Hit me up with some 'roids, would ya'?

I've always wanted to act all tough like that. And, finally... my chance at being a 'roider... ahhhhh... it's all I was hoping it was going to be... minus any new facial hair (ummmm... YET... and do notice I said NEW... that's enough on that topic).





Oh, and since I can't lift heavy weights I guess I don't know if I can bench press any more than I could prior to being on steroids either... or run faster... or jump higher... yeah, all sorta' out of the question, aren't they?




Huh.





Too bad for me I suppose - but ALL GOOD NEWS FOR OUR BABIES HOPEFULLY!!!



Yes, the beginning of week 23 brought on our first 2 rounds of steroid shots to help our babies lungs mature faster. They told us that we'll get 2 more rounds in about 4 weeks again. But that was after a great weekend up north enjoying some s'mores and golf with Grammie and Papa. Yes, we need to take stock in marshmallows these days because we are getting full use of our fire pit!! Here's some pics of the boys playing with Grammie and Papa (WHOM THEY ADORE!! - Go figure - they don't look like much fun, do they?) as well as tearing it up on the golf course. Our kids LOVE to golf, or really play ANYTHING that involves a ball, a hard object, sand, water, running (because, who WALKS to their ball?), being outside... OK, they love all sports. It's awesome!









But my mom and dad stayed up an extra day (which meant they had to take a day off work AND STILL drive home at 11pm at night - thank you so much!) so that my dad could watch the boys and my mom could take me to my ultrasound and first steroid shot on Monday afternoon. Dr. Madion's office is so great at trying to accommodate our schedules whenever possible... it's great because at times like this, when my parents weren't positive they would be able to make it up until the last minute, they still try to shuffle the schedule so that my mom could make it to my ultrasound. They are just the greatest staff working at GT Women's Clinic - LOVE THEM!!!



Anyhow, the ultrasound went great! I was surprised to see (and confirm with the ultrasound technician just in case...) that the babies still have enough room to CHANGE POSITION inside there!!! Poor little baby "A" has always been stuck down at the bottom in a transverse position... as I've mentioned before - it breaks my heart! Yet, despite this seemingly uncomfortable position, baby "A" still flip flops back and forth from having its head on my left, then on my right, then on my left, and now back on my right again! At my last Madion ultrasound app't baby "A" actually flipped while we were there! And then babies "B", "C", and "D" can't decide if they want to be head up or head down... but it appears that they prefer to all JUMP ON TOP OF BABY "A" as they have once again all arranged themselves in a head up position as better to torment little Baby "A" =( Yet only last week at my Jelsema ultrasound babies "B" & "C" were both head down? NUTTY!! Yet, through it all little baby "A" is quite the trooper - moving ALL OVER THE PLACE ALL THE TIME!! So, I suppose it's trying to prove that it's not going to be stomped on by its brothers and/or sisters in the womb or EVER!!!! Oooorrrrrr... I'm just dramatic.





And it turned out that the steroid shot wasn't any biggie. I didn't know what to expect for the steroid shot - I surprised myself by not really doing any research on it before I went (I knew what it was FOR, but not things like side effects, pain, limited activities, etc..). But it was no worse than any regular old shot - no side effects to speak of other than a little soreness, which is expected anyhow.







Belly pic... belly pic... belly pic...



Week 23:










Sorry for all the soap/Q-tip action in these pics... I need to pay a little closer attention to what I'm doing at times... oh, and I'll bet you are ALL appreciating that SHINE, aren't you? I took this puppy right after lubing up for the night.







That's right - lubing up. You have a problem with that?





You want to talk about it? Fine. I will. In both of our other pregnancies I had used this stretch mark cream called 'Magia Bella'. It had 2 different "phases" that you used (early and late pregnancy) and it GUARANTEED that you wouldn't get stretch marks or your moola' back. So, I thought to myself, what's to lose?!?!? So with our twin pregnancy with Aiden and Meadow I used it religiously after every shower and at night. As well as using cocoa butter lotion (and 100% cocoa butter stick) every night on top of it before bed. And, voila! No stretch marks!!





Now, was this due to the cream, good genes (my mother never had a stretch mark in her pregnancies either), or the fact that I took decent care of myself and didn't put on 200 lbs? Hmmmm.... you decide. But, regardless, I was happy.





So, naturally, when pregnancy #2 came along (little Caleb) I followed to same suit and, once again, no stretch marks!! By now, as you can imagine, I'm touting this stuff like I'm some sort of salesperson to every pregnant woman I know!! Unnnnnttttiiiilllll I was ranting and raving about it to a girlfriend who said "Oh yeah, I looked that stuff up and they don't make it anymore." (I think Dana brought it to my attention)





WHAT!?!?!?





My prego stretch mark prevention cream world came crashing down around me!! I felt like a sham, even though I wasn't technically the MANUFACTURER of the stuff, or stock holder, or ANYTHING other than a two-time pregnancy user.... I had recommended it non-stop to my friends and family and this company had the audacity to go out of business!?!?!





If I'm reading between the lines correctly, that would mean that I got lucky on that 100% money-back guarantee... or should I say THEY got lucky because perhaps I was one of the very few NOT to cash in on it???





Opps.





