"I cannot BUH-LEEEV the difference a year makes!!!!"
(this should be the motto for our house...seeing as how it is said a ridiculous number of times a day!)
One year ago today:
All of the praying...all of the TEARS...all of the "trying" (which believe me, is WORK after a while and NOT romantic)...all of the negative pregnancy tests...all of the ovulation kits...more of the TEARS (every month)...more of the prayers...all of the doctors appointments...all of the sleepless nights...all of the "what ifs?"....all of the stress...all of the tests....all of the procedures to treat my Endometriosis...more of the TEARS...more of the prayers...
those 5 little pills of 50mg Clomid that were taken for the first time (and only time) at the first of January '07 (and prayer)....
and "Whall-aaaaH!" Suz was pregnant!!! FINALLY!!!
This is a special, special day for me...travel in time- with me- to January 2007 and you can read about the events of that wonderful and glorious day:
BLOG WHEN WE FOUND OUT WE WERE PREGNANT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!!!
(before we knew we were having quads)
Sidenote: Yes, raising quadruplet babies is VERY hard! I hope that in my blog, you don't get a completely "perfect" picture...we are a very "real" family and will tell you like it is! Not every day is all pink and rosy...we have our bad days. However, on those days, when all the children are screaming, throwing up formula, not taking their bottles, not taking their naps, waking up early, etc....that you can either FREAK OUT and get upset, or you can laugh. I LAUGH (the majority of the time)...I mean, really...what are you going to do? And during the moments when I am overwhelmed? That is where Joe comes in...he is INCREDIBLE. When I'm having a bad day, he will swoop right in when he comes home from work and completely take over and tell me to get out of the house! (oh, and a little thing I like to call PRAYER!) ;)
Monday, January 28, 2008
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51 comments:
What a year it's been for the both of us! Can you believe how faithful God has been? His plan is perfect. How much are flights from The Lonestar to The Hoosier state?
It's awesome, both of you. I love reading your blogs and seeing your little peanuts. I'd love, love, love to go from ttc to mother of multiples, maybe three but your two sets of four look like fun too (by fun I of course mean challenging and exciting - as any really good thing isn't easy!).
wow....your faith amazes me! What a strong woman with such a positive attitude about life. To laugh instead of thinking your life is out of control...what an idea! Sounds like your year has been quite a blessing!
I love that you choose Laughter over everything else and lots of prayer! What a blessing that you now have 4 beautifully healthy babies. I can't wait to see what this new year brings your sweet beautiful family. God bless and many more prayers coming your way!
That made my heart smile! I love your story and love reading about all your adventures. When things get crazy here with my 2 year old and newborn, I often think of you guys and it helps me to get a grip! I wanted to let you know...I read on your profile you like Jack Johnson. Well, in case you don't know, he did the Curious George soundtrack and it's awesome! It's all kids songs but with his "touch" and my husband and I LOVE it! Just in case you're interested... :0) Jenny
Your laughter and joy is a gift from God. I thank Him for blessing your family with these wonderful children whom you are raising to love Him. Our God is soooo good. And you make me smile so often. Thank you for your hope, joy, and willingness to share your journey with all of us.
JoAnn
Okay, Suz, your postpartum hormones and my pregnancy hormones are working overtime! Waaaaaahhh! The TEARS are flowing!
I remember that post and love how you captured every moment of anticipation. What else were you to do but have a camera in hand?
Ahhh....
Well I know for me...I need to laugh more! I can relate to HALF of what you are experiencing and I feel more overwhelmed these days. Thanks for reminding me to think back to one year ago when everything was so uncertain and prayer changed our life and brought my two boys into this world. Thanks for this post!!
CONGRATULATIONS all over again!!! Woo-hoo!! It really is true...a year makes such a difference and now you have 4 beautiful blessings! God is good!
What a blessing the last year has been and many more are coming your way. What a great way of handling things, laughter! I do it a lot, but I'll have to do it more!
Thanks for sharing your awesome journey!
AMEN SISTA! it's like you read my mind...i had the endometriosis and the clomid and the tears and appts and tears and i seriously shoulda bought stock in preggo tests because i bought sooo many. but wow...look at our sweeties now!?! i would NEVER have imagined that Brian and i would have 4 sweet babies at once. i'm so glad i found your blog while i was on the super fun bed rest...it was neat that we were at the same point as each other and their bdays are only a week apart...can you imagine if we had made it full term to october? my body seriously would have popped!
it would be so great to meet someday and share some of our "laughing instead of crying" moments. I have to do the same thing or else i'll lose it! Laugh lines are prettier than cry wrinkles anyway:)
love ya!
