Keeping up with the Quads

The Shababies Are Growing... Update #10 on the Four Little Ones.

2007-12-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

Hello there,

It's been almost five months since our last update. The Shababies have kept us very busy. They have been busy too. Their growth and development continues to progress every single day thanks to the help of many folks. Here's what the week looks like...

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Amy's parents help us take care of the kids from 8:00am to 8:00pm. On Tuesday, Amy's Grammy Chessum joins us for most of the day along with a Stimulation Coordinator who's job is play with the kids and make sure their development continues to progress. On Thursday, Amy's Aunt Ines helps us while an Occupational Therapist takes the kids through exercises that keep their motor-skills on course.

On Saturday, a former APU student helps in the morning, and on Sunday, my buddy Tim joins us for most of the day to give us a hand. AND on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night, two former students do the night shift for us so that we can get some sleep. After spending the first three months helping us raise the kids, my mom has now gone back to Turlock. But she also comes down for extended weekends, and has left us with a freezer full of food. Amy's aunt Irene has also done the night shift for us on Tuesday's for the last six months. Outside a few other AMAZING volunteers that have helped us since the beginning, Amy and I are on our own with the kids. Honestly, it's mostly Amy! She's at the house taking care of the kids almost constantly without a break. In fact, she has only left the house a hand-full of times since July.

When the kids sleep and feed well, things can generally be easy. But if they are having a tough night, things can get very hectic. Every morning Amy makes the bottles for the day, and every night, she makes the bottles for the night shift. After she goes to bed, I clean the bottles and get them ready for the morning. What Amy does with just the bottles is amazing on it's own. She prepares over 20 bottles at a time that require three different formulas, three different kids of nipples, and two different kinds of bottles. She is supermom!

The following is a small update on each of the kids...

Jeremiah...

He is now just over 16 pounds. He is a big ham! He loves to laugh and giggle, but he can also scream VERY loud if he doesn't get the attention that he wants. If you put him on the floor, five minutes later he will have rolled himself to the other side of the room. He's teething right now, so hasn't been feeding very well. But when he's in a good mood, he is such a fun little baby.

Jonah...

When mom enters the room, Jonah instantly lights up. He LOVES his mom! He is now 18 pounds and is as round and chubby as they get. He is such a positive little guy. He's always smiling, and is very expressive. He generally only cries when he is hungry and not getting his meal as quickly as he'd like. But when he does cry, It's like an alarm. He can be VERY loud. He has recently discovered people's hair. So if you're holding him, watch out, because he's going to pull it!

Jordan...

This little guy is so precious. He is now 17 pounds. He use to have a tough time feeding but now he is gobbling down his bottle. He is such a good boy. He likes time to himself and generally falls asleep very easily and peacefully. When he giggles and laughs it just breaks your heart because he is so cute. He has such an innocent and laid-back disposition. He still has gas at night and can become a little irritable. But for the most part Jordan has progressed immensely since our last update.

Cedar...

Don't be fooled by her! She is adorable, but she's tricky. She has just recently learned how to have a "temper-tantrum" if she doesn't get the attention that she wants. And when she starts screaming, Amy is the only one that can calm her down. Even though she has become a little challenging, she is gorgeous. She smiles, laughs, and still wiggles like crazy. She is constantly being dressed by her mom and grandparents for photo-sessions. She now weighs the same as Jeremiah, 16 pounds. She is eating well and she very mobile. But in the evenings she can be very difficult to put to sleep. Once she does go to sleep, no other kid sleeps more peacefully.

Although we are very thankful for the kids progress, please keep them in your prayers. It's easy to forget that they are still preemies, and will be preemies for quite some time. They still have digestive issues, acid-reflux issues, and motor-skill issues that we will be dealing with for quite some time. It still remains a daunting task for Amy and I. As a result, we are so thankful to our family and friends... All the meals that came for the first six months, My mom giving up her life for three months, Amy's parents who give up three days a week, The APU dipar-drive, the Washington folks who's generous and humbling donations have covered everything from wet-wipes to onezees for months to come, and much more.

If you would like pictures of the Shababies, our good friend and professional photographer, Tira Young, has recently taken the kids 6 month photos.

You can view the photos here...

http://www.pictage.com/407430

There is also a free $5 certificate that you could use towards purchasing the photos if you'd like. Just follow the instructions bellow...

1. Click the link and register online.

2. Once your event is available for viewing, your pre-registered guests will be notified via email and receive the gift certificate credit amount in their Pictage account

3. At some point, the website will ask you for an Event Key. The Event Key is simply our last name... Shahbaz

Thank you for your love and prayers. Please keep them coming.

Until next time,

Amy, Phil, and the Shababies

Four babies are SAFE at home… Update #9 on Amy and the four little ones.

2007-07-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

That’s right!

All four Shahbaz babies (or Shababies as we’re now calling them) are finally home. Sorry it took so long to get this latest update out, but getting to the computer is a lot harder now. Here’s a quick breakdown on what’s been happening.

Jeremiah was the first to come home. He came home on Friday, June 1st. Jordan followed just a couple days later on Monday, June 4th. Jonah was third to come home almost 2 weeks later on Tuesday, June 19th. Cedar was last… coming home just a short time ago on Wednesday, July 4th.

In addition, we also moved from our house in Monrovia to a house that’s a little more functional for raising quads. Our new address is now 1105 W Danton Dr., Glendora CA 91741.

