're thankful for our Odyssey.
Also, one last thing. I gotta say...these kids have been such a joy, such a delight and such a blessing to me. But as grateful as I am for them, this family wouldn't be what it is if not for their mother. What a mom! It is so amazing to watch her while she cares for them. I'm glad God made us different, there's no way I could do what she does. He made something very special when He made moms.

REAUXLL TIDE REAUXLL!!!

How 'Bout That Tide!!!... LSwho?

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!!

Hello! It's Jo Ann. Sorry it has been so long since I've posted! As you can imagine life has changed so much for us in the last few weeks!! Wow! What a blessing!! I want to say how grateful we are to you all....we want to thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, cards, phone calls, visits, gifts and wonderful meals. You guys have really allowed us to just enjoy this time with our new family..the Crim 6 pack! It's so funny to think we went from a family of 2 to 6 in less than 5 minutes!!! Dr. Conrad..we love you and appreciate you beyond words...you took on this high risk pregnancy knowing that God would see us through....I appreciate your prayers and your expertise....you are not only an amazing ob/gyn but an amazing surgeon! THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO HAVE THESE WONDERFUL BABIES!! (And yes...your Misson Impossible theme music for the surgery was fitting!) The surgical team really went above and beyond the call of duty...you guys are incredible!! I will just say that the birth of our babies was an experience like no other...first of all it was super easy...and then the sounds of our babies crying..WOW .it still brings tears to my eyes now....every mom wants to hear that sound....but when you are told that you may not hear that with your preemies and you do....you just thank God for the sweetest sound ever heard! We also want to thank Huntsville Hospital. We had the best experience there! Our nurses were incredible! Thanks for keeping me partially sane while I was waiting for the birth of our little ones! Debbie and Kristy, we really enjoyed seeing you guys every day! Thanks for bringing a smile and encouraging us daily! Debbie, the babies look adorable in thier outfits you made!! We also want to thank all the NICU staff as well....you not only took care of our babies...but taught us how to as well....THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO GET OFF TO A GREAT START!

I am loving every minute of being a Mommy! I have already told Benjy that we need more babies...lol! Of course we are sleep deprived...but I can sleep when they no longer want me to hold them and cuddle them...or when they get 50!! I am just overwhelmed at how blessed we are...and that these are actually OUR babies!! I want to remember all the little sounds and the expressions they make! Hopefully we will have more pictures posted soon for you guys! The babies are changing so fast....by the time we get one picture posted they have a new look! Anna Claire is our first born and our little diva....she looks just like her daddy...but we are HOPING she will act like her mommy!! Price came second...he is our sweet patient boy...he looks like his mommy and fortunatly acts just like her too...lol!! Our third born baby is Finn....who is growing way too fast!!!..he was 6 pounds and 4 ounces at his last doctors appointment which as 10 days ago...he is getting heavier and heavier by the day!!...He is my alarm clock...he lets us know when it's getting close to feeding time..and he also has his Nana wrapped around his little finger...she can not stand if he so much as grunts and she runs to him! Our little man is Carter....who was 4 pounds 15 ounces 10 days ago....he eats like a mad man!!...and is our patient little charmer...he is going to be our ladies man! The nurses all wanted to take him home...guess we will have to nail his windows shut like his Dad's had to be nailed shut to keep him from sneaking out with his ladies...haha! It's fun to watch thier personalities develop...we hope we keep our two patient boys and Finn and Anna Claire will learn to be like them...:)! Well speaking of Finn...he is letting me know that it is feeding time....lol...I LOVE IT.....BEING A MOM IS INCREDIBLE!!

