Playing With The Keller Quads

For those of you who have been following my blog since the beginning you will know my friend Michelle and will remember this tear jerking and amazing post she wrote while I was in the hospital. Michelle has been my friend since her quads were 4 months old. They will be 9 on July 3rd. We were friends even before I had quads. Once I discovered I was pregnant with quads Michelle became my rock, my arm to lean on, my source of information. She gave me everything she had left from her quads and she shared her knowledge freely. Still to this day, I turn to her for advice. She is one of the most amazing, compassionate, giving, caring person I know. She will literally give you her shirt off her back, her last dollar, her house- whatever you need and no questions asked. I love this woman! I think she came to visit me in California 5 or 6 times to help with my babies once I had them. She left her babies and came to help me out. I will be eternally grateful to this woman!

While we were in Park City we met up and played for a day. We went to a Street Market in Park City first and then when it was too hot we headed over to Monkey Mountain.

Jake and Anthony playing monkeys. My kids love these monkey backpacks. They ran around chasing each others tails. I was nervous they were going to trip each other.
Jake and Anthony

Petting the doggies. I think everyone in Park City has at least one dog and they take then everywhere. It has to be the pet friendliest city in the nation.

It was hot at the Street Fair so we headed over to Monkey Mountain.

Jake and Mom on the slide.

Jaileigh and Annie

Michael

One of the few pictures I have of the Kellers. They were too fast for me. They choo-chooed down the slide together.

Jaileigh cheesing it in the tree.

Jaileigh, Amanda, and Annie playing music

Michael and Anthony

Jaileigh and Jake riding the cheetah

Amanda taking a breather

Jakob playing the bells.

Annie and the bells

Annie and Michael 

Annie's shirt got wet and it was drying.

Michael and Mommy

Jaileigh

After Rori and Grandma got done lunching and shopping they came and hung out. 

Rori sliding with the gang.

Grandma and Annie

This slide was so fun!

Group shot-

The Keller Quads and the DeMaria Quads

It was so fun to have the two sets of quads together. 

Jaileigh had a booger

She found the booger and tried to give it to me.

Here she is showing her booger to the camera.

I can just see the future- Rori and Jaileigh hanging out getting pedicures, shopping, getting their hair done.

After Monkey Mountain we were all pooped. We went home and crashed.

Rori and Jaileigh

Grams with a zonked out Jaileigh

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to the little Quaddies!

The Keller Quads came all the way from Salt Lake, UT to visit us on our birthday. We promise to put up more pictures tomorrow!

The Twilight Zone

Hello all,
I'm Amber's friend Michelle. Amber hasn't told the entire story of this incredible pregnancy, mostly because it would mean she would have to mention what a wonderful person she is, so I'm here to do it for her. I doubt you'll be able to read this story and not get chills.

A little background and you'll see why her quad pregnancy is quite bizarre. Six years ago I met Amber when she walked into my home, a needed, blessed volunteer to help with my then 4 month old quadruplets who were just home from the hospital. They had been quite premature (27wks) and needed a lot of care. I have 3 boys and 1 girl, two of my boys are identical. My quads were conceived on my 5th IVF attempt and I wasn't given much hope. We did transfer 4 embryos but it looked like 2 had arrested so I wasn't thinking anymore than two babies were possible. Imagine my surprise when we see identical twins in one sac and then two more sacs with one baby each. I thought my head would explode. My doctor had never had an embryo split into identical twins in the 15 years he had been at the clinic. After a hard pregnancy and very long NICU stay, we were finally able to bring the kids home. That's when I met Amber.

When she first came to my home, I found myself intimidated by this gorgeous, tall, athletic, blonde woman. Then I started to get to know her and I knew that she was one incredible person, beautiful inside and out. We hit it off and she quickly became just one of the family. She helped me two nights a week and on Saturdays. The more I got to know her, the more I loved her. She now is welcome at my home anytime, in fact she has a key and her own room and bathroom. She is a sister, niece, friend, confidant. I adore her. The selfless service she provided to me and my children made such a difference in our lives and the gratitude I feel towards her is hard to put into words. She helped make it possible to enjoy my babies, not be so overwhelmed by these 4 little pee machines that I couldn't take time to see the wonders all around me. For that, I will be eternally grateful. Even after I no longer needed the organized help, Amber still came over regularly just to change diapers, feed kids and chat.

After a few years, she moved to Las Vegas, which made me sad, but she met her husband there so it was obviously a good move. Then the both of them packed up and moved to sunny California. Despite our geographical difference, (I'm in Utah) she still came to visit when she could and my kids always LOVE seeing her. So, after she gets married, I tell her "Honey, you're 26. Don't wait too long to start your family so what happened to me won't happen to you (I was 37 when I conceived). I guess I should have been careful about what I say as it seems that statement ended up being somewhat prophetic. After a year of concentrating on each other, they decided it was time to start their family and wouldn't you know it???? She got bit by the infertility bug. After trying a few things that don't really have great success rates, she told me that she had great insurance that provided a lot of coverage for IVF. To that I said "Time to just go straight to the big stuff...IVF has the best success rate with the lowest higher order multiple rate. Just promise me you will only transfer one or two embryos." We joked that she would transfer 2 and get triplets anyway. We knew it was possible since one of mine split but I think we all still thought it was unlikely.


So, with shot needles in hand and faith in their hearts, Mike and Amber went on to IVF. She cycled perfectly and transferred two embryos. This is where the twilight zone music should be playing in the background because out of those 2 embryos, she got the 4 babies she is now carrying. Identical triplet boys and one girl. No one had entertained THAT idea! Any of this sounding familiar? Also, in the 65 years combined doctor experience her clinic had never had quads result from a two embryo transfer. I guess Amber and I are trailblazers!
It just seems particularly weird that we would meet 6 years ago, become friends because of my quads and now have it be her turn to be expecting quads. Geez, do you think maybe she spent too much time with me and it rubbed off???? In any event, it is now my turn to provide some help to her. I wish I lived closer and could spend every day helping out, especially since my babies are starting first grade in the fall and I have no idea what to do with myself.
I hope Amber doesn't mind me singing her praises and taking up blog space but I do feel like this is a one in a million story. Good luck to all of you out there who are expecting or who have been blessed with multiples. We are all so very fortunate to have our kids.

Much love to all,
Michelle