How I Spent My Saturday-In The Hospital

Saturday started out as a day of celebration (nothing special-just our shared mood) for reaching 30 weeks of pregnancy.  Midway through the day however I started experiencing signs of preterm labor- mild low backache, cramping, a few mild contractions, etc… The same had happened the day before so when the symptoms wouldn’t go away after about an hour I decided to call the weekend exchange for my OB’s office. My own doctor happened to be on call and returned my phone call within what felt like seconds. In mid sentence as I was saying, “I doubt this is anything but…” she cut me off and insisted I not take any chances and go directly to the hospital for monitoring.  So we did.  I was soon after hooked up to 3 monitors-1 for each babies heart, and 1 for contractions.  I suddenly got very nervous when the nurse confirmed I was having contractions I wasn’t even feeling.  Blood was drawn, urine was tested (TMI? Sorry-but at this point I’m writing for other women who may have to experience this. Trust me they want details!), and an IV was put in.  A resident doctor came in-did an ultrasound on the babies (both looked good), did more than one exam (that would be TMI so use your imagination),  and then left to call my doctor to see what she advised we do.  At that point we were convinced that no matter what they said I’d be admitted over night.  Honestly, I was worried I’d end up on hospital bedrest…not something anyone wants! As the IV bag was nearly empty I was feeling so much better with barely any symptoms left.  All tests were showing it was probably just my uterus being irritable-something they say could continue to happen through the rest of my pregnancy because of the amount of weight/pressure being put on it by twins (one of the many joys of carrying twins).   Because I’m already on two medications to prevent contractions-they sent me home!  Relieved-yes.  Still nervous-of course!

So this is the life of a twin pregnancy apparently.  It was a miserable long day but we were treated so well and because it was the weekend I was actually sent to a Labor/Delivery room rather than Maternity Triage.  It’s all brand new! The rooms are huge & BE-U-tiful! Seriously, it had a Jacuzzi tub that I have to admit I wouldn’t have minded staying to use.  Since coming home though I haven’t really had any more problems.  I haven’t really mentioned contractions in my blog but I do have them from time to time-never more than 2 an hour though until Saturday.  The rule is not to worry unless you have between 4-6 in one hour.  Although they ALL tell me call if I am worried.  Having twins (and of course Twin to Twin Transfusion) makes them super cautious with me. So we’ll chalk this up to just another hiccup along the way.  Not that I needed a reminder, I didn’t, but it is motivation to keep obeying the rules of bedrest.  Although, bedrest isn’t that hard at this point considering I am always exhausted!

Since leaving the hospital I’m been drinking water like a champ-dehydration can lead to contractions.  All is well again, I’m back to normal pregnancy woes of waking up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom, not being able to stay comfortable in bed, heartburn, shortness of breath, you know the glorious miracle of life stuff.  I’ll take “normal” pregnancy woes at 30+ weeks over the trouble we’ve had earlier in the pregnancy any day! At this point I’m measuring at what a singleton mom would be at just over 40 weeks. Somehow being sent home from the hospital has given me a little bit more peace of mind.  Plus, reading online message boards from other women who are around 30 weeks pregnant with twins makes me realize, I’m not having nearly as many contractions as most of these women.  Maybe we really will make it weeks longer- I sure hope so…the boys have so much more developing to do.  Prayers would be greatly appreciated.  30 weeks is a milestone but it does not mean we are out of the woods for health risks. Thanks for reading.  Thanks for praying.  Thanks for loving.  

-Katrina 

One more thing- People have been asking about the beautiful necklace my amazingly sweet husband got me for Valentine's Day shown in my last post. It came from this Etsy shop.  

30 WEEKS!!!

30 weeks Pregnant: TODAY!!!

As of Valentine's Day...

Timothy: 3lbs 3oz

Connor: 3lbs 9oz  

In other news...

Thank you to the most amazing husband & best friend a woman could ask for... 

I love you Jonny! 

PS. Happy Birthday to one of the best things that ever happened to our family...my Sister-in-Law Daphne! 

Ash Wednesday-Individual or Team Sport?

