Wednesday, June 13, 2007

A full 23 weeks and still at home!!

Horray for another week at home! But more importantly, the babies are looking great! They each weigh over a pound!! (between 1.1 to 1.5 lbs) Dr. Tabor said that I've got about 5 pounds of baby inside me! I am the size of a full term singleton mom. They are all growing at the same rate and are all around the same size! My cervical cerclage is still holding strong and is the only reason I am still pregnant right now (besides the fact that God is watching over us!). ;)



I gained 4 lbs in one week! YAY! I made up for the pound I lost last week, and gained 3 more on top of that! I think all four of THESE particular pounds reside in my hands! hahaha...yes, folks...check out my "MAN HANDS!" Don't be jealous! Everybody loves "man hands", especially on women! ha!

Also, I'm sure yall have heard about the sextuplets that have been born recently...well, the doctor overseeing the care and birth of the family in Arizona is one of Dr. Tabor's associates. Pretty cool. Lots of people with higher order multiples actually move to Arizona, just to be taken care of by this man and his clinic.


I am having random, occasional contractions (which doc said are normal)..but the weird thing is: I cannot feel the beginning of these contractions...no cramping. I just feel my tummy throughout the day and sometimes it is hard as a rock, right at the top of a contraction. But I'm good as long as they are less than four contractions an hour...and I'm not even close to that. (Notice how high my belly reaches into my ribs! All the way into my chest! Yes, on my right side, UP INTO my ribs and chest, my two little boy twins like to play..very often!) Can you say: heartburn? difficulty breathing? acid reflux? When I eat, my food feels like it gets trapped right at the top of this big belly bubble.



An AWESOME story:
This is SOOOO cute! (I hope Joe doesn't blast me for this) The other night, right before we were going to bed, Joe was kissing our babies goodnight. He was right up next to my tum tum, with his cheek against my skin. He began talking to the babies and singing to them and sweet little Savannah started kicking! (I guess that could be good or bad! "pleeeease stop singing!" haha!) I could feel her from the inside and Joe could feel her tapping his cheek and ear from the outside as he was singing to her. (Keep in mind, I hadn't felt the babies awake for several hours...but as soon as Joe started talking to them and singing to them, Savannah was definitely interacting with him!) The next day I was reading my weekly email from Baby Gaga or What to Expect When You're Expecting, and the entire email was about how the babies can hear and recognize voices and sounds and will react! How cool is that?! or better yet, how cool is God?!?!

30 comments:

JAMIE'S CREW said...

Yea!! for the Steece family! I am so happy to hear that you are at home for another week. My contractions were just like yours. One minute fine - the next rock hard tummy! No pain whatsoever. Keep an eye on them though. :-) My duo were both breech - they never turned. Having those 2 round heads up in my diaphragm and ribs definitely made things uncomfortable.

Your tummy looks beautiful as ever. How did Joe react to Savannah's activity? And, congrats on the 4 pounds! You are awesome!

Take care!
Jamie

Unknown said...

Congratulations for getting to stay at home!!! I am a labor and delivery nurse, so I know about taking care of the women that are preterm for weeks on end. Not fun for them at all. My first son would interact like that with my husband. They would have games, my husband would tap on him (very gently) and my son would hit back. It was great! My second would stop moving if my husband tried to talk to him. Just neat to see their personalities already! Love reading all your updates! Thanks for sharing!!!
Ashley

The Manning Family said...

YAY--another week at home! What wonderful news that everything is continuing to go well for all of you. You're in my thoughts daily.

You are truly amazing for carrying four babies at once, and your attitude and faith in God during this time is inspiring.

So sweet about Savannah reacting to her Daddy's voice. What a precious moment!

TEXOSE said...

