If it's a boy, it must be Turkey

My youngest has a birthday coming up. Hard to believe he's going to be 12, but life does tend to march on. Next year, I will officially be the mother of three teenagers. Pray for me.

When I was pregnant with ds, I had a rotten gallbladder. Due to a mixup at the doctor's office, I was given this diagnosis six months after I had the testing done -- and by then, I just happened to be six weeks pregnant.

That pregnancy was a roller coaster ride. I was in and out of the hospital, and my mom came up from Florida several times, to help with the other two kids. I had preterm labor, so I was on bedrest for twelve weeks. Basically, I told my friends that if I ever mentioned that I wanted to get pregnant again, that they had my permission to shoot me.

My parents were planning an overseas trip, about the time I was due. The closer the time came, the more my mom fretted. She told me that I needed to tell my doctor to induce me, so that they would know that everything was ok. They were going to Turkey, and didn't know if there were going to be phones there, to get the happy news. I told her that I couldn't just demand to be induced.

Then, the morning of their departure, my water broke.

I called hubby and told him to come home. He called back to check on me, and didn't even recognize my voice, bellowing "WHO IS THIS?" into the phone. Geez, honey, just come home! Called my mom and told her that it looked like the baby was on his way. They were just getting ready to go to the airport, so she said she'd call me from the airport in Tampa.

They did. "Ain't nothin happenin' but the rent, Mom." Ok, she said, she'd call me from the airport in DC. Which she did, as soon as they arrived.

"Ain't nothin happenin' but the rent, Mom." Oh for heavens sake, says Mother, I'll call you right before we get on the plane. Again, "ain't nothin' happenin' but the rent." Mom was coming slightly unglued.

So, push comes to baby, and everything was fine. Then, our secretary called into the room. Rather hesitantly, she said "Lisa, your parents are on the phone." Long pause. "They're calling from a plane."

So, my parents got the happy news whilst somewhere between here and Constantinople. And that child has given us nothing but excitement ever since.