In short, life has been crazy. Amy and I basically trade shifts taking care of the kids alongside family, friends, and dozens of volunteers. When one of us is not taking care of the kids, we are emptying boxes while we still try and finish the move to the new house. The Little Ones are absolutely amazing and bring us so much joy. But when they are all crying at the same time at 4:00am on a Wednesday morning, it makes life a little bit tough. We are figuring things out one day at a time… and so are the little ones. But they’re not so little any more. Here’s a small break down of what’s been going on with each Shababy…

Jeremiah…

He wants to be held all the time. His adjusted age is only just over a month, but he already has a fake cry he does when he’s not getting the attention he wants. His big blue eyes are beautiful and he knows how to flirt with them.

He is such a character and he entertains us quite a bit. Yesterday he crawled over his pillow and ended up with his rear-end sticking straight up. The best part was that while his rear-end was sticking straight up, he let out a big fart! He had all of us in stitches. He now weighs 8 pounds, 3 ounces.

Jonah…

Jonah’s nick-name is now Double-Double, because all he wants to do is eat. Jonah now weighs just above 9 pounds! He puts down 130 cc’s each time he feeds, while the others are on about 70 cc’s a feed.

Whether he’s asleep or awake, his tongue is hanging out of his mouth. If it’s moving, you know you better warm him a bottle. He has real dark eyes and olive/brown skin. At least one came out looking like dad!

Jordan…

This kid is just too cute. He sometimes opens his eyes real wide and just watches everything that’s going on in the room. He makes incredible eye contact and tracks your eye-line very well.

He’s got this pathetic little cry that is a clear sign that he may one day be a mama’s boy. Pray for Jordan’s tummy. He gets a great deal of gas pains, and often times can become very colicky when he feeds. He is gaining weight, but not as fast as the others. He now weighs 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

Cedar…

Wow, we still can’t believe she’s home. For a while, we had no clue as to how long she might stay in the NICU. Cedar took a long time to learn to bottle-feed. She had trouble coordinating how to suck the milk, swallow the milk, and breathe at the same time.

In a matter of a week, she went from only being able to take a few cc’s from a bottle to taking 8 bottles of 50 cc’s or more. We still have to watch her closely as she feeds to make sure she doesn’t aspirate. But all in all she is very healthy, very spunky, and we are happy that she’s home. Cedar now weighs 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

Please continue to pray for the little-ones and for mom and dad as we learn how to coordinate their care. The volunteers are great but we could sure use more. The 12:00am to 8:00am shift is the hardest to fill. So are Friday and Saturday nights. If you have the time to volunteer or could spend a few nights with the little-ones, please email me at philipshahbaz@verizon.net.

Here's a few more pics of the Shababies until next time...

Blessings,

Phil and Amy

It’s been a month… and we have 4 pound babies! Update #8 on Amy and the 4 Little Ones.

2007-05-08T03:37:00.000-07:00

Well hello again! It’s been a long time since our last update but it’s been a VERY eventful month. The Little Ones are still in the NICU at Santa Monica Hospital, but they are progressing very quickly. Below is a snap-shot of the past few months.

Amy…

The AMAZING quad-mom is on her feet and behind the wheel again. Amy came home on Sunday, April 1st. It was actually a pretty rough recovery for her. She suffered from both Clampsia and hypertension. That basically means that her blood-pressure continued to stay very high and was accompanied by blurred vision and fatigue. Early on, we had to take her to the ER and to see her physician due to symptoms accompanying her high blood-pressure. But thankfully, her blood-pressure is now stable and she has eagerly started her new job… taking care of the Little Ones.

Amy now visits them every day, monitors their care, and pumps gallons of breast-milk every day. If you don’t believe me, just look at the picture below.

The life of a premature baby…

The Little Ones aren’t as little as they use to be, but they’ve still got plenty of growing to do before they come home. There are three specific categories that need to be checked off before they come home: 1) Weight 2) Breathing 3) Bottle. These categories are all connected and need to be in-sync prior to the trip home.

Weight - Early on, each baby had IV’s connected to their belly-button to simulate the umbilical cord. But they belly-button IV was only temporary, giving their veins time to strengthen. At that point they were given what’s called a “pick-line.” This line goes through the arm and leads all the way to the heart. You can see the line on Jordan's right arm about a week after birth.

Don’t worry! It’s was a normal part of the process, and necessary to provide them the nutrients and calories they needed for the next couple weeks. On April 6th, the Little Ones then began to receive some of mom’s milk through a feeding tube in their mouth. They began with 1 to 2 cc’s of milk to see if their belly’s could digest it. At just over a couple weeks, each baby was receiving close to 30 cc’s every three hours. As a result, they had their “pick-lines” removed because 100% of their nutrients and calories were coming from the milk. Also during this time, their feeding tubes were removed from their mouths and placed through their nose because their breathing had dramatically improved.

Breathing – Jeremiah was the only baby to not need a respirator. Although their lungs had developed well, Jonah, Jordan, and Cedar needed some help. But not much. Cedar was on the respirator the longest at about 4 days. After the respirators came off, each baby continued to receive oxygen through their nose. The air you’re breathing right now is “room-air”, 21%. At first our babies were given an extra dose, as high as 60%. Now, they are simply breathing room air. They still have retained the nasal-tubes to give them what the nurses call “vapo-therm.”

