I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in a bit the other day, and definitely not since I started showing off this latest baby bump. “Another one??” was all she managed to choke out, and to be honest I couldn’t really blame her.
I’m not naive — six is a lot. Especially in California these days, as families are leaving in droves for greener and cheaper pastures. I know several moms of six or more across the country but not a single one locally. A handful with five but none with six.
Someone should probably go ahead and put me in the zoo with the other endangered Golden State animals. On this side we have leatherback sea turtles and condors, and over here, the rare California Mom of Six. She can be recognized easily by the bags under her eyes, wrinkles including laugh lines and the worry dent between her eyebrows, and the travel mug of coffee from home because no one can afford Starbucks and six children in San Diego.
All joking aside, I’m thrilled for this little one to be joining us in December. I really, really thought that door was closed after two miscarriages last year, but God had other plans.
I’m still having a hard time believing it’s real. I had my 20-week anatomy scan this morning (at 23 weeks, because have you tried to make a doc appt recently? They are booking months out for non-emergency services over here and I’m not even on an HMO) and I was half-convinced that the doc was going to tell me there was something majorly wrong with Bebe.
But Bebe looks great! A brain, a heart with four chambers, two kidneys, and both arms and legs all present and accounted for. And the gender is still a surprise.
Now all that’s left to do is get through the last half of this pregnancy at age 40, which I can assure you is not for the faint of heart. I had a 9-year-gap between Cordelia and Arya, and I remember thinking how different pregnancy was in your 20s versus your 30s. I made a comment to a mom friend at the time who had had her last at 40, and she just said, “Try it in your 40s.”
That woman knew what she was talking about!
All I can say is that I am glad patience and wisdom comes with age, because the energy is out the window on this one. Second trimester energy burst? Never happened! But we’re getting through it, even with Jello-brain.
I’m so glad you’re here, sweet little brother or sister. Even if you’re making Mama tired. ❤️
As long as there's no issues of neglect/abuse, then it's nobody's business how many children they choose to have. People are so nosy.
Thank you for sharing that little clip! Amazing!
Good for you.