Warning: If you don’t like sappy introspective “theological” talk you may not be interested in this post…yet you’re probably the person that should read it & be forced to think so go ahead…

Today I am home, alone, again, unable to leave the house as I obey the rules that protect the vulnerable lives of my two unborn children. Today is Ash Wednesday. I’m reflecting on the meaning of this day and this season the Christian church is entering. Moreover, as I sit here alone, admittedly somewhat lonely, I wonder…what does it mean in relation to community?   I always thought receiving the ashes was more of a solitary act. The whole season of Lent seems to be so introspective that it is often done in the silence of our own hearts and “alone” time.  So why is my heart breaking that I can’t go and receive or administer the ashes in the company of others in some form of communal worship?  Is Lent merely a time of personal reflection, introspection, and individual prayer? 

Christ did model private individual prayer time, in the desert, on mountains, in a garden, near the ocean one time (he was outside a lot) so why can’t I be content to pray alone today?  Isn’t this 40-day stent supposed to be a reminder of Christ going into the desert ALONE and fasting/praying, etc…to avoid temptation and to be ready for what was to come? Yet, the bible also sends an overwhelming message that I was created to live & “do life” in community…we all were.  I know WWJD is a mantra for many but we weren’t created to be the savior of the world right!?  We need both “alone” time and communal time-right?  We don’t sit at home and administer the ashes on our own foreheads in the privacy of our bathrooms or prayer closets.  But would it be ok if we did?  Ok, now I’m rambling and sending you through my mental back and forth ping pong match of thoughts-sorry. 

Ash Wednesday is not a tradition that my husband grew up with in his non-denominational Christian church.  Though he is now a Methodist he experiences Ash Wednesday very differently than I do as a lifelong Methodist. So is it merely tradition that makes it so special and powerful to me?  Why am I missing it so much this year?  Is it simply because it is just one more thing I’m told “can’t” do while on bedrest?  Is it because I am a minister missing the blessing of serving others today? 

Last year on Ash Wednesday I was in my last year of Seminary and serving as an intern in a downtown New Brunswick, NJ church.  It is a very diverse congregation full of African and Caribbean immigrants.  It was a midday service designed with the hopes of serving the downtown weekday business crowd in addition to active members.  It was not my first time administering the ashes but it was my first actually preparing the ashes- grinding the burnt pieces of Easter palm branches in a small bowl with anointing oil and making a paste like mixture.  It somehow meant more to me-even if the items did come from a Cokesbury bookstore kit.  With each forehead I smeared the sign of a cross on-black skin, white skin, brown skin, I became more aware of just how much I loved having this honor and responsibility of being one of Christ’s representatives to ALL of God’s people.   This year I sit at home alone apart from ALL of God’s people, connected only by technology, the same technology so many Christians will abstain from over the next 40 days-ironic huh?! 

I don’t have the answers yet, to tie this blog post up with a neat little theological bow.  I don’t know that there is ever one simple black & white, clear-cut answer for questions needing reflection like this.  I suppose my reflection on these questions will continue throughout Lent this year.  What role does the body of Christ play in one another’s lives during our 40-day walk to remembrance of the very real dismemberment of Christ’s body? 

Time to reflect in community-or maybe I should continue reflecting in solitaire. Thoughts?   

* I want to challenge you not to post well-intentioned replies to this entry that are merely extended to make me “feel” better about my bedrest situation or because you are worried about my loneliness.  Please don’t.  If you have a response that continues the dialogue about this topic please chime in below.  You do not need a seminary degree or even an understanding of the word “theology” to offer your thoughts.  Just please don’t respond in an effort to comfort me. I’d rather be made to think, reflect, or even be challenged today.  If comforting still somehow occurs through your words then praise be to God.  

Nursery & Names

With plenty of time on my hands these days (bedrest till birth) I decided to take the creative route to reveal our plan for the nursery.  If you've never checked out Polyvore.com you should. It's typically used for creating outfits and other fashion ideas but can also be used for interior decorating. All of the items below will be found in our Turquoise, Gray, and White nursery for the twin boys.   Oh and just a little something extra that a lot of you have been waiting for...the names of our boys!!! 

1.  Ikea- Gulliver cribs 
courtesy of my Mom

2.  Milk Glass/Hob Nob lamps 
From my own childhood bedroom

3.  South Shore Savannah changing table 
Courtesy of Jonny's parents

4.  Fabric for our crib skirts 
Currently being constructed by my amazing Mother-in-law 

5.  Little Castle Reclining Glider from Target.com  
Courtesy of my Mom & her identical  twin aka my Aunt

6.  Ikea- Gislev area rug 
Special thanks to my friend Lindsay for making the trip for us! St. Louis needs an Ikea!

7.  Fabric for our curtains-  originally from Joann.com but no longer in stock-sorry!
Also being made by my Mother-in-law

8.  Ty plush giraffe- Have you noticed we have a thing for Giraffes? 
Courtesy of a very excited and very generous Nana-my Mom


Oh and one more thing, drumroll please...