The “vapo-therm” just pushes the air they are already breathing into their lungs to help them out a bit. For a time, all four Little Ones were completely taken off the nasal-tubes. But as their feedings have increased, it has become more difficult for their little lungs to keep working. As a result, they were placed back on the “vapo-therm.” Again, it’s all part of the process. They will completely loose the “vapo-therm” once they can completely sustain their feedings without having “Bradycardias” or “Apneas.” “Bradys” and “Apneas” are medical terms that basically mean the babies forget to breathe, and their heart rate or oxygen level drops way down. Sometimes the babies will then remember to breathe and self-recover, and sometimes the nurses have to come over and tickle their feet to remind them to breathe. For the most part the Little Ones don’t have “Bradys” or “Apneas” any more, unless they are feeding. That’s right, our babies are feeding!

Bottle – Jeremiah had his first bottle almost two weeks ago. All he knew was that if he suckled he would get milk. But one problem… he forgot to breathe. In the womb, a baby neurologically begins to learn how to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time around 35-36 weeks. Our babies are going to have to practice. Jeremiah’s first feeding knocked him out for days. He had several “Bradys” and “Apneas” afterwards. But in the past few days he has started to figure it out. Jeremiah, Jordan, and Cedar all had bottles yesterday and did very well. Jonah is VERY much ready for a bottle but will be delayed about a week due to a small stomach infection.

In the next month we will be looking forward to the Little Ones bottle-feeding regularly. gaining wait, and leaving their breathing problems behind. At this point they will have reached 5 pounds, and will finally come home. This will likely happen around their due-date, June 6th.

Below is an update on each baby…

Jeremiah Emmanuel:
-Born 2lbs. 11oz, 15 ½ inches…weighs over 4 lbs now!
We thought he was going to be our little girl “Hope”. Since we couldn’t name him “Hope,” we chose “Jeremiah” as his first name because it means “God will uplift.” And we choose “Emmanuel” as his middle name because it means “God with us.” His names are a reminder of the miracle we experienced when we heard ALL 4 of our kids cry at birth, knowing they were able to breathe and that they would be alright. Looks like he will be the typical “eldest child.” He was born at 2:38pm, a minute before his siblings. By 18 weeks, he sat head-down, right above Amy’s cervix and was ready to meet the world. Amy thinks he will be the first baby home. He always has his eyes wide open to take in everything around him. He knows how to get attention and goes straight into his “mad” cry. He quickly learned that Nurse Schnezena will pick him up to soothe him if he makes some noise. He looks just like his Uncle Todd, Amy’s brother, with his blond hair and fair skin.

He loves his pacifier and is a champion "suckler." He is well known by the nurses for his regular “poop explosions” that happen when you take his diaper off. Nurse Cece told us that a couple weeks ago he “projectile-pooped” right out of his isolette. A few nights ago he sprayed the hood of his isolette, all his bedding, and his stuffed-monkey with one of his explosions. Poor monkey...

Please pray for his eyes. Premature babies can often have eye-problems. He’s doing fine, but there is some slight rippling in the blood-vessels forming around his eye-balls. Please also pray for his acid-reflux. Hopefully he will grow out of it and will be more at peace while he is eating. May be this will also curtail his explosions.

Jonah George:
-2lbs 10 oz, 14.7 inches…weighs over 4 lbs now!
His head was a bit miss-shapen after birth because he was crammed into Amy’s right hip. It’s rounding out now. Jonah is named after the brave missionary that was swallowed by the whale and finally went to Ninivah to do God’s will. At the time, Ninivah was the home of the Assyrians. To round out the nice cultural connection, his middle name belongs to my father George. Amy thinks he looks like me, especially when he sleeps with his mouth wide open which I tend to do! He’s our most easy going baby and hardly ever cries.

His forehead is often wrinkled with “worried lines.” He always looks like he is taking everything in…and seems very serious.

Jonah came out looking like “Esau!” The kid is so hairy! The hair on his head connects to his facial hair which then connects to his shoulder hair (Just like my buddy Dan Kepper)! He’s a great suckler and often licks your chest while you hold him “kangaroo style." Please pray for his digestive system. He has a small infection in his intestines. He is on 3 different antibiotics, and back on the pick-line. He had to be taken off breast milk and returned to an IV for 10 days. He’s going to be just fine. Nurses Tiffany and Lindsey seem to have a soft spot for him so he’s in good care.

Jordan Philip:
-2lbs 13oz, 15 inches…weighs over 4 lbs now!
His name comes from the river Jordan…or maybe my love for Michael Jordan. OK.. it’s both I admit it! He’s our little “beef-eater!” He is fattening up fast and has a great double chin growing. Jordan looks just like my Dad...Amy thinks he has a puppy dog face with his sweet and sad looking eyes.

He can go from crying to looking to a pleasant look in a second. He is bit of a cry baby, but easily can be distracted and comforted. Please pray for his lung development as he has been the slowest of our kids to progress when it comes to breathing.

Cedar Hope:
-2lbs 4oz., 13.8 inches…now almost 4 lbs.
Cedar’s name comes from the Cedar trees in Lebanon. Amy came up with the name and I loved it immediately. I thought it sounded like a “feisty” girl’s name. Well, she sure has lived up to it! She has a determined and energetic personality. Cedar moved around all the time inside Amy and was famous for running away from the heart monitor daily when the nurses monitored for a heart beat in the womb. Amy’s worried that she will have no time for tea parties and dolls since she'll be to busy bossing her 3 brothers around. Maybe Jordan will be a mamma’s boy. She’s tough…she only cries if you try to confine her wiggling and stretching.

