Lucky Number 13
We are happy to announce that the Mette Family will be adding another baby to the family this Spring (just after Easter).
We are excited about this for a couple of reasons.
1 - I love my kids. They are good kids and I pray that they will be good, holy, and productive adults.
2 - The timing worked out great. We generally take the month of May home from touring. The way that Easter falls this year puts us all home 2 weeks before my due date - which is perfect timing. (For those who are unaware - I have LONG pregnancies. Fidelity went 42 weeks and still required an induction).
Our family has been really blessed in that we have always seen love and support when we announce a new pregnancy. I know that this is not all “big” families receive the same support. We have a standing joke in our family, “Assume we are pregnant unless we announce otherwise.”
I have to admit that our family planning is not quite that light hearted.
Yes, I hear the comment, “You have your hands full!” and I often do. I do not consider that an insult, but a casual conversation.
I often get the comment, “I had 2 kids, and I couldn’t handle it!”
To which I respond, “Two kids are still hard work.” I say that honestly. It is true. I also believe having one baby is hard work. I also know that not being able to have kids is severely challenging. We all have our challenges in our family planning.
Here is the challenge for me. This is pregnancy 13. Thirteen. That means that I have had 5 losses. Most of these were between 11-13 weeks and required trips to the ER and/or D&C surgery. I lost my first pregnancy when I was 23 years old, just one week before my dad died. Another time, I didn’t find out the baby had passed until the 20 week ultrasound.
In addition to my losses, I have 1 living child with a severe genetic condition and I know that at least one of the babies that I lost had a chromosomal abnormality. As I get older the chance of this only increases. This baby is due a couple of weeks before my 40th birthday.
These experiences have stolen away all of the awe and wonder of pregnancy. I don’t love being pregnant. I don’t enjoy giving birth. The baby years are not even my favorite. There is a fair amount of fear and hesitation that goes along with each pregnancy.
The thing is this. Every time that I think about reasons NOT to have more kids, the more I realize all of those things are temporary. They are fleeting. Pregnancy is only 9 months. Labor and delivery is over in a few days. The baby years go fast.
My kids are precious, and loving. They challenge us to see life in a different way. They stretch us to love each one of them uniquely. They help us to grow into better people.
It is our job as a parent to get our kids to heaven. There is no time limit on this. Those babies that I never held can be saints. I like to think of them as personal intercessors for our family. I tasked them with praying for our living children as they go through the teenage years. Fidelity may not go to college (because of her genetic condition), but she can be a saint. She can even challenge others to love more and grow in their faith. This is why we are excited to announce another pregnancy.
I love it when we are a big enough group to sway the crowd. When we ride roller coasters, we start a slow clap and before we know it, the whole train has joined in. I pray that our family can “sway the crowd” toward the love and joy of Christ. I pray that our family can be trend setters. I pray that each of my kids can become saints.
I thank you for your prayers as we continue this journey. Here are some practical updates as I approach the 3rd trimester:
When we went for our first ultrasound (around 11 weeks) the technician commented that “baby was big” and “moved a lot.” These were reassuring comments because Fidelity was opposite. The was small, with very limited movements - both signature traits of PWS.
Our 20 week anatomy scan showed that the baby was looking good, but they would repeat in 4 weeks to get a better view of the heart chambers
Our followup anatomy scan looked good and the heart was more visible and also looked good.
Baby was frank breech in ultrasounds, but that is OK at that stage in pregnancy.
She’s a GIRL and we’ve chosen the name Edith Grace
I’ve penciled in an induction on April 29th. (I’m usually not a fan of voluntary inductions, but after 7 deliveries, I’ve come to realize that I’ll likely end up with an induction anyway).