7.27.2012

{Quad Squad} Final Homecoming + First Family Photo!

This morning I woke up in a panic thinking I needed to call the NICU because I hadn't checked on the babies all night. I was pretty happy to remember that all my babies were now home!! We brought our fourth little kiddo home yesterday, exactly two months to the day since they were born. With all four in close quarters and new surroundings, it was about 3am before the husband and I got to sleep. (Thankfully my mom is with us right now and has been such a huge help, especially when we get really worn down!) But no matter how wiped out I am, I'm always super excited to get up—whether it's 2am or 8am—and go see my babies' sweet faces. They are new all over again every day!

Myself with my mom and Trystan.
It was perfect that one of our favorite NICU nurses, Jane, was there the day our final baby was discharged. She had been there the day they were all admitted and had been one of their primary care nurses during their entire stay. She, along with several other wonderful NICU caregivers, got to know our quads from head to toe and helped them along in their first two months of life like they were their own. We are so grateful for such wonderful nurses—both from my stay downstairs in Labor & Delivery and from the NICU—that have made such a positive impact in our lives. We learned a lot from Jane about how to care for our preemie babies, so when we got home we knew just what to do!

Jane, one of our wonderful NICU nurses, with me and Trystan.

All loaded up and ready to go!
It was a very emotional day for me at the NICU. My husband and I had seen our babies grow from two and three pound premature infants to four and five pound healthy babies. We'd experienced a lot of lows and a lot of highs during those two months and we became more knowledgeable about preemie babies and health conditions than I'd ever thought possible. Every single day we made the trek from our house to the hospital, even as I recovered from my delivery, to see our fantastic four and hold their little hands and talk to them through the walls of their isolettes. Needless to say, I shed a few tears before I ever left our pod at the NICU remembering all those endless days and nights. I was saddened to leave some of the special people we'd come to know behind but elated to be moving past this phase and into "Phase 3"—bringing our quadruplets home!

Trystan Lee on her way home two months after birth.
Before we could leave the hospital, though, my mom and I wanted to stop by the Labor & Delivery floor where I had spent my own two months growing the babies and trying my hardest to endure the final weeks of the pregnancy. Just as in the NICU, I had some truly amazing nurses that made such a huge difference in my 57 day stay and helped me through the trying days and celebrated with me on the good ones. I am so grateful God put us in the right place at the right hospital with the right nurses and doctors!

Me with two of my favorite Labor & Delivery nurses that cared for me while I was in the hospital for two months.
Then mom and I loaded Trystan into the car and made one last drive from the hospital to our home. It was finally done, we were all together in one place! The husband was a trooper and had stayed home with the other three while we got Trystan and he was super excited to see his little girl arrive. Before we did anything else, we sat down and took our very first family photo with our quad squad. I couldn't believe it, here we are! We both have worked so hard to accomplish this, everyone home happy and healthy. I could not be any happier!



And so I want to thank you, dear readers, for your endless support, good will, prayers and uplifting comments as I shared my 30-week pregnancy, delivery and homecoming of our sweet quadruplets. I hope you'll continue the journey with us as we adapt to life with quads—plus I also plan to incorporate former blog topics like cooking, photography, travel and more into future posts as we go. After all, this is the story of our lives!

16 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 27, 2012

    Excellent, I love the first family picture, there will be more, but this is the tresure chest, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.Now the family all under one roof, Thanks be to God !
    Love to all
    Aunt Nita

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  2. such exciting news...love the 1st family photos...I know your Mom is so happy to be amongst those sweet babies...

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  3. AnonymousJuly 28, 2012

    Praise The Lord!! So exciting to see all home. I actually ran across your blog looking for something else. I have been reading your blog since. I also pray for you and your little flock.
    Sherry

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  4. AnonymousJuly 28, 2012

    Congratulations! Wishing you all health and happiness!
    P.S. Amber, you look amazing! Enjoy life!

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  5. AWESOME!! So excited for your family. The 1st family photo is beautiful. Again, congratulations on the birth of your 4 little miracle peeps. Sherri

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  6. I'm so happy to see that your family is all in one place now! I really have enjoyed the journey so far and I can't wait to read more1

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  7. Beautiful Family!!!
    Continued prayers for all the Happiness you so richly deserve.

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  8. Wonderful to see the answers to prayer all culminating in this post. You, Bells, are a beautiful family! Now I'll just pray that all the little Bells don't ring all at once with the same intensity. You will forever be in my prayers as often as you come to mind...

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  9. Congratulations been following your Mom she is awesome as is your whole family.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 28, 2012

    This is my first time commenting on your blog though I been reading it since you lived abroad with your husband. I just wanted to say that i am happy that all your kids are home safely and healthy. God Bless!!

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  11. So happy for you! I know your mom is a big help. Love your first family picture. I know it's just the first of many more to come.

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  12. So happy for you - I prayed for these babies and I am so glad they are healthy and home. I will continue to follow your blog. Thanks for sharing.....

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  13. So happy for your family!!

    hugs & kisses all 4 babies!

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  14. All Bells home at last. Cute picture

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