THE NAMES:

Baby A: Timothy Austin Drew
Baby B: Connor Lansden Drew 


Naming our miracle babies has not been an easy task, so I continue to reserve the right to change their names upon seeing them face to face once they enter this world, if we so choose!  Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed seeing my creative side...I certainly enjoyed having time to obsess over all the details-a great way to pass the time. This post makes me feel like a "real" blogger! 

29 Weeks

As of today I've made it to 29 weeks with no plans of stopping anytime soon!  We’ve been waiting to share some good news about the heart function of Baby B until it was confirmed by the expert-the cardiologist.  At our appointment on Thursday he stated that Baby A still looks great and best of all Baby B is showing signs of improvement again!  Previously, as you may remember, progress had leveled out and we were preparing to live with the heart damage as is.  Baby B’s heart has now improved to the point that the Doctor is calling the problems “subtle.”  The valves are now pumping normally and there are no signs of leakage!  It was such a great feeling to listen to the cardiologist as he explained with a giant smile “if I were to see this baby without knowing his medical history I wouldn’t think his heart problems were even that big of a deal.”  That morning prior to the appointment I was throwing up from acid reflux in the car and absolutely miserable and yet in that moment-nothing else mattered.  Pure joy!  After the appointment I went back to being miserable physically but that's another story. 

I can’t pretend to understand why some prayers get answered in the way we want and others don’t (yes, even after earning a Seminary degree at a very prestigious school-I still don’t have all the answers-imagine that!) but I am just so grateful for the miraculous healing we are witnessing.   The longer my body can hold on to these boys the healthier they will be so keep praying friends. We are so grateful for your love & support! 

As each week passes the reality of becoming parents is setting in.  The amount of work to get ready for two babies is overwhelming to think about, particularly since Jonny has to try to accomplish almost everything alone with me on bedrest.  We've already done some work of course. I can't help but want to rip down a strip of wallpaper or two on my way to the bathroom-that's not breaking any rules-right!?  Check out what treasure we found when we ripped down a few panels of wall paper in the nursery…

Under the 1980’s flower print (on the right) was an even more lovely 1970’s floral design!  Brady Bunch anyone? 

My view of the nursery from bedrest…

Jonny has one crib put together so far.  As you can see we chose to make our master bedroom and nursery the two adjoining bedrooms for easy access. Notice the lovely pink flowers and ribbons I am blessed to be surrounded by in our bedroom, day after day. Sense the sarcasm. 

Tucker is of course helping. Some days he is my bedrest buddy...

Notice that he is doing his part to make sure our boys' clothing is already being drooled on...

Knowing how much work there is to do some friends have volunteered to come over for a workday!  Tomorrow cribs & changing tables will be assembled, wallpaper will come down, and hand-me-down baby clothes will be washed (formerly worn by my nephews-thank you Daphne!) Words can’t express just how great it feels to know we have help for all of these projects. I have to admit not being able to do anything around the house and knowing my husband has to do everything for us is probably the hardest part of bedrest for me.  If you want to learn how to let go of control go on Bedrest…works like a charm!

Thanks for reading, thanks for praying, thanks for loving...

28 Weeks-Time to Celebrate!

Words can't express how much joy I experienced at my own baby shower yesterday thanks to some awesome friends and family!  So since a picture is worth a thousand words...Enjoy! 

Adorable decorations thanks to my friends Shelley & Kendra! 

A garland of our ultrasound photos...believe it or not we have many, many, many
more that were not included!  

Check out the amazing food prepared by my mother-in-law
& sister-in-law....

Twins in a blanket, how cute is that!?!  

With my cute Mom...

We talk with our hands. 

Painting Onesies, Bibs, and Burp Cloths...Thanks Erin!!!
Great idea! 

Notice the STL Cardinals logo...
we asked her to make a second one after we saw the first! 

A sad attempt to include Tucker in our family photo...

We gave up! 

I am so blessed to have these women in my life! Thank you all!