The Pregnancy

Baby and Casey Update – 26.5 Weeks

4 Comments 23 December 2008

First, a little perspective for you from a picture that was taken five minutes ago. The other glowing blonde with Casey is Payton Merriman, one of our good friends from Riverbend Church. She and her husband, Mark, are two of our everyday heroes and angels who have been helping with frequent meals and frequent play dates for Eliot with their daughter, Harper. The reason for the picture is this: Payton and Casey have the exact same due date (if we were only having one baby), March 27th. That’s right, she is 26.5 weeks pregnant just like Casey. What a difference four more babies makes!

We went to see Casey’s Ob/Gyn today, Dr. Stephanie Reich, for our regular visit to check in on the babies and Casey’s health. Dr. Reich delivered Eliot and Casey always felt very comfortable with her so we were thrilled early on when we found out she would keep working with us through the quint pregnancy. She and our perinatologist, Dr. Berry, have worked together every step of the way and both of them will be in the delivery room with Dr. Reich taking the lead.

As has been the case with every visit to date, the babies and Casey are both doing very well! The babies seem to be running out of room though – we could really tell this time just how crammed they are on top of each other. Casey has baby parts up against both kidneys, pressed down against the bottom of her cervix, just below her sternum, and all points in between. There are literally three babies stacked on top of each other from her waist to her chest and one baby on each side of this stack. Later today, Casey had her hands on her hips and could feel the babies on the sides moving at the same time…crazy!

Though she is having a real hard time moving around, breathing, eating, sleeping, and just about every other activity necessary for survival, both doctors are astounded at how well Casey is handling this pregnancy. Dr. Reich told us today that she is really surprised that she’s not in the hospital yet. Her blood pressure was very healthy when they checked it today, her cervix is still completely closed, her symptoms are stable, and she is growing as she needs to be. Her belly grew 2.5 centimeters in the last two weeks!

As the babies are starting to require more calories to complete their development, Casey was given orders to eat more calories. Normally, that’d be great news, but it’s really hard for her to eat much at one time because her stomach is being smashed down by all those babies. She is also having an aversion to sweets so I can’t even tempt her with bowls of ice cream and holiday candy!
So, for now we continue the waiting game. And though the wait is always the hardest part, we love the fact that Christmas will be at our home this year and not at the hospital. We love it that Casey and the babies are doing so well. And we love it that we are almost to week 28 and the pregnancy is almost over! We love more than anything that God has blessed us so richly with this pregnancy and that we have been able to share these blessings with so many wonderful people. It’s going to be a wild January (and hopefully early February), but we are more excited with each passing day about finally getting to see these little ones who have garnered so much attention. And when the time is finally right for this guy and these gals to meet the world, bring on the CHAOS…the good chaos that is!!
God Bless,
Ethan

The Pregnancy

It Comes in Waves…

6 Comments 19 December 2008

After a fairly quiet week, we had a lot of activity today which seems to be the way things go these days…really quiet for a few days, then a wave of activity before things quiet down again. So, here is a quick recap of the daily happenings in the Jones Life:

– Today, we passed another milestone – week 26!! The next two weeks are the most critical two weeks we’ve had to date…statistically, the survival rate skyrockets and the defect rate plummets during these next two weeks…say your prayers, please!

– The producer for A Baby Story called today and said that it looked like they were going to get the green light and that she was planning on flying in on Monday with a film crew to do two days of interviews and filming for “Act 1” of the story they were going to do on us. Very exciting!! However, at the end of the day, she called back and said that a last minute legal glitch has put everything on hold for about a week. She still thinks everything will work out fine, but can’t risk spending the money on flights, etc. until she knows for sure. Bummer, big time, but we think it will happen. Hopefully they’ll get it worked out and get a crew down here before Casey goes to the hospital!!