Reunited and it feels so.....good? Anna Claire, Price, Finn, Carter

Free Time

Wow! 2 weeks since the last update. If you're still following our progress, I'll try and just hit the high spots since the last post. Last Monday, (Oct. 13), Jo Ann and I 'roomed in' at the NICU with Anna C., Finn and Carter. That means we stayed with them in a hotel-like room at the hospital. We were taking all the babies home with apnea/heart monitors, and this gave us an opportunity to make-believe we were on our own, and at the same time have help readily available should we need it. Price didn't participate because he wasn't quite ready to go. On Tuesday morning we took the three of them home. Kinda hoping for one at a time to get broken in, but it was ok. It was hard to leave Price there alone, but he too was finally discharged the following Friday. As it turns out, Jo Ann's Pilot wasn't as big as it looked when I tried to cram 4 infant seats in it, so we swapped vehicles with her Mom until we can find something bigger. We're temporarily using her Expedition which isn't quite large enough either, so in all our spare time we're either loooking for a vehicle like a Suburban or a (gulp) van, or we're not getting a million other things done either. After the 5 of us picked up Price we went to our first appointment with the pediatrician. Lord, have mercy. (That's a plea, not an exclamation.) Anyways we're all home now, and the babies are on a 4-hour schedule, probably will be for some time. Sleep for me until now has been highly underrated. Maximum sleep time between feedings, diaper changes etc. is two and a half hours. Neither of us has been to work since the babies came home, please pray for us to find a way to make this work. Sorry I have to run, I'm going to try to go to work this morning, and somebody's hungry. We're all ok, just tired. Oh yes, Thanks to all of you who are praying for us, encouraging us and helping us by sending meals. We appreciate you!

Progress Report

Our babies turned 10 days old this morning. They are all still in the NICU, but they're all doing well. So is Jo Ann. Her recovery is going much better than I expected, guess I shouldn't be surprised. She's done remarkably well since the very beginning and she doesn't even complain all the time. Price is just getting over some issues with spitting up, so he's a little behind the curve with the weight gain. He doesn't seem to be 100% in love with the bottle thing just yet. On the other hand Carter is still the smallest, but he's closing fast. He's eating like a hostage; it's so hilarious to watch. His feeding schedule and amount has been bumped up to the same as Finn, who is the biggest. Preemies often have a little trouble with apnea of prematurity, or AOP, and unfortunately Finn is no exception. He had an apnic episode last week so his discharge was delayed for 5 days. He was supposed to come home today, but he had another one yesterday afternoon. So we start counting down all over again. The Dr.'s and nurses assure us this is normal and nothing to worry about, preterm babies usually outgrow it by week 35 or 36. But it's very nerve-racking for a parent. In a nutshell, the preemies' underdeveloped CNS occasionally 'forgets' to tell the lungs to continue breathing. If the breathing cessation lasts for 20 seconds, the respiration monitor sets off an alarm. The nurse then goes to the crib and taps the baby's feet and his breathing is restored. That's what is reported as an 'apnic episode', thereby delaying the baby's discharge. Anna Claire is quietly and steadily improving. Her progress, while not the quickest, seems to be the most consistent of all. It may be too soon to tell what these babies will be like, but it seems that their personalities are already emerging right before our eyes. I don't think Anna Claire is going to be outnumbered at all. In fact, we may need some more boys.

Delivered in 30 Minutes or Less

Hey, quick update, sorry for the delay. Jo Ann's surgery began at 7:00 Friday morning, everything went just as planned or maybe even better. By 7:20 all 4 babies were delivered. First was Anna Claire - 4 lbs. 2 ozs., then Price - 4 lbs. 9 ozs., then Finn - 4 lbs. 15 ozs., then Carter - 3 lbs. 9 ozs. And they're all doing very well! Sometimes we borrow worries, and fear things that never even happen. Not one of our babies looks like Winston Churchill. They're beautiful. Every one of them. I hope they're ours. I will post some pictures very soon...promise. We don't know when they'll be able to come home, hopefully we'll find out a little more in the next few days. Jo Ann and I have been here for 2 weeks, and we're going home tomorrow. Woohoo! By the way, if you're a husband who someday finds yourself witnessing your wife's C-section and you see smoke and smell something burning, don't panic, she's probably not on fire.

