Some last hurrahs before bedrest

Perhaps not surprisingly, the days leading up to the 20-week mark have been somewhat of a blur.

It all began on Thursday, when my wonderful coworkers threw me a baby shower pitch-in, complete with Beatles song-themed cupcakes! Despite being fully aware of what wonderful people I work with, I was truly astonished at their generosity and touched at the effort they made to celebrate the upcoming arrival of these babies. It was a perfect excuse to take a break from the daily grind and enjoy each others' company for a while—I mean, where else can you sample a dozen potluck dishes while recounting your favorite toddler bathroom horror stories? Good times.

On Friday, I pretty much cleaned out my cubicle in preparation for a couple of months of working from home—it's amazing to realize how much stuff you use on a daily basis! I said goodbye to some of my pals and extracted promises that they'd visit me while I am on bedrest. Leaving at the end of the day was a very strange experience, knowing that the next time I stepped in those doors I would be a mother of four!

Saturday, we drove to my Grandpa M's house to celebrate his 90th birthday—which my parents flew in for! My aunts had set up a tent in my grandpa's backyard, and he sat enthroned in his motorized chair as dozens of friends and family arrived to offer their birthday wishes. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor party, and I got to see several cousins that I rarely have a chance to spend time with. We'd hoped that all 11 of my grandpa's children would be able to make it, but 9 out of 11 ain't bad!

Unfortunately, all this activity proved to be too much for this pregnant lady, and on Sunday morning I woke up with a racing heart. I stayed in bed all morning, hoping that it would calm down before the afternoon, but no such luck. Despite the fact that I was feeling puny, I had another baby shower to go to! This time it was a family shower, hosted by my awesome cousins Tiffany and Charisa and their mom, Holly. The theme was "Four Peas in a Pod"—check out the adorable cake that Tiff's friend made! I loved it! The lovely hostesses even found favors with four peas in a pod; I was super-impressed by their creativity and resourcefulness. They and the other family members present at the shower blessed me with cute baby outfits and other needed items, and I was again so thankful for the ways people are helping us get ready for the quads.

My parents flew home yesterday after a much-too-short visit, and now that I am on light bedrest, things should be slowing way down for me. The only exception will be my doctor appointments, which will now be occurring weekly rather than every other week. And speaking of doctor visits, I had a rather exciting one this morning. But that post will have to wait until Ted has time to make some scans ... stay tuned!