So, now, faced with the daunting task of stretching my skin to accommodate FOUR little babies inside me without tearing my skin to SHREDS... I was at a loss!! Back to the drawing board, or the Internet anyhow. I found a NEW miracle stretch mark prevention cream to use with, again, a 100% money-back guarantee (although I'm pretty positive they must have something in the fine print for multiples... but I don't REALLY care). And, no, I'm not telling ANYONE the name of this junk incase it turns up missing in a year or two as well. But for the time being it came with great reviews and by now, yes, I'm a tad superstitious (apparently). The only thing I'm trying to avoid with our quad pregnancy is tearing my ancient belly button ring scar from here to oblivion. I think I've mentioned that before. I am preparing myself mentally to get stretch marks, I don't see anyway around it with this one, but I just don't want to literally BURST any old wounds open or something!! (yes, I saw something on a mother of multiples whose belly got so big her skin was literally splitting open and bleeding!! ahhhH!!!!)





Forget about those of you who want to shake your head at me - I'm just being HONEST!!! What woman out there goes into ANY pregnancy saying "Golly. I sure hope I get some nice stretch marks out of this one!" Nobody WANTS them - but they HAPPEN. I'm just going a bit over the top (according to some, I'm sure) to do what I can to prevent the process being any more horrific than it's bound to be. Oh, and after my miracle cream application at night I also apply cocoa butter lotion and my yoga oil all over my belly.... THAT'S (getting back to the whole beginning of this blurb) where the beautiful belly sheen comes from in this weeks pic =) And talk about smelling awesome - Jeremy and I both LOVE IT. I still try to do a couple yoga postures every night before bed to unwind (it's been a nightly ritual to do ~1/2 hour of yoga every night before bed - but I am limited pretty extensively now) and the oil is all part of the process... including the 'Enya' CD.... relaxes you just thinking about it, doesn't it?



The end of week 23 brought some pretty emotional times in our house... Jeremy had his last day at Sagasser & Associates, Inc. where he has been for 9 years now. He is leaving to pursue a great opportunity in Traverse City with another consulting firm, ECT. It is an exciting move for Jeremy and I know he will do exceedingly well, but at the same time he was very sad to leave Sagasser. My husband is one of the most loyal, dedicated, CARING employees anyone could hope to have on staff and he took his job and place at Sagasser to heart. When Jeremy started there 9 years ago he was the third guy in the door, so he had been through a lot with the company and was on a very personal level with the other owner's. At the same time, Jeremy learned most everything he knows about environmental engineering/consulting from his boss and fellow co-work at Sagasser and feels forever endebted to them for taking him in under his wing. This was the type of office that actually enjoyed spending time together most every Friday (by ~4:15pm... cough, cough...) at the Big Buck unwinding a bit from the work week. They had their own little "family" where they all looked out for each other and offered what a large-scale corporation setting could not - treating each other as PEOPLE. Jeremy loved those guys and they will be dearly missed. But we as a family are looking forward to our new future.


And Jeremy is leaving this all behind for our family. Period. Yes, as I mentioned, it IS a great opportunity for him in Traverse City, but I also know that our expanding family catapulted him to move on in his career... even if it meant breaking outside that "comfort zone" that comes with 9 years of service at one amazing place.

With this whirlwind in our lives, so many people have given so much... we've talked about this, and will continue to talk about this daily as the outpouring of support amazes and touches us so deeply. But, through it all, the life-changing decisions that Jeremy and I have made in moving forward with what we feel is best for our family have probably been the most difficult on my husband. I don't want to say that I haven't had my fair share of ups and downs through it all, but being that I am the one carrying these babies my focus is so directed. It really is just different... and not in any sort of condescending way... but different none-the-less. And the boys are both too young to really know the difference. Life will be what it will be and they are certainly young enough to adapt. Soon enough they, like all of us over here at the Lew house, will only have distant memories of what our lives were like prior to being a family of 8. And that's certainly OK. But I do not want to overlook the sacrifices that my loving husband has made along the way for our sake. I see the sadness in his eyes and know it's all exciting and yet terrifying at the same time.



PLEASE don't take me the wrong way - we are very much looking forward to our new lives and welcoming our new babies into our family! But please also understand that we are human and as much as we KNOW we will be OK no matter what God hands us... and we KNOW that material things are just that... material THINGS. We know that that Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away... we know it well having lost our Angel Meadow and we harbor no resentment in understanding that the Lord had a better place for her to be with Him. But we also can't help but give into that little self-indulgent sides of ourselves that is whispering "You've both worked so hard to get where you are and have these beautiful things to enjoy!!! And now they will all be gone? Boo hoo for you." Yes, an extremely small 'price' to pay for the opportunity for fulfill God's chosen path for our family... no question about it. And we also know that we will gain so much more appreciation in our lives as well in having to work for it a bit harder now. This is a good thing - we can all use the reminder of how gracious our Lord has been in providing for each and every one of us. It's so easy to get caught up in the "But I worked HARD for that!" mentality and some sense of "ownership" over these petty materialistic THINGS in life. But, we know, nothing is truly ours without His giving them to us.




I love my husband for his unfailing support and I love our family that we have created together. I can't wait to see what other little miracles we will be adding to our brood - and hug and kiss them all nightly with praises of unending love from mommy and daddy. ALL of our children will ALWAYS know that they are loved - no question about it... there is no shortness of energy for hugs and kisses and words of encouragement in our household... nor will there ever be. I believe that each and every one of us finds the time for what is important to them in life.




(are you snickering at me? you think it's funny that i can write this without any CLUE as to how much energy four babies, a two year old and a four year old can take up? welllllll....)