Jenny
As Jenny said above..You made my heart smile.
I truly believe two things you said. First, everything happens in Gods time, no ifs and or buts...and Second, you can either be sad, frustrated or laugh...and life is so much better if you laugh with it. When life is hard it is so much easier to take if you smile through it (most of the time) than let it get you down...So thanks for beings such a happy, postive, inspirational blog I can enjoy daily:)
What a year you have had!! I believe that everything happens for a reason and that God allowed you at that current time to be pregnant. You have four beautiful babies who now mean the world to you and Joe. Remember to breathe and enjoy every minute of the babies! Hang in there. I can not believe how fast they are growing!!!
I believe when you first find out you are pregnant, it is one of those so special days. It's like you and your husband know the BEST secret and it makes you giddy to think about it! Congrats again - I love your blog. You really have a flair for writing. Drop by mine sometime! mrsaudvm.blogspot.com
Hi, my name is Jodi and I live in Grand Blanc, MI. I can't remember where I saw a link to your blog...I think from one of the infertility sites I frequent. But now I check it to see the updates on your family. I have endometriosis also...my husband and I have been trying to get pg for over a year now. I just wanted to let you know your post today made me cry. You are such an inspiration, I hope you know that. Thanks for sharing your life with us strangers, it truly renews my hope that someday I will be a Mommy. Your babies are absolutely beautiful and you have a great soul.
Aww! That is awesome!!!! God is awesome. I found out 2 yrs ago on January 21st that I was pregnant! LOL! Now I have a 16 month old running around. Literally running! Won't be long and those little ones will be cruising around your house!
What a great post. That made me smile HUGE smiles!
Any mother knows everyday life isn't always glamorous (even though we can make things look sooooo cute on our blogs!), but laughing when things get rough is always best--thanks for that reminder!
Oh yeah, and having an amazing husband? That always helps--I know that first hand too!
Congrats again on your four beautiful babies!
Devin in Illinois
My nurses would ask why I was still laughing and smiling and I would tell them "I HAVE TO...I am either laughing or crying - so laughing it is!" Although I shed many a tear, believe me. You are amazing! And I agree - prayer is sometimes the ONLY thing I could do. Congratulations again! :)
Love this post! I so feel ya Suz! Keep on laughing.. really.. it's all we can do!
Lot's of Love!
Gen and family
ps: this week started out with a bang for us...RSV and Pink Eye all around! I'm loosing it.. thanks for reminding me to smile!
Wow...I can't believe it's been a year already. You're right..what a difference a year makes!!
What an encouragement it is to read your blog about your faithfulness and God's blessing of 4 BABIES to you and your hubby! We have been struggling with infertility (I have PCOS) and are starting IVF this month. Even 150 mg of Clomid did NOTHING to me... God has a plan... different for everyone. :) It's all in his timing-- he teaches me that everyday! :) Have a blessed week with those precious miracle babies!
God is GOOD!! To have done all that He has within this past year...so awesome!
Hi Suz, I love your blog...the thought of four babies at once is super overwhelming and it is fun to get a glimpse of your life. I don't know you at all though and so I kind of feel bad that I look into your life and see what you are up too. Our babies were born very close. Our little Owen was born on August 7th, so we have that in common. Anyhoo, I do have a question for you that really is NONE of my business but I am curious and I thought I would just throw it out there and if you don't want to answer than girl you just let me know... Did you get pregnant naturally (no fertility drugs) with your quads? Also, why Clomid, I thought that was a heart medication, how does it help for pregnancy?
Tracy Hey! Clomid IS a fertility drug. Clomiphene is used to induce ovulation, to correct irregular ovulation, to help increase egg production and to correct luteal phase deficiency. (I was NOT ovulating correctly sometimes not at all in combination with my Endometriosis) It is one of the selective estrogen receptor modulators that acts as an anti-estrogen and tricks the pituitary gland into producing more FSH and LH, which, in turn, stimulates the ovary into producing more eggs and follicles. It is NOT a heart med.