Jeremiah and Jordan cry when they get stuck by a needle…but Cedar doesn’t say anything…just tries to wiggle away. She loves to pull out her feeding tube and holds onto it until the nurses take it out of her fist. OK… so I have a HUGE soft spot for his little girl. She is so beautiful (of course she is…she looks like her mother)Please pray for her head-growth. There is some indication that her brain is growing quicker than her head. Please also pray that she continues to gain weight amongst all her calorie burning activity in the isolette (ie thrusting herself into different positions, always grabbing things, and constantly stretching and flailing her arms).

What about Phil???

Many friends and family have been asking for an update on what’s been going on with me. Well, I’m a tired guy that’s for sure. I’ve been driving back and fourth to Santa Monica Hospital since January. Now that Amy is on her feet, she visits the kids every day and I go with her every other day. Unfortunately, I still have to stay home and earn a living. My time primarily goes to two different areas. 1) I am still acting and auditioning regularly. This August you can catch me co-staring with David Duchovny on his new comedy TV show. And if you play video-games, I play the main voice on a new game called “Assassin’s Creed” for X-Box 360 and Playstation 3, also due in August. 2) I’m officially a real-estate agent. I got my license a few months ago and began working for Anthony Wright and Company Real Estate Services last month. I already have three properties in escrow. So if you’re looking to buy or sell a home, or if you have any referrals please let me know.

Our needs….

Many friends and family have been asking about ways to be involved and how to help. Thankfully, we have an amazing Volunteer Coordinator that’s come up with some creative ways to lend a hand.

A Shower of Resources

We are inviting you to a different kind of shower that is a response to the unique and bountiful blessings in the life of Phil and Amy. In an effort to organize the type of help that is needed to usher four little ones into the world, we would like you to consider joining one of the following “Clubs” to support the Shahbaz family in the coming months. Sign-ups for these clubs will be made available at the shower. Please allow these suggestions to spark your creativity for practical, loving responses to this growing family.

Dinner of the Month Club
Friends who sign up for this club will be scheduled to bring a dinner to the Shahbaz family once a month starting when Amy’s bed rest begins. You may sign up for a one-time meal, or for 3 months, 6 months, or a whole year of monthly meals! You don’t have to live in the neighborhood to be a part of this club. If you can order a pizza or use www.vons.com then you’re all set!

Diaper Service
Did you know that a newborn baby can soil up to 12 diapers per day?! So… in the Shahbaz home, that’s 48 diapers a day, 336 diapers a week, 1344 diapers a month. It’s enough to make your head spin! You can become a diaper sponsor by giving a designated amount of money to go towards this specific need:
$15.00 buys diapers for a day
$100.00 buys diapers for a week
$400.00 buys diapers for a month

Loving Arms Club
Four babies means that additional loving arms will be needed at most times, and in the early months will sometimes be needed for the night shift. If you love babies and would like to be assigned to a once-a-week or once-a-month schedule, then this is the club for you!

Phil’s Grab Bag
These babies are going to affect every aspect of the Shahbaz home. At times Phil’s To-Do list is going to seem endless as he tackles the challenges of career, home maintenance, lawn care, closet organizing- you name it! This is the club that schedules you for some excellent quality time with Phil while helping him with whatever task is at hand. You can sign up for a one-time “Phil session” or you can be scheduled once-a-month for a series of months. And when the work is done, it might not be a bad idea to take this new dad out for a cold beverage!

The Strong Silent Type
So, maybe you’re not into the Club scene. You weren’t on the yearbook staff in high school, you never dressed up on “Spirit Day” before the homecoming game, and making a commitment to a monthly meeting is out of the question. We still know that your heart is big and you have the best of intentions of supporting Phil and Amy! For this “UN-Club” Club, please consider giving gift cards or cash that could be put towards some costly items needed to accommodate the quads.

Sign ups for all Clubs will be available at the shower, or you can email you interests to katie@blueyonderfilms.com. Thank you!

Until the next update, thank you for all your love and support. Pray for the Little Ones! They’ll be home before we know it.

Shahbaz Babies in the NICU... Update #7

2007-04-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

For today's update we have something special. Amy's brother Todd has put together a mini, video-documentary on the Little Ones.

Please go to the link below to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEpcF4NgS3A (Now on YouTube)

For those of you who can't access it. I will update the blog soon with the progress of Amy and the Little Ones.

For now, Amy is still at Santa Monica hospital. Her recovery has been a bit slow because she has continued to have high-blood pressure. We hope for her to come home tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for her and the Little Ones.

The Little Ones Are Here!

2007-03-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. It all ended today. The four little ones were finally born on March 28th, 2007 at Santa Monica Hospital. 3 boys and 1 girl! I’ll explain…

On Saturday it was apparent that Amy was turning a corner. Her blood pressure was trending upward, the nurses were detecting additional amounts of protein in her urine, her kidneys were slowly shutting down, and her contractions were on the rise. The blood pressure, the protein, the kidneys, and the contractions… they are all connected. The source of each of these problems according to the doctor was Amy’s weaker placenta; Cedar’s placenta. A weaker placenta is known to trigger higher blood pressure, and as a result, the other problems follow.