WOW!!! I love the movement story. They already know their daddy's voice. HOW COOL!!! I am so glad that you are home and everything is going smoothly even your weight gain. Sorry about the heartburn and stuff that goes with it. I am sure it is worse when you have to lay down all day. I love the pics and you look amazing and should seriously be on the front of a mommy prego magazine... GLOWING AND BEAUTIFUL regardless of the hands. I hope that they are not hurting/aching from them being large but you can't tell. It just adds to your spiritual and physical beauty.... LOVE YAH SUZ... Tell all I said HI and miss them to include you and your peas..hehehehe
-----JoLee and Family

Carol said...

your belly looks awesome! I'm so glad to hear that you are still doing so well. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Yippie!! You get to stay home another week. That is AWESOME!! God is SO GOOD!! And you are such an inspiration! God will keep you and your babies safe. Hang in there and try to enjoy the "rest" while you can. :)

Renee' Lewis
CB&T

Claremont First Ward said...

What a wonderful story about Savannah and Joe! I bet he'll cherish that memory always! When I was pregnant with my first child I worked with children and when they sang, Grace would go crazy. It wasn't music that made her excited, it was children's singing. Your stomach looks incredible! The first thing I noticed was the swelling in your hands. Enjoy those "manhands" while you can. ha ha.

Casey's trio said...

So glad to hear you had another good dr visit and another week behind you. Beautiful belly pics:) What a great story about the babies reacting to hearing Joe's voice. God is great!Have you noticed any improvement with the heartburn since the dr. prescribed medication? Not a fun side effect of pregnancy when you are supposed to be eating tons of fat greasy food!

Kim said...

God is amazing and so are you! Thank you for the belly pics I am in awe of your perfect skin!! We are continuing to keep you in our prayers! Rest Well and keep caring for those little bitty babies.

Dr. Grumbles said...

That is very cool indeed!

Glad to hear the babies are growing and showing their little personalities already!

Corrie said...

So glad to see a new post! I must check at least 5 times a day to see if there is anything new! :)
Way to go on the 4 pounds!
Keep holding those babes in! I want your kids and my kid to be Fightin' Texas Aggies Class of 2030 together! :) WHOOP!

Lindsey Eason said...

Chad and I were good friends with a family in Savannah who had quads while we lived there. You're probably wondering why in the world I haven't told you but I felt like you were most likely getting swamped by stories of families with multiples. NEWAYS, Phil and Lisa Roberts moved to Arizona to be under the care of the doctor and clinic you were referring to - I've heard it is an amazing facility! So glad to hear you're still at home and that all the lil' ones are doing great!!

lauren said...

I can't believe you're at a full-term belly now! Crazy!! It looks beautiful! Gotta love the man-hands! I couldn't wear my wedding ring for months after James was born. Did you notice one of the sextuplets was named Savannah? I almost called you, but I was getting ready for MDO. I love the Joe story! He's such a sweet daddy already!

Charla (SHar-la) said...

BEEUUUTTTTFULLL!!! What else to say?

Sunni Len said...

I am so glad you are doing well and get another week at home. love ya

Stefanie~ said...

I'm a triplet Mom following you.. You look great!! I am amazed at how far your belly goes up.. and I know how un-comfortable that can me... Towards the end of my triplet pregnancy, I had the whole king size bed to myself with about 12 pillows surrounding me. I lived on tums for breakfast, lunch & dinner... Hang in there.

http://triple-take.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Hi Suz! I've been following your blog for a couple of weeks now and look forward to your humorous and touching posts.

I LOVE baby blogs so much that I recently started a new site, www.babyblogaddict.com. We featured the McNulty Quads Blog on June 3rd and have lots of great parenting tips. Check us out!

Anonymous said...

Wow you look amazing! What a beautiful pic of your belly, love the story, hmmm wrapping daddy round her finger already. Just clicked on the map on the size and there is a huge dot from me in New Zealand, guess I do lurk a lot. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family - fantastic news. Marie In New Zealand (the big dot lurker)

asplashofsunshine said...

I am embarrassed to truly let you know how much I look forward to reading your blog. You do not know me, and probably never will. I just have a great time reading your little stories, seeing your fabulous progress, and praying that every day those babies stay snug and warm so they can be perfectly healthy munchkins. Thanks for making your readers laugh.