Birth Day

O Lord, Our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. -Psalm 8:1-5
By the time most of you read this, our babies will have been delivered to us. Shortly past 7:00 this morning. Jo Ann and I can't emphasize enough how grateful we are to have you all to share in our joy, our hopes, our fears, our excitement, our worries, all of it. Thank You.

Second Home

Hello again, sorry to be so long in writing, sometimes there's just really not much to say. Yep, this is Benjy. It's not that nothing's happening, just nothing most people really care to hear about. Each day is pretty much like the one before it, and chances are just like the one after. I've never heard so many complaining women in all my life. And the second floor is only high enough to break an ankle. We've lived here for a week now, but really it's not that bad. The nurses, the cleaning staff, everyone has been very kind and accommodating to us. Which is good, because this has without question been the most difficult week for us both physically and emotionally by far. I continue to be impressed and very proud of the way Jo Ann is dealing with it all. We actually have some fun up here. And I don't mean weird-like; just plain ol' fun. OK, maybe a little weird. We have now made 32 weeks and 5 days, far beyond what we expected when we first found out we were pregnant. We're very close! We will measure babies again this Thursday (most likely in utero), anxious to see how much they've grown. Last Thursday the boys were 4 lbs. 1 oz., 4 lbs. 5 oz., 4 lbs. 15 oz. and the girl was 5 lbs. 1 oz. Unbelievable. As I said, we're very close. And come to think of it, that part is a bit different and quite exciting. As we get closer, new people are introduced to help prepare us for what's coming next. We have begun discussions regarding Jo Ann's surgery, we will soon be meeting with the neonatologists, and also with the NICU staff. There's no way we fully understand how real this is. Sometimes we think we're dreaming, sometimes we wish we were. Seriously, we can't barely wait. I'll try to update more consistently, even if I have to make it up.

Brrrrr...

Jo Ann and I have been hoping to move for the past several months, so that we would be closer to work, friends, church and all that. We relocated last night to the corner of Governor's Dr. and California St. Our building says Women & Children on the front of it. We had our Monday appointment and Jo Ann's blood pressure was a tad high, plus we're 32 weeks Wednesday. At Dr. Conrad's office, we did our monthly measurements along with the ultrasound. The babies all seemed to be doing fine. However, Jo Ann's BP was 154/93, so Dr. Conrad decided to admit her. When we got here, she was checked again and this time BP was 164/91. By this morning (Tuesday), the nursing staff had managed to get it down to a much safer level, so for now, delivery is no longer imminent. Your guess is as good as ours when the babies might be delivered. Our Dr. doesn't even have a guestimation. Visitors are welcome, right now we're in room 205 of the Antepartum wing. But be prepared. Jo Ann is having either one long hot flash or a successive series of back-to-back flashes. It's freezing in here. I've got the 'boggan, insulated coveralls and mittens, feel like the only thing missing is a deer rifle and face paint. They've got a great fold-out couch here with a crack right down the middle, and I love it. Love it! Last night while I was asleep I dreamed I was an Eskimo in the hospital being treated for hypothermia. Really not that bad, I just like to run with it sometimes. But I would wear sleeves. Jo Ann is doing well now, we monitor the babies 2 to 3 times daily, so for the time being we're just holding what we got. I hope I'm not betraying the Nelson family's privacy here, but our dear friend Lori was in a car wreck Monday and sustained a pretty bad concussion. She's having some problems with dizziness and nausea, so please pray for her and her family as you continue to pray for us.

