It’s been a while since you've heard from me so I thought I
would write this blog. You may think I’m retelling history, but there’s a
reason for my madness so bear with me. The reason I wanted to write this blog,
on this day, was to bring recognition to an amazing person, the breath to my
life, the mother of my twins….my valentine!
I know most recent posts on this blog (save the last one)
have been about Paxtin and Channing, but I think it would be good to take a
minute and focus on the person who made it all possible and who CONTINUES to
make “it” possible!
Katie is far too modest to talk about herself. She’s been
through so much and yet she only mentions “the tip of the iceberg”. Beyond the
battle that she faced for years before she got pregnant (CONSTANT nausea, low
immune system, passing out, etc.), she continues to face struggle after struggle
and always with a positive attitude and a smile on her face. To use a quote
from Joseph Smith…I think Katie is “meant to swim in deep waters…better deep
than shallow!”
Don’t mistake me, we are very blessed and fortunate to have
the life and health that we have. There are so many around us whose conditions
are of such that only the elite angels of God can bear them.
Early in Katie’s pregnancy she was put on bed rest. Being
such a small girl and having twins in her belly, her muscles and tendons were
all stretched and pulled to their limits to the point that Kate couldn't even
stand without the weight and pressure from the twins putting her in
excruciating pain. On top of that, Channing lived in her rib cage…and he
kicked…A LOT!! I bring that up to help paint a picture. Now, 7 months
postpartum, Kate’s muscles and bones are still out of whack. She’s been going to
the chiropractor who is in complete awe of how separated her ribs are. He
said that he’s never seen ribs that bad and that out of place. Again, you all
knowing how small Kate is and how much Chan likes to kick…it’s really no
surprise.
Despite her ribs still being out of place and the pain that
causes, she never seizes to put the care and needs of our boys above her own.
Pax and Chan are both big boys, weighing 19 and 21 lbs.; and as you can imagine,
when you pack boys like that around all day, it’s bound to build some muscles. I've often times accused Katie of sneaking out at night and going to the gym
because she is 7 months postpartum and looks like a super model. But on top of
building muscles…it’s also bound to tear your body apart to a certain degree.
Kate’s wrist has been hurting her for some time now so she went to the doctor
this week and it turns out she has carpel tunnel in her wrist. The doctor told
her to wear a brace as much as possible and he told her she may end up needing
an elbow brace as well.
As most of you know, the doctors believed that the years of
hell Katie faced before getting pregnant was due to endometriosis (which, along with my own
problems, were part the reason we couldn't conceive on our own). If any of you
know anybody who has endometriosis (or if you have it yourself) then you know
it’s a cruel bitch! For Katie, not only did it cause pain and scarring, but it
also caused nausea. The doctors told us that 50% of the time the endometriosis
goes away after pregnancy never to return again. Well with Katie being “meant
to swim in deep waters”, it’s no surprise that the endometriosis has made Kate
well aware that it has no intentions of leaving. The pain is back and with it, some
nausea. Kate is on b.c. in hopes of controlling it but it hasn't been more than
a band-aid to the disease. And even though I’m her husband, she still tries to
hide the pain it causes.
So where does that leave us? Well it doesn't leave us with
very many choices. --A hysterectomy? Eventually! --Getting pregnant again? Let’s
wait a bit longer before we venture down that road…but yes, that seems not only
to be the best option, but it’s also been our plan all along (endometriosis or
not).
Now to you, Katie:
Thank you for being willing to take on the full-time job of
being a mother and wife. Please know that I see the work you put forth…and I
don’t envy your duties. When I’m not feeling well I can call in sick, but you
don’t have that option. When I’m exhausted I get to clock out and leave work,
but you don’t have that option. The things you do every day will impact our
child’s lives forever. The things you do keep this family intact and will mold
our twins into warriors of God.
So even though it’s late on Valentine’s Day as I write this
blog (10:50pm to be exact), I want you to know how much I love you. You are far
stronger than I could ever hope to be. Your faith, hope and determination are
unbelievable! You truly are my Valentine. I hope I succeed at letting you know
how much I love you and how much you mean to our family ALL year long and not
just on Valentine’s Day. I really do strive to make sure you know that I am
PROUD to be your husband…and VERY, VERY lucky to be by your side!
“What doesn't kill ya, makes you stronger”…or something like
that. Well, Kate…that seems to be true for you. You have the forces of hell
beating against you day and night, yet you don’t let that alter your smile or
break your good attitude. You may not see it, but I see it! I see an Angel of
God, a mother, rising above the mountains that continually try to hedge up your
way and cause you to stumble. I see my wife who refuses to let pain stop her
from living out her dream to its fullest.
Here's one of the pictures I took of Kate while she was pregnant
(I had to convince her to let me post this)
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