I guess the story really begins with how we found out about baby number two. It really isn't a fun story, but part needs to be remembered none the less. We found out we were pregnant with our second child two days after Zane's second birthday. I came home from work to find spots on Zane's hands, feet, and around his mouth. It wasn't a huge jump to realize he had hand, foot, and mouth disease. Initially he just seemed a little fussy, scratching at his feet, and being slightly emotional.
As I cuddled Zane I quickly ran through the things I knew about hand, foot, and mouth disease. It is most contagious before any spots appear, it's a virus so there isn't any real treatment, don't take the kid to the doctors office and spread it to everyone else, kids might not want to eat or drink if they have spots in their mouth, and I vaguely remembered Abbey's kids having it when she was pregnant with Everett. I remembered Abbey saying her OB had told her to not come to her office if she started having symptoms because she would need to kept away from other pregnant people. Also, remember the words "losing the baby" being thrown around by her doctor. So knowing that there was an ever so slight possibility that I could be pregnant I figured I should take the one random pregnancy test we had laying around, left over from a Christmas morning scare, just to make sure that I wasn't pregnant.
I quickly did my thing and headed back to cuddling Zane with no worries that it would be positive after an incredibly busy month, one week of which I hadn't even been home. A didn't hear anything from Zach so assumed it was negative, until I came out to get a sippy cup of milk and Zach said, "well, your pregnant." As with the last time I found out I was pregnant the initial feeling that rushed through me was terror, as I think it should be for any rational human. Creating human life is a HUGE deal, not to be taken lightly. Also, unlike what they tell you when pregnant with your first child, I very distinctly remember how miserable I was when I was pregnant last time. The "make you forget" hormones never kicked in for me. However, we had a sick boy on our hands, getting sicker and crabbier by the minute so there was no celebration or freaking out for hours (which is what happened the night we found out we were pregnant with Zane).
I hastily called my sister, telling her in a not fun way at all that I was pregnant and asking what exactly I should be concerned about if I got the virus while pregnant. She was very excited, admittedly probably more so than me at that moment and reassured me all was fine. Rationally there is no way I hadn't been exposed to it previously, having worked in a daycare and at a Children's Hospital, but obviously not thinking rationally at that moment.
So we spent the rest of the night, and I do mean THE REST OF THE NIGHT, until 4AM dealing with Zane scratching himself crazy, screaming bloody murder, inconsolable by any parenting tricks we had in our two year old book. Luke warm bath, lotions, fully clothed, naked, watching TV, cuddling in our bed, cuddling on the couch, you name it we tried it. I called into work with a screaming baby in the background and the thought "oh my God we are going to have another one soon" running through my head. In the midst of it I would randomly try to picture what the other child would be doing if this were to happen next year, the answer of course being, the exact same thing as Zane, screaming their head off and also wanting their mommy too.
So in the end it took us one month to get pregnant, by the grace of God. Had I not been pregnant during the screaming marathon I'm not sure I would have gone through with having another child. It took Zane a few days to recover, just as it took us a few days to rap our minds around our growing family and just how scarily fertile we really are. I don't take it for granted, we are truly blessed as I know many people who try for years to have children.
The next week we headed to Oklahoma for the fourth of July celebrations were the next part of our story begins. I had to tell the rest of my family much sooner than I had planned since I called my sister about two minutes after finding out. But they are my family and I was so happy for them to share in our joy. I had thought I would have a fun way to announce baby number two, but I guess not, which was fine. It's big enough news you really don't need fancy packaging.
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