'Prayed for 1, but Blessed with 4'

Hello, Everyone! Hope you are all looking forward to another great week! We have no idea what adventure may or may not be in store for us this week! It is hard to believe that we have made it this far!!! As you all know 29 weeks is the average gestational age of a quad. We have surpassed week 30. Wednesday will mark the completion of week 31!!
I still think back on how it all began. This journey started a couple of years ago with many months spent on the emotional roller coaster ride of "Are we pregnant? No, not this time!) We prayed continuously for God's will. We were very close to giving up! We prayed for the right doctors, and we've been surrounded by the very best doctors and staff from the beginning! Thanks Dr. Conrad, Dr. Harper and staff! We really appreciate you guys!!
In February, things were definitely different! As usual I was hoping we were pregnant, and I really felt like maybe we were. Of course after months and months of hoping this, you start to doubt your feelings on these things. I will never forget taking that pregnancy test and waiting forever for the results. I also will never forget the next 7 I took after that to make sure it was right. HAHA! I remember being overcome with emotion and thinking that there was no way we were actually pregant. I did not have the heart to tell Benjy until the results were verified with a blood test. He had been a passenger on the roller coaster ride as well, and I did not want to tell him and get him excited only to disappoint him if we weren't. I had to wait 2 long days to find out if we were actually going to be parents! WHAT A LONG WAIT!! The thrill of getting to tell him the results and seeing his face made not only that 2 day wait melt away but also the hard months of disappointment. Little did we realize that the waiting had just began. We had to wait a couple of weeks for our first ultrasound. Wow! What a day! We arrived at Dr. Harper's office full of excitement and anxiety! As soon as the ultrasound started, I saw the screen and commented, "Is that two babies?" Christina (the nurse doing the scan) said, "MMM.. I think I see two with a possible third. Let me get Dr. Harper to take a look." Dr. Harper came in and saw 2 heartbeats and decided that the third sac was just fluid. He quickly told us that the chances of us having 3 babies was less than 3 percent!!!! We were told to follow up the next week. We left that day with me telling Benjy that we would be normal and take our twins everywhere with us. I did not want us to be the kind of parents that leave your kids at home. The next week we were back to verify our twins. I walked into the exam room and laughingly said that it better be 2 that I could handle 2 but not 3...haha...little did we know what a great sense of humor God really has!! As soon as Christine started the exam, she went to get Dr. Harper. He comes in and looks and looks...and yes he was floored...there was not 2..not 3...but 4!!! Our chances of 4 were less than 1 percent. Not one time since that moment have I been sad about having 4!! We are absolutely thrilled to finally be having our family! I did however ask if it was too late to start smoking crack..haha! My view on the whole thing was that if I wasn't freaking out then NO ONE could freak out! They told us to return for another follow up ultrasound the next week, and I think we both said NO!!! in unison! We were not sure if they were multiplying by 2 or just adding 2 each week...but we were sure we were good with 4...haha! We left that day with me telling Benjy that we were definitely going to be the parents that left our kids at home and couldn't take them with us anywhere..haha!
Every day has been a huge blessing! We have surpassed all expectations placed on quad pregnancies. This is all due to the power of prayer! We knew from the beginning that we were facing a very high risk pregnancy. Until our fire drill Friday, it has been as smooth sailing as possible! We were told bedrest at week 20 if not before if we started having problems....I was able to work until week 24! We were told we may have hospital bedrest as early as week 26 or 27....we are still at home...but expect to be there anyday! We were told by the NICU neonatologists that they would see our babies at week 29....well as you know they aren't there yet!! WOW! We've been blessed!! Thank you for all your prayers!!!!
We know our adventure is just beginning. We expect our babies any day now! Many obstacles and hurdles will be faced in the many days, weeks, months, and years to come! One thing we all need to learn is that we are not in control!! God is in control! What a great thing that is!!! We continue to pray for 4 healthy babies!!
A friend of ours (Thanks, Sara!) sent me a link to a blog of another family with quads. On thier opening page, they have written, "We Prayed for One and Were Blessed with Four!" Benjy and I feel the same way! Once again we thank you all for your prayer! May God bless each and every one of you!! Jo Ann

Surprise personal shower given by the ladies in Benjy's family a few weeks ago when Jo Ann had just begun bedrest. Thank you all!

CrimQuads Scrapbook

One of our Many Favorite Gifts. Thank you Sharon, can't wait to replace our imagination with something we can wrap our arms around.

