Her Story

The thought of a second child surfaced very quickly for us once Isis was born. We were absolutely in love with her and simply could not wait to share parental love with another one. Our plan was to have our next child fairly close in age to Isis. God's plan was to send us to Charlottesville for two years to work with a thyroid specialist. We were unsure how long and if ever we would have another biological child.

We can't say how happy we were to find out we were pregnant again. Until the pregnancy symptoms hit and for nine months I felt like a college student with a bad hangover. Sickness, crankiness, fatigue, and the general feeling that I was being hit by brick after brick after brick. So we went from a thyroid condition to the feeling of daily death to a diagnosis of fetal pyelectasis for the baby to a diagnosis of gestational diabetes for me. I was beginning to wonder if I had tried too hard for something that wasn't meant to be. I kept thinking about how I felt with Isis and this was nothing close.

Isis was due on July 17, 2007. She was born on precisely that day at a rather convenient time of exactly 3:30 pm. She was born rather punctual you might say and has remained that way to this day. She enjoys routines, wants expectations laid out for her, and requests timers throughout the day to announce the end of one activity before transitioning to another. She is a bit Type A. I think she is a pretty typical first child. Sometimes I am sure she if gifted until I am pretty sure she is autistic. I think really she is just three.

Baby number two, we were told, would arrive somewhere around December 17, 2010. All of my midwives assured me that women typically follow a pattern so I could expect this baby to arrive fairly close to the actual due date as well. I like knowing when things are going to happen. However an ultrasound revealed that we would need to do another c-section and it would be scheduled for December 7. Even better. I had an exact date to work with and made all the necessary preparations for things to happen on THAT day.

Well let me tell you about the second child. They are less compliant and require less structure. Eliza Kate came into the world November 29 at 6:24am, three weeks before her due date, and sent us scrambling to the hospital at 3:00am. Aunt Karla showed up at in the middle of the night with her backpack on ready to hold down the fort. I told her she rocked. She high fived me and told me I rocked and to go have a baby.

Upon arriving at the hospital things continued to go as unplanned. An uncooperative spinal attempt by a half tired, perhaps drugged, anesthesiologist ended in me needing to be put under for the delivery. I must admit though, this was very good news. There is something unsettling about having a needle stuck into my spine. Two tries at this sent shocking pains down my legs and left my toes tingly and numb. I do not personally need to experience natural child birth in any form. What is natural to many many wonderfully strong women, is very unnatural to me. I like drugs and not feeling pain and must say morphine and percocet are winners in my book.

Two hours later I awoke in a stupor to learn that we had just been blessed with another baby girl. Could have fooled me. I was once again sure this one was a boy. She wasn't. Nor was she born anywhere close to her due date. She is a typical second child I assume...arriving when she felt like it with a head FULL of spiked brown hair with highlighted tips. It was a rock star entrance to the world. And she has rocked ours. She is along for the ride and seldom, seldom cries. She is tolerant as Isis pokes her face and squeezes her. Her eyes are blue and she is beginning to follow objects around her. She jumps at loud noises. She is beautiful and I often stare at her and realize what a miracle she truly is.

I have waited a long time for her. God is showing me that I cannot plan for everything. Really I can't plan for most things. I told Chris I don't ever want to be pregnant again. He told me he doesn't ever want me to be pregnant again. I'm glad we agree. It has truly been a difficult three years of medical concerns, health issues, prayer and waiting. But it has been worth it. She has been worth it. Another child blows my mind.