By Tuesday morning, neither of the main medications used to relax her uterus were working. Her contractions were becoming more consistent. We did receive some good news though. The doctor realized that the hospitals records were off by a week and that Amy would in fact be at 31 weeks by the next day. Amazing!

Today, at exactly 31 weeks pregnant, Amy calls me at 5:30am. Her contractions are now 3 minutes apart and there is no stopping them. I get to the hospital 1 hour and 35 minutes later. We are told that Amy will go into labor either today or tomorrow. Ahhh!!!

8:30am… Amy’s doctor comes in to check on her. He confirms that she is at her limit and that the babies need to come out for her health and safety. He praises her for the incredible effort she has put in, and reminds us not to worry… “These babies are going to make lots of noise,” he says.

9:20am… Nurses Jamie and Jessica come in with their IV kit. They try to apply the IV to Amy’s left hand twice with no success.

Amy’s veins are not cooperating… they call in the pro. Stephanie, the veteran, walks in the room and applies the IV on her first try. Savory, electrolytes begin flowing through Amy’s body via the IV.

9:32am… The first dose of Magnesium Sulfate is released into Amy’s body via the IV. The purpose of the Magnesium is to relax the uterus as much as possible. Magnesium is a last resort during labor if other medications aren’t working. The Magnesium doesn’t do much. It slows her contractions to about 1 every 5 minutes. Within the next few hours they will again speed up to 1 every 3 minutes. Her body is ready to give birth.

9:49am… Amy has a catheter installed. It’s uncomfortable but necessary. Amy is now declared “NPO”; No eating or drinking due to upcoming surgery…

10:40am… Amy’s doctor walks in the room, tells us he will deliver at 1:00pm. The 5th floor of the Santa Monica Hospital begins to bustle like a crowded market-place.

12:32pm… Amy is taken through the final preparations for surgery. She is given her blue surgery-gown, another dose of Magnesium, and begins receiving a drug called “Haspan,” which expands the volume of her fluids to keep from dehydration.

1:37pm… Dr Roberts, the anesthesiologist, sits at Amy’s side and explains the entire medication process. Amy will receive an epidural in addition to many other medications to make the process as pain free as possible.

1:39pm… Nurse Jessica brings Amy’s wheel-chair. She looks at us curiously then walks away. We stay in room 513 with Dr Roberts for now.

1:47pm… Nurse Jessica is back, her eyes not able to hide the anticipation this time. It’s game time! Amy is helped up from the bed. I give her pregnant belly one last kiss.

She is then wheeled to the OR door and stays there for the next few minutes. I stay behind for further instruction.

1:55pm… Amy is wheeled into the OR and moved into operating position.

2:12pm… Dr Roberts begins to administer the epidural.

2:27pm… A nurse runs out of the OR and tells me, “Dr Tabish would like for you to bring your ipod in so he can listen to “50 Cent” during the operation.”

“OK,” I exclaim. “I don’t have ‘50 Cent’ but the kids like Jay-Z, will that work?”

“Sure,” the nurse says

I grab the portable ipod system, set it to “Brush Your Shoulders Off” by Jay-Z, and am taken into the OR. All at once, 1 Surgeon, 1 OB, 1 Anesthesiologist, 4 Respiratory Therapists, 4 Neonatologists, and 4 Labor and Delivery Nurses begin delivering the Shahbaz babies… to the Grammy winning sounds of Jay-Z.

2:38pm… The first “cut time” is here. Dr Tabish is sure to reach for Hope. She has been sitting on top of Amy’s cervix since the beginning. He reaches in and pulls out the first baby. My eyes begin to tear up. I try and describe what going on for Amy. It’s a boy! He let’s out a healthy cry just as a newborn should. He is quickly handed to a team of nurses and doctors who begin to clean and evaluate him. But where’s Hope?

2:39pm… Dr Tabish reaches to the right side of Amy’s uterus. “I know this one’s a boy!” Jonah is delivered and sees the world for the first time. He lets out a cry and is quickly taken.

Instantly, Dr Tabish then reaches to the left side of Amy’s uterus where Jordan should be. Yup…Another boy! He let’s out a yelp and is taken away. One more baby to go! From the center of Amy’s uterus, Dr Tabish brings out the feistiest, little, preemie in So Cal! Cedar is born, and YES, she’s a girl!

As it turned out, Hope was a boy all along. Just in case, we had a name picked out… Our oldest son’s name is Jeremiah.

So… Friends and Family, I’d like to introduce you to…

Jeremiah Shahbaz, born 2:38pm, 2 pounds, 11 ounces, 38.5 cm (approx 15.2 inches)

Jonah Shahbaz, born 2:39pm, 2 pounds, 10 ounces, 37 cm (approx 14.7 inches)

Jordan Shahbaz, born 2:39pm, 2 pounds, 13 ounces, 38 cm (approx 15 inches)

Cedar Shahbaz, born 2:39pm, 2 pounds, 4 ounces, 35 cm (approx 13.8 inches)

And yes, they are doing well. They were all quite capable of breathing on their own, but were placed on ventilators and many other gadgets to help out. (all except for Jeremiah, who may be placed on a ventilator later). The entire neonatal staff has been extremely encouraging and very positive about each baby. Initially, the neonatal staff uses what’s called the “AFGAR” scale to rate the health of each baby upon birth. The scale has 5 categories, and gives up to 2 points per category for a total of 10 points equaling a perfectly, healthy, new-born, baby. The categories are: Color, Respiration, Heart Rate, Reflexive Irritability, and Muscle Tone… Jeremiah scored a 9, Jonah scored an 8, Jordan scored a 9, and Cedar scored an 8. Folks, God gave us healthy babies! They have a long road to go, but so far we are nothing but thankful. This truly was a miracle given to us by the grace of our Father, and as a result of prayer, faith, and of course… Hope.