Fire Drill

Jo Ann and I have been anxiously looking forward to a change of pace lately, something to break up the monotony wedged between our weekly ultrasound visits. Opportunity knocked early Friday morning. My parents were down from Murfreesboro to spend a couple days tending to Jo Ann while I was out. While I was getting ready to leave for work, Jo Ann told me she had called Dr. Conrad's answering service earlier that morning. She had had some lower abdominal pains that woke her at about 2 am. Her hope was to be seen in the Dr.s office just to make sure everything was okay. After what seemed like days, and me calling twice more, Dr. Conrad finally called back. As soon as I answered, he told me to "take Jo Ann to Labor & Delivery now". I asked him if the nurse had told him her symptoms (which were nothing like what had been previously described to us), and he told me that she was having contractions. To me, that was exciting...in every sense of the word. So I very calmly ran through the house like a maniac, getting everything together while Jo Ann got dressed. (Not really, it actually went quite smoothly). We drove to the hospital where we were taken right into a room, and Jo Ann was hooked up to begin monitoring. We were told at a previous appointment to go to the hospital when Jo Ann was having 5 contractions per hour; when we got there she was having 3 every 10 minutes. She was given injections of something I can't spell or say to stop the contractions, which actually began to work very quickly. Dr. Conrad had told us that he had been able in previous cases to suspend pre-term labor for up to 2 weeks with this medication. So far it's working on us too. When he got to her room Friday afternoon, he looked over the test results and told her she could go home, which was a huge surprise. We were told before that once she checked in she wouldn't leave till the babies were born and she had healed from surgery. That was quite a relief to say the least. Bear in mind this was Friday Aug. 29, which was the day before Saturday Aug. 30(rolltide) and our room had a TV that seemed no bigger than a wristwatch. Anyway, we went home. But while we were there, Jo Ann was scanned with the hospital's equipment, and we got the best pictures of our babies that we've ever seen. Not only could we see the eyes, we could see the pupils. Incredible.
We were really pleased with the way every bit of it went. Much better idea how to prepare, what to expect, where exactly to go, a great experience all the way round. Like back in grade school when we had tornado drills and the teachers would make us all stop what we were doing when the bell rang three times, and then run out to the football field and stop, drop and roll. And put our heads between our knees. By the way, our babies are 3 lbs.(2), 3lbs. 5 oz., and the little girl is 3 lbs. 10 ozs. Looks like she's beginning to have her way; it was just a matter of time.

In the Short Rows Now

Amazing how time flies, whether you're having fun or not. Seriously though, since the day that Jo Ann and I first saw the 4 tiny flickers on the ultrasound screen, life has been just a smidgen different. How likely can it be that anything more exciting than this will ever happen to us? Ever. We are approaching 29 weeks, and in most of the literature that we have read, the average gestation for a quadruplet pregnancy is about 30 weeks. Yikes! Could be as long as 34 or so, we'll gladly take every extra day we can get. I suppose no news is good news, as they say; really more of the same ol' waiting game for the time being. We do have an update on our babies' weights and measurements. Last Monday (Aug. 18) the girl and one of the boys weighed 2 lbs. 5 oz, another boy was 2 lbs. 6 oz. and the other one was 2 lbs. 15 oz! I mentioned in a prior post the desire to have consistent weights. According to our doctor, better to have one bigger than the rest than one lagging behind. Just figures the big boy is the one standing on his head on Jo Ann's bladder. As far as measurements, (in terms of length) Dr. Conrad says it's difficult to measure higher order multiples. Says they're different than singletons. Makes me think of the monkey on the front cover of The Screwtape Letters. I don't think he can keep up with what belongs to who to be honest. As far as length, think about something that is about 10 to 12 inches long, like a football or a 10 to 12 inch chicken, that's probably about how long they are. Alan said all he could see was onion rings on the ultrasound I posted, and when I think about it I would guess that if you were to look down into a Sonic sack with a pair of night vision goggles, that's about what it would look like. Except they're moving. As you might imagine, coming up with 8 names is quite difficult, particularly when they require approval of 2 people with different tastes. But we've finally gotten them all named. And we ain't sayin'.
Naturally, people are curious in a situation like this one. And the most obvious question is "How is Jo Ann doing?" Well I'll tell you how she's doing. Awful. She's miserable. If you lived in the house I live in you would know that. But as an incubator, she is doing very, very well! I have to give her props for handling the imprisonment and boredom as well as she does. Somehow she manages to maintain some degree of cheerfulness even though she has to lay down all day. But I still can't resist asking her what she's got planned for the day when I go to work. She can't get up quick enough to kick me so there are really no consequences.
Tomorrow we go back for another ultrasound, and hopefully we'll get results from blood work and the glucose tolerance test she took last Friday. Again we thank you all for your concern, support and prayers, God has been so immeasurably good to us with these 4 little gifts and all the people He's surrounded us with.

