Voodoo

If you haven't heard yet, we're planning for another GIRL! We are excited and happy and only a little disappointed that we won't be having one of each (hey, I'm being honest!). We've thought of names, but nothing is sticking yet.

After having the ultrasound and getting the good news, I thought about Ruth Joiner. I worked with Ruth right after I got married to John in 1998. She was a very hard working secretary to my boss' boss. She was the epitome of what I think of when I think of southern women - she was a fantastic hostess, I never saw her without her hair or nails done and she fawned over her children and grandchildren.

One day, she said she could predict how many children I would have and what they would be. She needed a needle, my wedding band and a piece of thread. She collected her supplies and then told me to sit down and give her my hand. I think my palm was up and she threaded the needle and put the thread in the ring somehow. She dangled the stuff over my hand and she "read" the needle (or the ring, I can't remember) and said "Girl . . . (there was a long silence) . . . oh, another girl and a boy." She said she had a very, very good accuracy and started to tell me all the families she had predicted. I thought at the time that she was off by at least three children - John and I wanted a large family.

After our infertility issues, I was convinced that Ruth was off by two. Now I'm not so sure that she's off by any. If this baby was a boy, I would have been really tempted to make sure that I couldn't have any more children - but now I'm not convinced that we won't try again. This will especially be true if this pregnancy isn't problematic. I will have a very frank conversation with my OB and have him look at my scarred and crazy uterus when he takes the baby out during my c-section - and I will have him tell me honestly if it looks like it can handle another pregnancy. If he thinks it would work and after praying and praying and praying we think that it is a good idea, we might have the three kids that Ruth predicted.

Or we might not. I'm not putting my complete faith in Ruth's voodoo - although it's interesting to see how right she has been so far.

What I know right now is that our family is expanding to include another little girl, that John is really going to be outnumbered now and that we'll have to put off making any further family-planning decisions until this little girl makes her debut.

What a life I have led, huh?