Pregnancy Versus Thesis

So everything was going great! Drew left for Uganda when I was almost 19 weeks pregnant. The babies were big and healthy. He would never have left me but he went to do the field work for his thesis. This was a great opportunity for him, and I was so pleased that he was able to go!

However, at 22 weeks we ran into some problems. I had a placental abruption that risked the babies' lives. I was hospitalized after a short stay at the "Hotel de Cristina Graves", where I was taken care of as if I were royalty. Caden especially took care of the twins as he brought them a shrimp each or a marshmallow or two (each). Caden asked lots of questions such as, "do you push the babies out of your mouth"? He also said so many funny things such as, "I'm going inside your tummy to play with the babies". He placed nice, colored sticky notes on my tummy... for his wee cousins you see... and was also the first in the family to patiently wait, with both of his hand on my tummy, for the babies' first kicks! He felt the babies kicking before anyone else, even before their own dad!

But despite Cristina's and Caden's most considerate and expert care, Cristina and I both rushed off to the hospital early one Sunday morning... we drove way too fast! Things were just really worisome for the next 12 weeks. I was on bed rest at LDS Hospital. However, we managed to keep the babies in until 34 weeks, which was OUTSTANDING! We went from thinking that we might loose our precious, little miracles to the birth of two healthy babies! I am so proud of my Dr. Ponder and the staff at LDS Hospital. They took such good care of me while I was laid up. We all kept a positive attitude, even if we were scared out of our wits!

So while I was slaving away over a hot bed, Drew was still living it up in Uganda.



Drew had no idea until he came out of the bush that there was a problem. Yes, this is what he came home to!

He came home and we spent lots of time at the hospital together. I have to tell you though that Caden came up to visit, and one time he tried to talk to the babies. So how do you think he did that? Well he got on the bed, came up very close to my face, opened my mouth and shouted down into my tummy, "Dahlia, Sawyer." SOOOooooo funny!

This is a picture of Dahlia.

And, this is a picture of Sawyer.

Of course, I kept my girlish figure....

NOT...

We held on until 34 weeks, when my membranes ruptured, and I was rushed up to the University of Utah Hospital to deliver. This was a big shock to us as we were expecting to deliver at LDS. But there was no room at the inn, and we were sent to the stable!

Private Journal Link

http://gravesfamilyspot-journal2006-2007.blogspot.com/2008/03/pregnancy-versus-thesis.html