Week 25- Ultra/Sono

Another monthly measurement; turn your volume up if you'd like to hear the heartbeats.

From Jo Ann

Hello everyone!! We have finally made it past the 26 week mark! The babies are doing GREAT! It's amazing how much progress we see each week @ our ultrasound appointments. Each Wednesday means a celebration for another week of growth for our babies. I continue to pray that our pregnancy will continue for as long as possible. Week 29 is average and is the set goal of our doctor. However, we will go as long as the babies and me are doing well. I'm just finishing up my third week of complete bedrest. I assure you that this is not fun but is worth every minute. God has blessed me with a devoted, loving husband that has truly gone beyond the call of duty to help with my care. I'm also blessed with wonderful family members who are staying with me. My mother-in-law spent this week with us. She was a huge help! Next week will be my mom. I'm fortunate to have people who will do whatever it takes to give our babies the best start in life. I want to thank you all for the thoughtful prayers, cards, e-mails and calls! A special thank you to the young ladies at Farley Comm. Church for the gift basket of books, puzzles, etc!! Also thanks to all of you that have provided books, dinner, and baby things.
My office staff has been incredible during this time! Without these wonderful ladies I would be lost! It is such a blessing to have people that you trust and respect on your team! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm also thankful for the wonderful Dr.'s covering for me during my absence. You have allowed me to walk away from the practice and focus on what is necessary for my babies! With you all there, I know I can have a sense of peace about the treatment my patients receive. You guys are the best! I really appreciate you!
We have had no complications or problems thus far and that is due to the power of prayer. We are on prayer lists across the county, the state and in other states! Please continue to keep us in your prayers! Thank you! Jo Ann

Baby Clothes

Not much to add this week, other than Monday's checkup. Our Dr. clarified 'bedrest' for us, which practically boils down to 23 hours that Jo Ann is to spend lying down each day. The other hour is to be set aside for her daily shower and travel time - bed to bathroom to bed. While I'm thinking of it, I want to speak to the phenomenal job that Jo Ann is doing taking care of herself and these babies. Impossible to empathize with something I've never done, but her great care to do the right things to give these kids every fighting chance is certainly worth mention. Because of her more restrictive routine, an attendant is required when I'm not here. I think we've got that covered.
We have accumulated tons of baby clothes in the past few months. My mom spent this past week with us, and between cooking and cleaning she found time to wash these clothes and she and Jo Ann sorted them afterwards. Just to watch them, to see Jo Ann holding up each little garment, the sparkle, and the wonder in her eyes, was an absolute thrill for me. She was so detached she had no idea I was watching, pretty cool. Later that night as I passed by the laundry room I caught a glimpse of a little pink and white checked dress on a hanger. I was in a hurry to finish whatever I was doing, but when I saw that little dress, I was spellbound. That dress was hanging in our laundry room, and it belonged there. I think the reason I risk sharing something so mushy is because I'll never forget how I was so gripped with brand new emotions; how I couldn't take my eyes off it trying to imagine what would fill that little dress someday. Amazing.... Alright, that's it for that part, almost feel like I oughta be wearing panties. I really like tractors and football and Ice Road Truckers. It's funny how I think so differently about the boys, figure they'll just be plain ol' boys and not make me tender in the heart like that little girl does. Out of three boys, pretty good chance one of them will someday grow a handlebar moustache, maybe a state horseshoe champion, who knows. Many people have been incredibly supportive and encouraging to us; you know who you are, we thank you all.