Love the flashback to one year ago. Once I stumbled on to your blog, I went back and read all of it. I know, kind of stalker-ish :) but your blog was just so interesting! Oh, how things can change in 365 days! You and your family are so blessed...everyone happy and healthy. And kuddos to your hubby for taking over when you need a break! That is NICE!
This post is so true! I still say that my worst day with the triplet is still WAY better than my life before them. They are almost 2 now so life has gotten easier but there are still many bad days!
Whitney
I have to say I agree so much with you on the babes going nuts and all you can do is laugh. I tell my husband all the time it is either laugh or cry and laughing is so much more fun. It is hard when they are both going at the same time and you have double what I do.
This post put a big smile on my heart! Love your attitude towards life..it is contagious :)!
Wow! What an amazing thing to think that a little over a year ago, you didn't even know you were pregnant and now you have 4 babies!! God really is amazing!
On a side note - I think you may know my cousin....Stacey Losher. Not sure, but I noticed today she was linking to you. I don't even know how I found your blog in the first place, but I think its really ironic that now she has a link to you too!
Suzanne, I think your strength and love for those babies is such an encouragement to so many. I can only imagine how the 'bad' days go. I am glad you are real on your blog. thanks for letting us all into your world a little.
We have a lot in common although my rounds (yes more than one and a higher dose than you took -yikes!) with Clomid resulted in nothing, took a break and got pregnant with my first. Now I have two girls!
Hi Suzanne,
My name is Miranda. My friend is a "blogger-addict" and she somehow found your blog through other friends' sites. We are both NICU nurses and were just taken with your story about your 4 precious babies. What a God story you have! I live in TN and will likely never cross paths with you, but I want you to know that your faith has been an inspiration to me. I am in a similar situation that you were in a year ago and I'm praying through the tears and negative tests and will start clomid next month. I don't know what our Lord has in store for me and my husband, but I want to thank you for sharing your story. You don't even know how many people you are impacting. May God bless you for your faith and your great attitude! Thank you! -swimmir320@hotmail.com
Well, As you know I have fallen in love with your family. I want to start of by saying thanks from the bottom of my heart for letting me be apart of your lives. This blog (and all of your blogs) makes me smile. It's crazy to think about life changing that much in one year! Thanks for sharing! Love you!
I have been reading your blog (can't remember how I got the link) and I have to tell you how much hope it gives me. I also struggle with endometriosis and my hubby & I are currently struggling to conceive (heading into our 3rd IVF cycle). I know you probably don't want to "post" about your endo, but I would love to hear more about the treatments you went through and where you had it. I have it in each ovary. Anyway, thank you for your faith in the Lord and the hope you give to people struggling to conceive!
hatten fam! god bless you and your journey to pregnancy. i had endo on my fallopian tubes and a tumor on my right ovary. they removed the tumor (benign) and my fallopian tubes were severely scarred (the fimbria were completely club-like...like a rolled up fist). i had a HSG (hystero-salpingogram), and a diagnostic laparoscopy where she found the endo and scraped and lasered it all out. the only fertility assistance we did was the one month of clomid...
so, i think that's it! good luck with everything and never give up hope. God is great and faithful! much love!
hatten fam...you're not alone ya know. I had a similar experience as Suz did. Feel free to email me if you'd like to talk sometime. We had to do ALOT of fertility stuff before we got our sweet quads. It's different for everybody. and boy i know it's SO hard!
brjr26@yahoo.com
Jenny
Happy anniversary, Suz! You are such an amazing, Godly woman! I love reading all of your stories!
Love,
Jen
P.S. Just curious about your endometriosis. I have never had any symptoms, but after 3 years of infertility they did a laparoscopy and found a 'moderate' case of endo and lasered it off. I got preggo with my precious daughter Grace 7 months later, but am struggling with secondary infertility now and don't know if the endo has come back or not. Any
advice or suggestions from your experience (both personal and as a medical professional) would be so helpful. Thanks.
matthoneycutt@yahoo.com
jen--i opted to leave you a comment on here (you can totally email me too: suzsteece@hotmail.com) i just want to make more people aware of endo.