– We were surprised today by a friend of ours who has been collecting baby stuff for us through her work, the good folks at Humana! She brought tons of diapers, wipes, and other cool stuff! Not only has she been collecting from her co-workers, but she also sent out an email to one of their vendors who were hosting an office party at Humana’s headquarters, Austin Radiological Association, and asked them to donate. Apparently, someone at Austin Radiological knows Casey and rallied up three huge baskets of clothes, blankets, bibs, burp rags, etc…so awesome! Unfortunately, however we do not know who it is so if you happen to be reading this and you know who this incredible person is, please let them know how grateful we are! Thank you also, Ginger, for organizing this and bringing everything out to the house!!

– I had my paint crews start today on the nursery. They got the first coat of paint on everything and will be back on Monday to finish up.

– Another friend of ours called today to say she was headed our way with a high chair for us. That makes four high chairs…only one more to go!
– This weekend, my honey-do list includes cleaning and organizing the garage and a trip to Babies’R’Us to buy the cribs and bedding so we can start putting them together…yippy ;-)

– Eliot has had a great week topped off by two sleepovers at her friend Maddy Brown’s. Our friends, Stacy and Mike Brown have been so incredible and have taken care of Eliot several nights in the last month when I had class. They picked her up Thursday after school and will be bringing her back tomorrow morning. Lots of fun with the little girls, but I’m guessing the Brown family is worn out!!
I hope everyone had a great week and is looking forward to a relaxing weekend!!
God Bless,
Ethan

The Pregnancy

Waiting for the Call – Update on Casey, 25-1/2 Weeks

4 Comments 16 December 2008

I get asked every day several times a day how Casey is feeling and my typical answer is that “she’s hanging in there.” Lately though, I’ve had to hesitate before I can say that. It’s becoming more and more difficult for Casey to hang in there as her body just continues to grow and change so rapidly and the babies run out of room in her womb. She has been experiencing near constant Braxton-Hicks contractions and sleep is very difficult to come by these days (thank God for the Ambien she gets to take every other day!). Despite all of this, her spirit does remain strong and she continues to amaze me with her positive attitude!!
We went to see Dr. Berry today and check in on the quints and as usual, all went very well. The babies are all growing as they should be and Casey’s body is doing as well as can be expected. However, Dr. Berry put me on notice that I am officially waiting for the call, probably an anxious one from an anxious wife (and hopefully not a panicked or hysterical wife) telling me that it’s time to go to the hospital. Don’t get me wrong, delivery is not imminent, but a hospital visit is expected soon.
Let me explain. Dr. Berry fully expects that Casey will go into active labor in the next 2-1/2 weeks. We will know this because she will start having serious contractions, she may start bleeding, her water may break, or any of the other normal signs of active labor will appear. The only problem with this is that we are by no means ready for her to deliver. So, when I get the call, I’ll drop whatever it is I’m doing, I’ll head home to pick her up (assuming I’m at work), and we’ll be headed to the hospital for what will hopefully be an extended stay.
Assuming her water hasn’t broken (we really do not want that to happen), we do not expect the visit to the hospital to qualify as an emergency per se, but it will be a very tense time as we wait for the drugs that are administered to stop her labor from progressing to take effect and quiet her body back down. Because it is so critical to get the babies to at least 28 weeks, we will all be tied up in knots until things settle down and labor is stopped. Dr. Berry said that once labor has been stopped, it is typical for the body to relax for about two weeks before it tries to labor again. From that point on, Casey will reside at Seton on 34th until her body decides it will be put on hold no longer and the babies are evicted.
So, the good news is this: we expect that making it to 28 weeks will not be a problem at all. 28 weeks is the second major goal we’ve had (the first coming at 24 weeks) and it means that the babies likelihood of survival is very high and the risk of defects is very low. Week 28 arrives on New Year’s Eve!!
And here is the challenge: we really don’t want the babies born before 32 weeks and the time Casey spends in the hospital will be incredibly difficult for her. Every day that the babies stay in her womb removes three days of time they will have to spend in the NICU. However, the drugs that they will administer to prevent the progression of labor will exact a painful toll on Casey’s short term health. On top of all of that, being away from home will make it much more difficult for Eliot and me to be with Casey to love on her as she is going to need through this incredible battle.

