A series of coincidences
Life is a series of coincidences, discovered after the fact. One of these is the ability of Mom and Dad to act as heralds of births. They were at our house in Iowa when Monkey was born, there when Buster was born, and though they hadn’t expected it, were the first visitors to see new baby Yessa. Let’s tell the story.
A visit to Iowa was planned with Becky and Nick for Monkey’s baby shower. The Vermonters arrived at our small white Iowa farmhouse to find it empty. A neighbor stopped by and said that I had been seen tossing a frisbee with Chippie a few times then zoomed off with a suitcase in hand. Yes, this is top-notch Iowa snoopery.
Monkey had decided to come early and she had decided to arrive upside-down. Rather than the home birth we had planned, we had spent all morning performing painful manipulations attempting to get Monkey to do a headstand. She wouldn’t. So, a c-section was performed. As soon as we could, we were driven home from the hospital by Bex where we had a week with the family while Elroy trotted the Vermonters all over the Iowa State Fair.
Next, Buster. We were ready to go. Experienced friend Gina had been drafted as doula/support staff and was standing-by ready to drive up from Kansas City. The ‘rents were in town over Mom’s spring break. There were just two days left of the visit. Early in the morning the contractions started. Buds was “requested” to send the parents with Monkey down to Ginnie’s parents’ house down the hill. 11 hours later, the big-head was breached and the boy baby born. Yet another welcome to the world by the Vermont Gems.
The final birth was the best surprise of all. Mom and Dad were driving out to care for Monkey and Buster during Ginnie’s Dad’s memorial and funeral services. They dropped everything to help us at this moment. They stopped to stay with Liz and Tony in Chicago on the night of the 8th. Well, that was the night that Yessa decided she wanted to stay with us, too. In the wee hours of the morning, she arrived like a freight train. A mere four hour labor left Buds nearly catching the newborn. Our midwife Cary arrived just in time (she had been stuck behind a train).
So when Mom and Dad arrived at the house we had laid a sleepy Yessa in the middle of our bed. Ginnie, Monkey and Buster hid in the bathroom connected to our bedroom. Buds brought Mom and Dad upstairs.
Buds: Can you find the grandkids?
Mom/Dad: Looking around the room, hearing cackling from the bathroom. Monkey pops out from the bathroom.
Mom: I see one grandchild.
Buster pops out.
Mom: I see another.
Awkward silence…
Buds: Do you see a third?