Please continue to pray for a swift recovery for Amy, and for the babies to fatten up quickly. If all stays well, they will come home with us when they reach about 5 pounds. A lot can change in the next few days and weeks… but we remain thankful.

For now we are limiting visitors to close family, but as Amy regains her strength and the babies pile on the pasta, we will begin to invite you to come out and see our little miracles.

Stay tuned for another update in the next few days.

29 weeks and counting!!

2007-03-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

We can't believe the 30 week marker is just around the corner! Praise God!!! Every additional week after this marker is an extended blessing and will keep the babies out of NICU that much longer.

Visiting Update
With the babies growing, Amy's getting more and more tired, and less and less able to have visitors. Please fell free to give here a call and leave her an encouraging message at 909.534.0644. She loves hearing from you, and want's to devote what little energy she has to the babies : ).

28 weeks tomorrow!!

2007-03-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hello again, and it’s time for another update on Amy and the little ones. Tomorrow, Amy will in fact be at 28 weeks. She has made it to the Third Trimester! This is truly amazing. The average for quads is 28 weeks, but Amy is still going strong and her spirits remain high.

Here’s some details…

1) Amy has been on hospital bed-rest for 63 days.
2) Amy has had 156 visits by friends and family since she’s been on hospital bed-rest.
3) Amy has gained an average of approximately 3.1 pounds each week for the past five weeks.
4) Amy has had two, full, 2-hour, ultra-sounds since she’s been on hospital bed-rest.

Amy’s second ultra-sound was last Tuesday the 6th, one day before her 27th week. Here’s what we found out.

Jordan

– He’s the new beef-eater of the pack. He weighed in at 2 pounds 6 ounces! His progression at 27 weeks was 27 weeks, 5 days. His heart-rate was at a healthy 140 beats per minute. During the ultra-sound, Jordan had a finger in his mouth.

Hope

– She also continues to have a healthy appetite. She weighed in at 2 pounds 5 ounces with a heart rate of 136 beats per minute. Her progression was at 27 weeks 4 days. Hope’s head is literally on top of Amy’s cervix. She’s ready to get out and get started.

Jonah

– He’s also above two pounds. He weighed in at 2 pounds 2 ounces with a heart rate of 143 beats per minute. His progression was 26 weeks 6 days.

Cedar

– She’s still watching her figure but doing well. She weighed in at 1 pound 14 ounces with a heart rate of 167 beats per minute. Her progression was at 25 weeks 6 days.

Don’t worry, Cedar is going to be OK. Remember when we first found out that Amy was pregnant with quads, there was one that seemed to be behind that I nick-named “little-man?” Well, "little-man" is apparently "little-woman." The doctor confirmed for us that she is the one that was behind from the very beginning. He’s nick-named her “the shrimp” of the bunch. The other encouraging detail is that when born prematurely, girls seem to be much stronger, grow faster, and remain in NICU less then boys. Although she’s behind, it’s still possible that she may come home with us sooner then the boys. But PLEASE continue to keep them in your prayers. Every day they are inside the womb takes two days away from having to be in NICU.

Amy is hanging in there. Her spirits remain high because of all the visits and random letters, cards and packages that arrive in the mail every day. She’s even receiving DVD’s in the mail from random people around the country that we don’t even know. Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for showing so much love to Amy! At this point, we have to watch her health. As long as she remains comfortable, the babies will stay inside. In the last few weeks she had a small bout of high blood-pressure that went away and a possible urinary-track infection that lasted a few days and then went away as well. Because the babies are taking so much room inside her, her organs are getting pushed all over the place. As a result, it’s getting a little harder for her to breath, and she has to use the bath-room almost every half-hour. She also is getting tired much faster and is sleeping a little more then usual.

If you want to visit her, now’s the time to call her up and schedule a time. She’s not going to be in there for very much longer. Although we’re confident that she’ll make it past 30 weeks, time is running out. When you do call to schedule a visit please be aware that at this point she can only handle about one visit per day. So if you do call, please don’t be offended if she can’t visit the day you want or the day you will be in the area. If possible, try and be flexible. The more we can spread her visits out, the less she’ll go a day without a visit. And keep sending those posters and “weekly” cards. They’re fantastic. Her room is covered with pictures of friends and family celebrating each week she has finished.

Another thing to note is the Discovery Channel show Multiples: Inside the Womb. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a fascinating show following three different multiple-birth pregnancies. The quads that were born in the show were born at 28 weeks, all weighing just above 2 pounds. One was at exactly 2 pounds. Amy is past this point. We still have a long road to go, but we can only be thankful and continue praying for her and the little ones.

Here is what will be going on this week and next week with Amy and the little ones.