IT. IS. INCURABLE. we will have it for the rest of our lives. it DOES grow back. pregnancy is one of the best things for it b/c the hormones that are involved suppresses the endo from growing. it could DEFINITELY be a cause of secondary infertility. i would talk to my doctor about doing another laparoscopy to laser all the gunk out again. the adhesions might be preventing eggs from attaching to the uterine wall...or adhesions could even be blocking eggs from being able to be released. (but discuss with your OBGYN--i am in NO way an expert!)
FYI to everyone else: Endometriosis is when lining from your uterus is found outside of your uterus. Endometriosis mainly affects women in their 20s to 40s and about 40% of women with endometriosis will have some problems conceiving. The main cause of infertility from endometriosis seems to be scarring and adhesions that result in a blockage (which is what I had). This prevents the egg from being fertilized or the fertilized egg from traveling properly along the fallopian tubes. Endometriosis can be treated with surgery. If you experience pain while having sex (check for Suz!), have very painful menstrual cramps, and/or experience heavy bleeding during your period (check!) or unusual spotting, you may have endometriosis. However, about 30% of women with endometriosis will never show any symptoms except for fertility problems.
FUN STUFF...i will eventually have to have surgery again to laser the stuff off...but right now i am asymptomatic. the only treatment besides surgery is oral contraceptives (and you betta BULEEVE i am on those babies!!)
jen, i wish you all the best! hang in there, woman! positive thoughts!!
I am another one who frequents your blog. I just adore your sweet babies. I am in the middle of going through what you did and agree with previous posts, you have helped renew my hope. This can be such a difficult and painful path, but I am hopeful that God has similar plans for me as he did you. Thank you for your words. Also, it is helpful to know that I am not the only one who cries every month. Sometimes, I think my husband thinks I am crazy. :)
Re: your sidenote. We don't know each other but I've been following your blog since the time you found out you were pregnant. Your sidenote almost sounded as if you were apologizing for having a good, happy life with an amazing husband and 4 beautiful babies. Your positive attitude and the grace in which you handle what has been given to you is an inspiration! Some people have a hard time understanding another person who is happy, fulfilled, content and optimistic and I really don't understand why. But don't for a second feel that you need to justify your feelings, happiness or anything. You are a "glass half full" person and you should continue to embrace it! No apologies (or even almost, kinda like apologies!!) You go, girl. And Joe, too. And Shiloh, the cutie patootie. And your babies- they are amazing. A sidenote: I just smile when I think about the video of Joe holding Savannah. She is completely smitten, batting her little eyelashes and cooing at her Daddy. It is the most adorable thing!
I receive alot of encouragement from you blog based on how long and hard you tried for all of your little miracles. You don't know me, but just have to say thank you. We are 21 months and counting on the trying, not sure what our answer will be or when, but thank you for being so real.
You don't know me but I am Emily Fryant Porter's Sister in law! LOL! I love looking at your blog! She has a link to your blog on her page! After reading your blog today about your experienc I have a little more found faith about pregnancy than before! Thanks for your testimonty! I haven't started clomid yet but will in about a month! Still going through the steps to get there! Anyway I just love looking at the babies and watching them grow!
Tomekia Porter
Thanks for your honesty and the clarification on the drug! Have a great weekend!
I say all the time what a diffrence a year makes and the change has been no way like yours . I can only imagine how difficult it is rasing four but i know there must be some amazingly wonderful moments to
YEAH!!! HAPPY 6 MONTH BIRTHDAY BABIES!!!! I can't believe it's already been 6 months, I know you guys can't either. I will give you a call this week and come see those babies soon. Lots of xoxo
nurse ashlie
Happy Half Birthday Drew, Ethan, Sav, and Ben!!! :) :) :)
Suzanne - You continue to amaze me everyday! God has blessed you tremendously. You know, they always say, "God doesn't give you more than you can handle." He must think you are a pretty great person.
Thinking of you daily and can't wait to see you again!
Carrie
Awwww!! Happy pregnancy day. Happy 6mo birthday babies. They are as deliscious as ever. I also got pregnant on my first dose of 50mg Clomid. I am guessing there are a lot more multiples out there than people realized conceived with the help of Clomid. :D I dont mind being one of the lucky ones. ;)
God has truly blessed your family. I know some days are really hard but it is like you said you can either cry and freak out or just laugh. Somedays I just want to cry but I normally laugh because someone does something that makes you just say this day will pass. You guys are doing a great job.
Deanna
I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, but look at your beautiful family now. God bless all of you!!!!!
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