So as I wait for the call, I also ask for you to pray for Casey and the babies and the rest of the people involved with the big event. We are excited, we are anxious, we are a little scared of what lies ahead. No matter how you slice it, this is a tough hill to climb, but we’re not alone in the fight and we are confident of the good life that awaits us when we get to the other side. Please pray for Casey’s body to remain calm and for her spirit to remain strong as we enter the final phase of the pregnancy! Please also pray that we can stay out of the hospital until after Christmas – this has also been one of our major goals!! Thank you all so much for your love and support throughout everything we’ve been through!!

God bless,
Ethan

The Pregnancy

The Light is Getting Brighter

1 Comment 02 December 2008

We had a great appointment today with our perinatologist, Dr. Berry. We went in for a regular check up and sonogram and by all accounts, things are going very well. All of the babies checked in with normal length and weight and heart rate measurements and Dr. Berry was very happy to hear Casey’s report on how she has been feeling since the hospital stay. Here are some quick stats for you:

– The babies were between the 37th and 75th percentiles in size as compared with normal singleton pregnancies.

– The heart rates were between 126 and 167 bpm which is well within the normal range (one of the babies was sleeping which explains the 126).

– Big Bad Jack is still anchoring the crew weighing in at 1 pound, 14 ounces which puts him in the 75th percentile.

– Three of the girls weighed 1 pound, 4 ounces (37th percentile) while the fourth weighed in at 1 pound, 8 ounces.

Beyond the great news with how the babies are developing, Dr. Berry gave us great confidence that we are nearing the end of the tunnel and the light is getting much brighter! At 23 weeks and 4 days, he said that if Casey were to go into labor at this point he would definitely be able to administer active care to prevent the delivery from happening. What a huge relief after feeling so helpless when we had to go to the hospital just a couple of weeks ago when they told us nothing could be done if she went into labor!

He also felt very confident that Casey will be able to make at least two more weeks, but probably more than that and if she were to go into labor, he felt that he could “keep her pregnant for at least three more weeks”. Putting those two estimates (2 weeks plus 3 weeks) together brings us beyond our first major goal of 28 weeks!! To say the least, we are thrilled with this news!

We talked in more detail about the resuscitation efforts that may be necessary if the babies are born way too early, but the general feeling is that the horrible decisions that would have to be made in this event will not have to be made after all. As long as life progresses as predicted above, this will definitely be the case. Casey and I have committed this to prayer and feel strongly that we will not have to face these decisions!

We have been having a great time with this unique blessing so far, thanks in very large part to the many helping hands around us, but there has also been quite a bit of worry and anxiety to go along with the fun. While we have maintained our faith that all is in God’s hands, it has sometimes been easier to believe than others. We still have quite a way to go, but today’s appointment has allowed us to breathe a little easier as the light at the end of the tunnel keeps getting brighter and brighter! Thank you so much to all of you who have joined us in praying these five little miracles into the world…please keep the prayers coming!!

The Pregnancy

Capturing the Moment

5 Comments 25 November 2008

After seeing many pictures of our family throughout our home and website, people have asked how we became connected with the photographer. Last July Ethan gave me a gift that I will never forget! He scored major points with this one!!!!!

One morning he left a note in my car that said “I know you are going to have a great day!” That afternoon he had a card delivered to me at work. The card said he had a change of clothes packed in my car and to meet him downtown at the Austin Museum of Art at 5:30. I was so excited about an unexpected date night!!!! It was also exciting because we had just found out we were pregnant so I thought it was so sweet of him to plan something special for us.
So after meeting him downtown and walking through the museum he told me we had reservations at Jezebel’s, which is a restaurant that we both became big fans of after another surprise date night he planned for me in July ’07. During that dinner we exchanged gifts and he gave me a beautiful engraved bracelet that I wear everyday.

