The Learning Umbrella

 This time last year, I was huge with child and eager to get it over with.  It was Superbowl Sunday, and our local team was playing – it was a big deal around here.  My grandma called that morning, and reminded me that it was her birthday.  “Any chance I might get a grandbaby for my birthday present today?” she asked.  I said I’d try, and I went and took a spoonful of castor oil.

We sat and watched the game, and I napped a little bit.  Then, just as the game was finishing, I went into labor.  We managed to oust my husband’s parents from their post-game party, and they came to pick up Carbon.  Off we went to a nearly empty maternity ward at the hospital – the nurses said people had pushed hard to get discharged in time for the game.  It was a short and easy labor, most of which I did sitting on a large exercise ball or in the bathtub.  Hypatia was born at 11:48 pm - grandma got her wish by 12 minutes.

I couldn’t believe how small she seemed, or how easy it all was with a second child.  We were nursing before I’d been stitched up, and we were home in less than 12 hours.

Now, my baby is almost a toddler.  She’s big enough to face forward in the car, too big for a front pack, and trying to take her first steps (so far all falls).  She had a Chuck E Cheese party (Carbon translated that she wanted that – very convenient that she wanted the same thing he did!).  I can’t believe she’s already been here for a whole year.  My baby won’t be my baby for much longer.