3.17.2013

Some Really BIG Announcements!

So this past week has been absolutely mental. I can honestly say at no point in my life have I had this much on my plate at one time. Like, not even when I had four babies. Because now we are contending with four babies (who are still a bit under the weather, to boot) plus a surgery plus a long-anticipated move to an entirely different city. Say whaaaaat? Yes, it's true. Allow me to share details on three of the most important happenings in our life right now...

1. Tomorrow morning I'll be going into the OR for yet another surgery. One that I didn't plan on having at all. When I had my abdominoplasty just over two months ago, my surgeon did several things. He removed excess skin, fixed my umbilical hernia and stitched together the muscles in my abdomen that had been torn apart from growing huge with quadruplets. As my very difficult recovery progressed and eventually started to improve, my stomach began looking really great. Then about two or three weeks ago, it started puffing back out. It looked swollen and distended, like I was four or five months pregnant. Not the result you want after a tummy tuck and muscular repairs. When I went to see him last Friday, he deduced that it wasn't all fluid causing my stomach to appear that way. The sutures in my abdomen had likely popped or given out and my organs and pressure from gravity were forcing my stomach back out again. It would also explain some pain that's popped up that I didn't have until a few days ago. So tomorrow he'll be repairing the repairs, so to speak, and putting in enough sutures that if any of them should give out, there's plenty more to hold in place.

from start to finish of the quad pregnancy, the babies were born at 29 weeks 5 days

recovering after my first surgery in january
While I'm not thrilled this has been my journey with this surgery, I'm more than willing to get this fixed for good. The pain, pressure and general overall effect of looking and feeling this way is not something I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to be active again, I want to look fit and I want to feel "whole." I'm very nervous about going under anesthesia again and it always makes me worry about the "what if's" especially when I have four babies and a wonderful husband at home. It's also the third time in less than a year that I'm having a rather larger incision at the bottom of my stomach (delivery, abdominoplasty and, now, repairs). To survive my last recovery from surgery, I told myself over and over again that I'd NEVER have to endure anything remotely like that again. Apparently, I spoke too soon. While my recovery should be nowhere near as severe as the last one, it will set me back a little bit and I'll have to once again be patient and rely on the help of others to get me through.


2. We have a quad table!!!! This is a major milestone in our household as it drastically improves our feeding abilities with the babies and also helps as we prepare to teach the babies how to eat finger foods and, eventually, more solids on their own. My husband drafted, cut, sawed, trimmed, sanded, built and stained the table from start to finish—with the help of some great friends as well as his brother. It turned out perfect! We ordered the seats here and roughly followed table plans shared by fellow quad mom, Traci


the husband with the table after staining it
The babies love the table, we sat them all in it for breakfast yesterday morning and they were bouncing in their seats and smacking their little hands on the table top, all smiles. At lunch today, the husband got them all seated after diaper changes and I was finishing mixing up the food for their spoon feeding (we now do that first, followed by bottles). I glanced up from the kitchen counter and all eight eyes were watching me intently, followed by four silly little grins. It made me laugh because I'm so used to having them wait in their bumbo chairs or pack and plays in the living room. I'm not used to having an audience!




3. In the meantime, there's even more news!!! WE'RE MOVING TO DALLAS!!!! The husband and I have longed to get back to Big D for years, both our families live in the area and its where we grew up. It's been more than eight years since we left and we thought we were going to move back about three years ago. But then we took the opportunity to travel abroad and live in Scotland for a year. When we returned to Texas, we thought we'd move. But then some more favorable opportunities popped up and kept us in Houston. And then we had quadruplets. So now with yet another surgery to take place, four babies at home and a house in total transition, we'll be packing up and heading north in less than two weeks!!! Our current plan is to move over Easter weekend. It's fast, y'all. We'll hole up in an apartment until we both sell our house in Houston and find one we want to buy in the Dallas area. We decided that moving with four nine-month-olds and switching jobs and finding a new house and putting some stuff in storage and taking our first real road trip with quadruplets and throwing in a surgery on top of everything sounded like a great plan.


