I went in for a routine OB appointment earlier this week. Since Jack is home, Christopher was able to come with me. I know many (most?) husbands steer clear of these non-historic events, but mine has always tried to be at as many as possible, no matter how benign. This pregnancy he’s missed more than he’s attended simply because of the flow of life. But on Tuesday, he came, and was treated to a lovely peek at little Decimus. Being high risk (geriatric grand multipara with gestational diabetes and a history of fetal macrosomia, thankyouverymuch) means I not only see my healthcare provider more often than most pregnant mommas, but also that I am given more detailed monitoring in general. In other words, nearly every appointment includes not a sweet moment of listening to a heartbeat via doppler, but an actual view of my baby via ultrasound.
(I try not to think of the potential risks associated with frequent ultrasound in pregnancy because frankly, it’s not optional for me, and I have to believe God has those possible dangers well in hand, as He does all things.)
Decimus gave us quite a show. He or she is an active little person, already established as a strong kicker and constant mover. I’ve seen this baby swallow, stretch, repeatedly cover his or her face, and “practice breathe,” more often than any other little one. It was fun for Christopher to see as well, and made us both laugh to see the small head circumference and long legs we know so well from our previous biological children.
We were given a weight estimate (which we assured her was wrong due to aforementioned head measurements), and sent over to see the doctor, wh0 congratulated us again on our unusual status. Seems getting pregnant without intervention after 45 is statistically minute, although he happily shared that at one point, he had two mothers expecting babies at age 50. After a moment, he added, “They both used donor eggs. So… different.” Then he complimented me on my “good eggs.” Well, at least a single good egg God saved for a time such as this, right?
In other news, the November has been… May? The temps have strayed all the way up to 81, with a general hovering in the mid- to upper-60s. It’s not a bad thing at all, of course, but I did shuffle kids’ clothing to winter gear. Now they are all trying to find straggling pairs of shorts and t-shirts that had been in the laundry loop during the transition. Oh, well. I tried.
Also, Mary Hannah and Mathaus will be home in just two weeks! Like most college students across the country, their semester was realigned dramatically to allow for less off time in the midst of classes, and a longer break come winter. Mary Hannah asked if we have any holiday plans and the answer is… no. I think we’ll spend the season mostly cozy and home-based. Aside from two Christmas recitals (one for John Mark, one for Birdie and Simon), many of the events we usually enjoy throughout the season have been cancelled or modified in such a way as to make them not really enjoyable, in my personal opinion. One exception may be a local parade we attend each year. They’ve decided to to make it a “reverse parade,” where the floats are stationary and the onlookers drive by in procession in their own vehicles. Since we usually view from our van anyway, that doesn’t feel too far-fetched. But we’ll see. Right now, big bowls of popcorn and thermoses of hot cocoa in the van while viewing a parade sounds fun. In mid-Deecmber, my opinion could have shifted!
Finally, a small shout-out to John Mark. He spent the entire week immersed in an interest-led project spurred on by one of Simon’s readers (Mystery of the Hunley, affliate link). In one of those happy little homeschool rabbit trails, I allowed him to sit out this week’s IEW paper for Essentials and pare back some of his regular history reading so that he could focus on learning more about the Hunley, the politics surrounding its creation, its single battle, and the science of discovery and restoration that have brought it back into the American consciousness. He owned this project like the capable 6th grader he is, utilizing multiple sources, taking copious notes, and building a fabulous diorama he designed and implemented with just found objects and craft supplies. At CC, he presented the three page paper he researched, wrote, edited, and finalized this week. (Enhanced Masters have longer presentation time slots, in case you’re wondering how he pulled that off!) I’m super proud of all of his work— and he is, too. That personal satisfaction he showed was the greatest part of the whole project for me!