Comments

Comments are always welcome, sorry there have been some problems posting. I think I've got that resolved. (Thanks Gina) You shouldn't have to create an account, nor should you be required any ability to recognize crooked words. I think the word recognition helps prevent spam, so as long as that's not a problem, I'll leave it turned off.

Inside Info

We went to the Dr. on Monday and got mashed some more. Sorta like potatoes. Spudruplets. We are all doing just fine. Growing every day, and our hearts are beating about 150 times every minute. This is the only time Mom and Dad can watch us; ... if they only knew. The Dr. told Mom that hopefully she would not be put on hospital bedrest until around week 30. He told her 26 weeks before. That made Dad very happy, because he said "What!? Whatever happened to 26 weeks?" Probly he was afraid he wouldn't know what to do since Mom's always helping him know. He doesn't have much time to write to y'all since he turned into a slave. And there's really not much to say right now because we're mostly just waiting to get born. Dad don't like to write about stuff that don't matter. He thinks 'if you're gonna bring it, bring it big.' So we're just chillin for the time being, and running out of space quickly. We hope to be out soon because there's not enough womb in here for the 4 of us. We gotta go. Love y'all, please pray for us, Goodnight., CrimQuads

History

Just a little background for those who don't know. Jo Ann and I found out in May that we were pregnant via blood testing. The week after that an ultrasound revealed that she was actually carrying twins. We were scheduled for another exam the following week. Imagine our surprise to find FOUR tiny heartbeats during this visit, not to mention our reluctance to return the following week for yet another. Today we are holding at four babies in the middle of week 24. Our 20 week scan was scheduled at a fetal maternal clinic in Birmingham. Each baby was measured and evaluated from head to toe. While we were there the Drs. found 3 boys and 1 girl,....Perfect! Jo Ann feared no girls, I feared all girls. The babies were all doing very well, each was about 6 inches long and 1 boy weighed 15 ounces, the rest were 11 ounces each. We would like to see the weights consistent and hoped for the smaller ones to catch up. This past Monday we had our weekly scan and our monthly measurement. All are still doing very well, and this time each baby weighed 1 pound 7 ounces. Jo Ann went on bedrest Monday July 21. Her new dental practice opened May 6, pretty sure we wouldn't have timed it suchly (old forgotten adverb). She tires very quickly after minimal activity and is restricted to the bed or the recliner, except to shower and use the bathroom. If you're a husband who doesn't recognize your wife's contribution in the home, get her pregnant. A bit off topic here, just wanted to catch up with our progress. Again, no blog whiz here; I'm just about as proficient with IT as I am a bagpipe. I will try to get some pictures posted when I find time, there's not lots of extra, just extra babies. Our intent here is to use this medium as an informational resource, and maybe even a keepsake. (Assuming it's something worth keeping for the sake of anything.) Hopefully the grammer gestapo will give me a pass on spelling, comma splices, congujation and all that. We both appreciate all the support, encouragement and prayer from all of you. Until next time, if you want twins, don't both of you pray for it.

Welcome!

Welcome to the CrimQuads weblog. Hopefully this blog will be a useful tool to help those interested in the progress of our pregnancy to keep up with what's happening throughout this exciting process, and even after the little ones arrive. We are now in week 23, hopefully around 7 to 10 weeks from the big day. I am hesitant to even begin this blog because I'm afraid it may be too difficult to keep up. We'll see. Bear with me as I set this thing up, this ain't my strong suit. Kickoff: 6 weeks from today in the Georgia Dome. Yeeha and ROLL TIDE!!!