A Place in the Family

i was nervous about announcing this pregnancy just like my last pregnancy with miles, and essentially for the same reason - that people would forget noah and his place in our family would be lost.

and it didn't take long for my fears to be realized. on the day we told our immediate family we heard, "how do you feel about #2?" and "yeah, you don't care as much about not eating deli meat with the second, huh?"

these comments were very painful to hear. it's like a little shock to my heart. if noah were here no one would EVER say something like that. i've been pregnant THREE TIMES. hello!!!! is noah's entire existence erased from your memory?

but it also frightened me because i sort of expected these types of comments from distant friends and acquaintances, but hearing them from close family? it made me brace myself for what was to come when our announcement went "public."

however i don't blame them, or anyone who says something like that to us. it's understandable because sometimes our brains are just dumb, and we have a momentary lapse of smarts. i trust that those nearest and dearest to us love and remember noah deeply.

i also can't blame them, because my brain is just as dumb.

months and months ago i made a comment to a dear friend of mine, on national sibling day, something about "happy only child awareness day." it was a joke. and we have made only child comments to each other a million times, for as long as i've known her. i know she identifies with being an only child, but she isn't one. before i knew her, she lost her brother when she was young. i pretty immediately realized my horrific mistake in telling her, "happy only child awareness day" on national sibling day when she had LOST HER BROTHER. i felt so embarrassed and ashamed. i should have known better. especially me, of all people, should have known better. i preach loss sensitivity to anyone who will listen, and here i was....

momentary lapse of smarts.

i know it's hard. we see miles. we don't see noah.
miles will basically always be the oldest, but noah is the big brother.

and where does baby isaac fit in? that's a really tough one for us. and, just so you know, in case you're wondering, we consider baby isaac a part of our family, but it's tricky sometimes to call him our son. just being honest. and we're still trying to figure it out. however, if he's included as one of our children from another person (like say, in a card or conversation), we are honored and don't find it odd or alarming.

it's damn confusing. i know.

so there's grace all around.

however, we're doing our best to keep both noah and baby isaac's place in our family special and sacred. they will never lose their spots.

...

i'm realizing, again, for the millionth time, how jealous i am of families who don't have to deal with all this confusion because they have very straight forward birth orders. it makes my heart hurt for us.

heavy sigh.

i'm also very aware of how jealous i am of people (me being one of them when i was pregnant with noah) who get to go into their "big, 20 week ultrasound" with the only care in world being, "boy?!?! or girl?!?!?! bahaaaaaaa! i can't wait to know!!"

our anatomy scan is in a couple days and although this pregnancy compared to miles' is drastically less fearful, i find myself increasingly anxious leading up to this ultrasound.

i wish i could just be lighthearted and excitedly wonder about whether baby is a boy or girl. and have that be my only worry in the world. but i frankly don't really care.

what i care about is four chambers in the heart. a growing brain. and everything else the baby is supposed to have.

and although there's no way to know from an ultrasound whether baby has the condition that took noah's life, i know all too well there are so many other things that could.

but, and here i go into the positive self-talk, i trust that no matter what happens - it is well. we've been through the worst life could throw at us and we're still standing, still choosing to press forward in our quest for love and family and babies. who knows what the future holds, but i do know that because of what we've experienced in the past, the future holds hope that we'll be okay.

and to the third sweet one to live in my tummy, we love you. we do. no matter what. girl...boy...kitten...whatever...you're ours.

and you've now got your special place in our family. forever and ever.