"I'm a poppy?"

Friday, September 19, 2014

Ever since Serene turned 4 months old, Alex would joke about having another baby. I would laugh in reply, adamantly claiming I wasn't ready to give birth again. But as the months passed, Serene got older, blooming into more of a toddler and leaving her baby-ness behind. We revisited the topic more frequently, and prayed that God would grant us another child according to His timing. Since I was still breastfeeding, my period didn't return until Serene was 8 months, and they were irregular.

On the morning of September 19th, I woke up to find that my period hadn't arrived. It was at least a week late by then, so with a pounding heart, I took a pregnancy test. I squeezed my eyes shut partly in fear, in case it'd turn out negative. It was positive. I peed on another stick to ensure I wasn't seeing things. Another positive. As we ate breakfast together, I attempted to behave normally. Alex left afterward to do some work. After I put Serene down for her morning nap, I drew a vintage seed packet announcing the news.

When Alex got home, he ate a late lunch and then proceeded to study. "I made something for you," I said. I handed him the card. He took it and smiled. "Hong's seed quality," he read. He looked at the picture, as if trying to appreciate the art. "I'm a poppy?" he asked, confused. He handed it back to me. "Do you get it?" I asked, laughing. "I'm not trying to say that you're a poppy!" "Read the bottom lines," I urged. " He stared at it quizzically. "Are you pregnant?" he asked slowly. I nodded, grinning. "Wowwww," he uttered, awestruck. "I drew a poppy because the little baby is the size of a poppy seed right now," I explained. Then we laughed as joy and apprehension about taking care of two teeny human beings overwhelmed us. So we prayed for tons of grace and thanked the Lord for this miraculous gift - the gift of another child, a sibling for our then-11-month-old Serene Joy, and another testament to God's goodness.

See the announcement here.