28 weeks

- Our little ones’ hair is growing and gaining color now.
- Our little ones’ lungs are now capable of breathing air, if it were absolutely necessary.
- Not only are they able to open and close their eyes, but they even have little eyelashes to bat.
- Jordan and Jonah’s testicles are developed within their abdomen, but are now descending into their scrotum. Way to go boys!
- Up until this point our little ones’ brains were smooth. Now, due to rapid growth, those wrinkles that are completely normal on the surface of the brain, are beginning to develop

29 weeks
- Space is getting really tight for the babies. They will have their knees tucked up to their chest now all the time in the 'fetal position'.
- The babies bone marrow has now taken over production of red blood cells.
- Due to the lack of space available for them now, our babies will make fewer big movements, like somersaults, and more small movements of the arms and legs.
- Now that almost all of the babies’ organs are functioning, their growth will focus on maturing those organs and growing muscle mass and fat stores.
- All 300 bones in the little ones’ bodies are present and accounted for now, though some of them will fuse after birth, leaving a grand, lifetime total of 206.

24 Weeks! Woo-Hoo!

2007-02-16T01:57:00.000-08:00

That’s right Amy and the little ones have now made it to 24 weeks, and it’s time for a little update. First of all, Amy and I can not be more thankful for your support and encouragement. She has now been at Santa Monica Hospital for 5 weeks… That’s a long time! But it has gone very quickly for the both of us… especially Amy. The visitors, the cards, the calls, the gifts, the prayers… it has all helped Amy keep in great spirits and feel like every one is behind her. Amy was especially encouraged today as the nursery for the little ones was completed.

Now the grandmas will come in and brighten it up with some finishing touches until Amy finally comes home.

The babies are dong great. On Wednesday the 7th, we had our first full ultra-sound in over a month. They measured each head, stomach, arm, and leg of each baby. Keep in mind; although the measurements were done at 23 weeks, each baby’s progression is on a different time-line depending on how hungry they are. Little Hope is a chubby, beef-eater! Her progress was at 24 weeks 2 days, and weighed 1 pound 6 ounces. Cedar seems to be watching her figure. Her progress was at 21 weeks 5 days and weighed exactly 1 pound. Don’t worry, she’s a little behind, but she’s still within range. Jordan and Jonah seem to be best bud’s already. Both showed progress at 23 weeks and 3 days, weighing in at 1 pound 4 ounces each.

The boys are on the left side of Amy’s belly and seem to have a lot of energy. They are constantly moving around. The girls are both on the right side, and tend to be a little calmer although they wrestle around every once in a while as well. Yesterday, we found out that the kids don’t seem to like Johnny Cash or Lauren Hill that much. But when we put on some Outkast and Jay-Z, they started jumping. It’s crazy to feel them moving around so much. Some times, we can even see an elbow or knee graze against her stomach. The kids are so active that Amy’s belly is constantly changing shape.

With one month down and at least a month and half to go, here are some ideas that could help you support Amy…

1) I was thinking that we could all work together and give her a boost each time she progresses another week. For example, next week she will be at 25 weeks. It would be great if each week she could receive pictures of you, your kids, your pets, your garden-gnomes, WHAT EVER... holding a sign, poster, or something that says, “25 weeks, Way to go Amy!!!.” Her hospital room will look more incredible day-by-day as your pictures and posters cover it. Below you’ll see an example of what I’m talking about.

Here’s a calendar so that you can keep track of her weekly progression.

25 weeks – Feb 21
26 weeks – Feb 28
27 weeks – March 7
28 weeks – March 14
29 weeks – March 21
30 weeks – March 28

Send those pictures! And please keep this a secret from Amy. I’m sure she’ll ask me what’s going on, and I’ll eventually let her know. The address for the hospital is

Santa Monica UCLA Hospital
Amy Shahbaz
Labor and Delivery, #513
1250 15th Street
Santa Monica 90404

2) Amy has not been able to watch DVD’s because her hospital-room TV is too old to connect a DVD player. Many of you have asked if you can send her or bring her DVD’s, and until now I’ve said no. Well, now she’s got a small flat screen TV as well as a portable DVD player. Her AV needs are covered thanks to the support and generosity of a few amazing visitors last night. Send her all the DVD’s you want! She also loves your cards and letters as well, and posts each one behind her bed.

3) Please continue to pray for her. Please pray specifically that her uterus stays calm. Today for some reason she had a few more contractions then normal and was given a shot of terbutaline. It’s a drug that helps keep the uterus calm. She hasn’t needed the shot until now, but I guess it’s to be expected. The bigger the kids get the more active her uterus will become. But we still need to make 30 weeks, so please pray hard.

4) Once again, if you’d like to visit, please call Amy directly. In the last update, I DID write her direct phone # down but I wrote it wrong. The correct # is 310-449-0805. Her cell phone again is 909-534-0644.

Thanks again for your prayers, visits, love, and support,

Phil

Hey gang, Phil here with another update on Amy and the four little ones…

2007-02-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, Amy is doing well. On Saturday, January 13th, her doctor put a cerclage in her cervix. In other words, because her cervix was 70% open, he put four stitches in to close it up. The procedure went very well, and Amy is hanging in there. From here on out it’s a matter of fighting contractions and keeping pressure off the cervix. As a result, she spends her days and nights in a hospital bed with her rear-end elevated higher then her head. On Wednesday the 7th, she will be 23 weeks pregnant with four healthy little babies. Their heart-beats are strong, and they jump and move around quite a bit. Saturday night was the first time we could feel the babies kick and punch. It was amazing! If you don’t know their names yet, say hello to Jonah, Jordan, Hope, and Cedar.