Anonymous said...

Suz,
I was told my my best friend to get on and read your blog!! I'm 29 and a mom of three. You will love this journey God has allowed you to have. Take a deep breath and remember to take time for yourself. Even if that means a bath or a short walk.
My best friend went to Harding as well. She graduated in 2000. She said she didn't know you. But what a small world. Good luck with the pregnancy and I will pray for you durig this time. I thought about you yessterday because life was very crazy and I wanted to be on best rest!! hehe
Carrie

Anonymous said...

YEAH!!! Hope you still get a few more weeks at home! Looking great!

Anonymous said...

the human body is an astonishing thing.

Three cheers for 23 weeks, and a holding cerclage.

Audrey T said...

Another week - yay! I love feeling Sam move, especially when he's responding to something that I'm doing (or Ryan's doing to him).

Joe has a lifetime of "Daaa-aad" whines of embarrassment to look forward to - Savannah's starting early!

SG said...

Another week at home! YEAH! You look so great... but shouldn't you be laying down?! :) I hope you savor each little kick and flutter. I did not enjoy being pregnant overall because of the sickness, heartburn, swollen ankles, aches and the over all "bigness" of it all, but I LOVED feeling my babies (though it was 1 at a time for me) alive and wiggling inside me. There is nothing else like that! You and Joe are doing a great job as parents already. Thanks so much for letting all of us in blog world share in this most special, special season in your life. You are an inspiration! I'm praying the cerlage holds and gives those babies another 8 to 10 weeks to "cook" and that you get to spend a majority of that time at home resting while those around you do your nesting! Just 5 more days until that big 24 week hurdle is behind you! YEAH! God really is so good!

Anonymous said...

we may have...my husband is Booter...do you remember him? He is a sales rep in ortho.
Had dinner with Dr. Nixon tonight. Wish you very well.

Mary Beth said...

Hi Suzanne. A friend of mine told me about your blog. My husband and I were at Harding at the same time that you were there. We didn't know you, but you do look familiar. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I am praying for you and your sweet little babies. I have a fourteen-month-old little boy that I am so in love with. I can't imagine how much love must come with four!
Mary Beth
www.caseypicker.com

heather said...

suzanne,
i actually went to harding, but dont think we really knew each other. i randomly came across your blog, and have had people praying for you ever since i found out about the quads. also, i'm good friends with the couple (now the HUGE family) in arizona that just had 6, and they have said nothing but great things about the doctors and hospital. i will have my prayer team continue to pray for you, your husband, and the precious babies in your belly! just curious, but what church are you going to? i grew up in the area you're living in, so i was just wondering. keep trustin Him...and know there's people all over the world prayin for you!

inHim...heather newman

Suzanne said...

rosemary- YES! i know booter! crazy small world

heather- thanks for the prayers! we go to North Davis off of 1-30 in Arlington

Marie-Baguette said...

Hi.I am writing to you following your comments on My Perky Ovaries. I had read your blog before, and I am afraid I had misjudged you completely solely based on your decision to keep your quads.
On a less serious note, you look absolutely fantastic, and even more importantly, you still have a solid sense of humor about your situation. Take good care of yourself.

danielle said...

Hi Suz (I've never met you, yet somehow I feel comfortable enough to call you Suz) - Anyway, I've decided to come out of the "lurking" closet. My name's Danielle - I'm a friend of a friend of the McNulty Quads (I lurk on their website, too!) I just wanted to tell you that my husband and I think of you often - I love reading your updates and saying silent prayers for you. We hope nothing but the best for you and your clan and really admire the way you are approaching this situation. We are at least a year away from kiddos of our own, but I only hope I can be as gracious as you are when the time comes!

Congrats on the four pound weight gain! And, the story about Joe and Savannah is beautiful - I almost felt tears well up! Keep those pounds (and blog updates) a-comin!

- Danielle (from Sacramento)

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