So, after entering the restaurant they walked us back to the same table we sat at the year before. When we got to our table I looked up and there was the most beautiful portrait I had ever seen – it was of Ethan and Eliot. I was completely in shock and speechless!!! Ethan got a referral from a friend of a photographer, Tracey Taylor, and took Eliot to have their pictures taken together. He chose a 24×20 portrait, wrote me a beautiful message that was actually printed on the portrait, signed it and had it framed. I was first blown away that he came up with the idea and then that he was able to pull it off without Eliot telling me!!! It is a gift that will always hold a very, very, very special place in my heart!

After some of the shock wore off he told me the second part of the gift was to go back to Tracey and have family pictures taken. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to because I had already gained some weight from he pregnancy and I knew after the new baby (didn’t know there were five yet) arrived I would want to do family pictures again. But Ethan and Tracey talked me into it by saying this would be the last time it would just be the three of us and we would want to remember this time in our lives. I am so thankful I finally listened because Tracey took some great shots of our family that I will cherish forever!

After we found out we were expecting quintuplets, Tracey immediately said she wanted to help us document this miracle. So we have been going to Tracey’s studio in Pflugerville every three weeks to take pictures of my growing belly. It has been fun seeing how much I grow from session to session! Tracey has not only been generous with her time in taking these pictures (she has donated all of the sitting fees), but went above and beyond by offering a free 8×10 portrait to customers who bring in a package of diapers for us until the quints turn one! Check out her website and blog for more information http://www.taylormadephotos.com/.

The Pregnancy

Here Comes the Belly!!

1 Comment 24 November 2008

We had another appointment today with Casey’s ob/gyn and thankfully all went very well. We got to see all of the babies again while they checked their heart rates and all checked out well. Here are some interesting facts about what is coming our way in the next few weeks:

– The babies are currently about 1 pound each, give or take a couple of ounces. In other words, she is carrying 5 pounds of baby. Most of you know that babies are typically between 6 and 9 pounds when they are born between 36 and 40 weeks.

– Casey’s belly (uterus) is officially bigger now at 22 weeks, 2 days than she was when Eliot was born at 36 weeks.

– Our goal weight for each of the babies is 4 pounds which is where they should be if they are born around 32 weeks.

– Therefore, if we make it to 32 weeks, Casey will be carrying 20 pounds of baby!!

– Growth will be rapid, just do the math. It took 22 weeks for the babies to get to 1 pound. Now, they are expected to grow 3 pounds more in only 10 weeks!

– Hold on, I’m not done yet. Don’t forget about the placentas and the amniotic sacks (there are five of them) which will grow along with the babies.

– If we make it to 32 weeks (I keep saying “we” as if I’m helping carry these little guys…forgive me!!), Casey will be carrying around 40 pounds of baby and all of their other little parts!! Just in her belly!!

Those of you who have seen Casey in the last few weeks can testify that she looks exactly the same as she always has except for the belly – I don’t think she’s gained an ounce anywhere else!

However…

Casey is having a really hard time moving around. She is having a a lot of difficulty breathing and can only be on her feet for about 15 minutes before she feels like she really needs to sit back down. The contractions that more or less started last week have not stopped and likely will not stop until the quints arrive. She spends maybe an hour each day on her feet (brushing her teeth, showering, etc.) and the rest of the time is spent on the couch with her laptop, thank you notes, and remote control.

Casey’s spirit continues to amaze me! I can’t begin to imagine what she is going through, physically and mentally, and I am overwhelmed by what she has coming. Watching the struggle that she goes through just to reposition herself on the couch makes me hurt for her and it’s going to get exponentially more difficult in the coming weeks. Yet, she keeps on smiling, keeps her focus on cooking up healthy babies, and keeps on thanking God for giving us this amazing blessing!! Please continue to pray for Casey’s health, her strength, and her spirit as we hunker down for what’s coming our way!

God Bless,
Ethan

P.S. Thanks to Tori Wright Gordon for the pictures you see on this blog. She is a friend of ours from the Denton days and has been a great supporter from afar throughout the pregnancy. Check out her blog at http://www.swampbrat.net/!
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