Please keep in mind that there are three main things to pray for; 1) That Amy’s uterus stays relaxed and that her cervix stays strong. 2) That the babies stay inside for at least another two months. If they can make 30 weeks, they will have full lung development. Anything after that is an extended blessing and will keep the babies out of NICU that much longer. 3) That Amy doesn’t go crazy in the hospital! Last week the nurse told us that every woman eventually hits a wall and can’t take it any more… then, the babies usually come a week later. What that means is that the boredom of bed-rest, the uncomfortably of having multiples, and the overall pressure of the situation is more then a woman can take. If Amy can last, the babies will last.

Please also remember… care-packages are great, calls are wonderful, but nothing beats spending a couple hours with her at the hospital. The visits we’ve had so far have been the biggest blessing. If you want to visit, call her at the hospital phone, 310-449-0805, or just give her a ring on her cell phone, 909-534-0644.

Bedrest

2007-01-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Family and Friends,

We wanted to give you an update on Amy and the 4 little ones. Some of you may have heard that she was admitted to Santa Monica UCLA hospital on Wednesday January 10th after being diagnosed earlier by her doctor with an incompetent cervix - which means 70 % of her cervix has effaced (or thinned). This news is overwhelming but we are thankful that the babies are doing well, developing as they should with all the fluids that they need. From what we know, Amy will probably have a cerclage on Saturday afternoon, which means that they (the doctors) will try to stitch up her cervix to make it stronger, and keep the babies in! The doctors have put her permanently in the hospital on bed rest to help compensate for her cervix. She'll be there until the babies come!

So, our prayers are:
- That the babies will continue to grow healthy and stay put as long as possible!
- That Amy's cervix will remain closed.
- For Phil; as he takes care of job hunting, auditioning, and taking care of Amy!

We are thankful:
- For the care Amy has received. This hospital, and its staff are experts on multiples and we are in extremely good hands!
- That the food in the hospital is good!
- For all of the care and concern we have received from our friends and family.

For those of you who want to visit - here's the info:
With the babies growing, Amy's getting more and more tired, and less and less able to have visitors. Please fell free to give here a call and leave her and encouraging message at 909.534.0644. She loves hearing from you, and want's to devote what little energy she has to the babies : ).

We will try to keep you up to date as we adjust to this new schedule! Thank you for your prayers!

Amy & Phil

It's true... Amy is pregnant with FOUR little ones!

2006-11-30T19:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sure many of you have heard by now that Amy is pregnant four little ones and are wondering how this happened and what's going on.

Amy and I have struggled with infertility issues for quite some time now. Without going into to many details, infertility in women can take a lot of different shapes. For most women, it is an issue of being able to ovulate. If a woman is not able to release an egg, then she can't get pregnant. To help the ovulation process, there are only a few options. 1) A pill that helps the brain send a signal to ovulate. 2) A process of injections of the hormone needed to release the egg. 3) Invetro fertilization, where the sperm and egg are brought together then placed inside the uterus. With all three options, having more then one child is possible, particularly with the second and third. We tried the first option for many months and it didn't work. But the injection process did!

Three months ago, Amy took a home pregnancy test that was positive. We were overjoyed and thankful. The doctor took a blood test to verify she was pregnant and told us that she was. She also told us that the blood test also verified that she was definitely pregnant with more then one, but we wouldn't know how many until we could see the hearts beating at 8 weeks. When we went in at 8 weeks, the doctor told us there were four. It was extremely overwhelming and scary. Multiple birth pregnancies are very high risk, not to mention how difficult it is to take care of four kids at the same time. The doctor also told us that one of the babies was half the size of the others and would probably die in the next couple months. Finally, the doctor also said we should consider a reduction (aborting one or more of the babies) in order to increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy. Needless to say, we left the doctor's office with too much to handle.

By the time we got home, I realized the only option was to pray that the little baby who I nicknamed "little-man" would catch up. We prayed earnestly. A few weeks later, we went to see the doctor again and sure enough, "little-man" caught up! He grew twice his size in just over two weeks. The doctor even said that all four seemed to spread themselves out like they were giving each other room to grow. We went to the doctor's again last week, and the babies are still very healthy, and Amy is super-healthy. She looks incredible. She hasn't been sick and hasn't had any issues.

Now we are past three months, and the only important thing is that our little ones make it past 32 weeks. A normal pregnancy takes about 42 weeks, but a woman can only really carry about 12 pounds of baby weight before they have to come out. This means that our babies will be about 3 pounds each when they are born. They will be at the hospital for 2 weeks to a couple months before we can take them home. That's OK, we understand. But if they can make it past 32 weeks, their lungs will be fully developed and they'll be fine. Please pray for Amy and pray that our little ones stay inside as long as possible, and that they stay healthy. That's all that matters. There could still be a lot of complications in the next few months, but we are faithful. Faithful is all we CAN be. Once they are born, we will practically need someone living with us for the first year. As a result, there will definitely be a volunteer list to sign up for. Until then, thanks for all your calls, love and prayers.

For those of you who would like to keep track of what's going on inside Amy, the following website gives you week by week details of how the babies are forming. She's at week 13 right now.

http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/pregnancy/weeklypregcalendar/index1.php