As we have been settling into our new home in Hampton Roads, Virginia (we found a great rental in Yorktown), we had a very shocking but pleasant surprise. Another addition! John was in shock for nearly as long as I was, but came to when the "macho" factor kicked in. Due to my PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), I was told for years that having children would require some significant medical intervention. Thanks to God's grace, that was not the case with Emily! And thanks to God's humor, it's not the case with this one, who we temporarily named "Skippy" (if male) and "Missy" (if female). While not discrediting God's hand in all this, John does seem pretty pleased with his fertility track record. This is certainly a family trait on his side in particular: at his grandmother's funeral mass earlier this month, all of her 11 surviving children as well as a huge chunk of her 35 grandchildren and 51.5 great-grandchildren were present. That's just his dad's side...
I'd just had laser vision correction this winter and had unfortunately not been healing quite as well or as completely as we'd all expected, so realizing I was pregnant as I was scheduling the enhancement to fix my eyes was not the most pleasant of surprises. Given that I can't have the surgery for several months after being pregnant or breastfeeding, that nixes the next few years. YIKES! But I quickly made peace with less-than-fabulous vision if it's the sacrifice necessary for another blessing. Heaven knows the first one turned out pretty wonderfully.
Emily is beside herself with joy and excitement, asking the most hilarious questions: does de baby yike pizza rolls? is it dark in there with the baby? I haf to get a bwanket to keep de baby warm, Mama! John frequently laughs that this poor kid will have two mommies.And great news--it's another GIRL!!! We had a thorough ultrasound last week and are really delighted that we'll be having another daughter. People kept asking me what I wanted, and I could truly say that I was thrilled with either one. I would dearly love to have a son, yet I also have loved every moment of having a daughter. Talk about a win-win. John very diplomatically (and I believe honestly) answers: "Happy healthy mom; happy healthy baby". (The guy is still recovering from the rather terrifying experience we all had during Emily's birth, but I keep reassuring him that there's no danger of a repeat for many reasons.)
Amusingly, a week and a half ago I gave into John's lobbying to adopt a cat from PetSmart. I can't believe I gave in to this, as I now have 2 and sometimes 4 children, and now 3 furry critters as well. Smudge, as we've named the fuzzy black/gray cat, is a truly hilarious cat and also a male... now that we know which flavor o' kid this one will be, I suspect John was just trying to boost the testosterone level in his life, given that he is now afloat in an ocean of estrogen. Poor guy. But I don't worry too much as I watch the way he and Emily each have the other wrapped around one another's fingers. Everything they say about daddies and their daughters is true.
This one is due in November, literally a few days before Emily's due date. If she is anything like her big sister, we may well wind up with all four of us having October birthdays! John is certainly hoping for that, as dates are not his strongest suit. Having all the birthdays in October would at least narrow the field for the poor guy. We'll see what happens!