So that's what's going on! I've got some fun Daily Pics posts scheduled for this week as well as my recipe for baked ziti, and I'll also share an update on post-surgery recovery and our moving plans as I'm able. Thanks to all for following along our Lone Star journey and for all the prayers as we progress. It's a crazy life and we love it!

16 comments:

  1. How exciting. I can't believe we both are moving to the area at the same time. We will arrive April 2nd. How kewl is that? Seriously I do hope it goes smoothly for you tomorrow AND with the transition. When the Lord is involved things go A LOT easier. His grace IS sufficient.

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  2. Oh I didn't want to hear that first bit. So reminds me of the disappointment of my grandson re-breaking his leg. John and I are praying for you and your family and we are trusting that God has everything under control and that the second time the surgery will go very well.

    And, we're both very impressed with the quad table. That looks fantastic and as if it will work beautifully. So much easier than wrangling four high chairs that's for sure!

    The last "cartoon" made us laugh. I know that it will be a great move for you and your family.

    Many blessings to you all...

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  3. Oh my! Another whirlwind, I hope the surgery goes well and stays in place this time & what about lifting, if y'all are moving in a couple of weeks! Of course with the help of God, all will be well he's watched over you and your family , the reason you've come so far so quickly. So hold on to your sanity, cause right now life does sound crazy for the Bells !

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  4. Congrats on getting back to Dallas!! I'm sure you are so excited for this new chapter!

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  5. Good grief, girl! Busy mama, but at least you will get it all out of the way at once! YEAH that you will be close to other quad moms, too! Good luck with the surgery tomorrow :-)

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  6. Oh my gosh that last pic is too cute! I wish you all the best with your surgery and the big move! that is a lot to take on at once but it sounds like it will be a great move for your family :)

    -Veronika

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  7. Yours is definitely a family who says, "we can."

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  8. Oh la la - you truly have a lot on your plate right now. I wish all will go well and the end situation is simply a priceless choice. Good luck!

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  9. WOW!!!!

    Best of luck, with everything!!!

    And super job by Daddy, making that quad table!!!!

    Hugs,
    "Auntie"
    (A blogging friend, of your mother)

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  10. Amber I am sitting here in awe of you, I know that we do what we must to tend to our children, our home, our lives but you go well over and beyond and I'm absolutely amazed! Now I understand why your Mom is moving the trailer home, I'm guessing it was hard for her to contain herself in her last post, but mum was the word! lol

    I wish you, Mike and your beautiful babies immense joy and happiness, not only with the move, but each and every day. All the best to you throughout your surgery and wishing you a speedy recovery. The move... wow, I sure hope you have tons of help with that, and the table is absolutely brilliant! Fantastic idea and amazing craftsmanship!

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  11. Yay! Another Quad mama in the Dallas area - there's several of us here as I'm sure you know!We'll have to get together! My husbands a Realtor if you're looking ;)

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  12. Thinking of you Amber and hope your recovery is fast! The table looks great and I know you will enjoy having it! Yea on the move I love the Dallas area even though I'm about 2.5 hours away! Take care and I can't wait to see more pictures!

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  13. Prays for an easy and quick recovery!!! Strength for your husband and helpers to assist you!!! It's all good with those 4 babies smiling back at you!!!

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  14. When you do something Amber, you do it BIG! A surgery & a move, your one tough cookie. Praying for tons of blessings to come your way in both situations

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  15. Amber! What news! I will be praying for your quick recovery and a very smooth process as you pack and move to Dallas. I am so glad that the Quad Table plans were helpful in building your own Quad Table! It looks fabulous!

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  16. Y'all are crazy, but anyone can accomplish it y'all can. What a whirlwind move.
    I guess that means you won't be rocking no babies at Dave's Patio Pub. LOL

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