Lois's Second Christmas

First, let me apologize for being such a absentee blogger for the past month. But honestly, people. It's the holidays! How on earth did you find the time to get online and check this blog? Didn't you have cookies to make and ornaments to hang? I've been busy sewing and baking and decorating and shopping and wrapping. I kind of thought you would be too? I've also been hard at work making a placenta. That seems to take more energy than all of the above tasks combined. So updating our blog fell WAY down on the Hogan family priority list - somewhere behind #51 - raking leaves and above #54 -pooper scooping the back yard. But everyone's favorite BFF, Auntie Gina, is spreading the word via snarky blog comments and facebook postings that she needs a Lois fix. So here I am.

We had a delightful and eventful December here in balmy 70 degree Richmond. (I'm still resolutely bitter about the ridiculously wonky climate.) Lois attended more than her fair share of Christmas parties and has quite the slew of new toys to show for it. Here's our first interaction with Santa Claus at the Early Intervention party.


She really seems to like him, doesn't she?


Things didn't get much better when he handed her a present. But do you blame her? He doesn't exactly look trustworthy, does he?


Sitting on Santa's lap was totally anticlimatic for both of us, but my Lord, did the kid look cute. The Ya-Ya is always good for some holiday theme wear and she really came through for us this year. Don't you think?

Our next holiday party was the DSAGR party. (Down Syndrome Association of Greater Richmond for those of you not up on the lingo.) We were expecting over 200 people at the party and if I had to guess I'd say every one of those 200 showed up and brought a friend. That room was packed. Jam packed. But it was such a treat for me to get to see the older kids in our group. Lois and I hang with the little dudes most of the time, so seeing the school age kids and meeting their families was good fun. Every child at the party - not just those with DS - received a gift from Santa that night. Can you imagine the logistical nightmare that was? I volunteered to be the party photographer and take a shot of each child with Santa - so my fanny was perched on a chair in the middle of a squiggling, giggling sea of children who were ready to wet their pants with excitement over Santa's appearance. I blame the pregnancy hormones, but I sat there and snapped pictures and sobbed my eyes out. Ridiculous, I know. But I was overcome with gratitude for my little butter bean, for this amazing group, for Lois's future, and for my good fortune to be part of it all.


And no, she wasn't too keen on the DSAGR Santa, either.


But once again, she looked totally stinkin cute.

Mid month, Jay and I had an important appointment with a perinatologist. That's the kind of doctor you have the good fortune to see when you are old as dirt and pregnant. That's the kind of doctor that Dr. Dickhead was. (As you can see, I'm still struggling with my resolution to not call him that.)

So, as I expected, my new OB/GYN had talked with me about prenatal testing. And, as you all might have expected, I told her thanks, but no thanks. So how did I end up in a perinatologist's office with an appointment to have an amniocentisis? Good question. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. Honestly, I think I agreed to do it just to shut her up. And up until a week before hand, I fully intended to go through with it. And up until I was on the table in her office, I led my husband and family to believe I fully intended to go through with it. That's bad. I know, I know, I know! I don't need any more guilt, thank you.

But I didn't go though with it, and I don't intend to. We could really get into a heated debate here about prenatal testing and termination and dickhead doctors who have antiquated views of disabled children. But we're not going to do that. Nope. You know why? Because this decision is just WAY too personal and I can't bring myself to judge you if you made a different decision than I did. And I hope you feel the same way.

And yes, my sweet, understanding, patient husband is on board. I had to push a little from the rear to get him there, but he made it. If you ask him, he'll tell you he knew I had no intention of going through with it. I love you to pieces, Jay Hogan.

So what it made it such an interesting appointment besides my not so dramatic last minute change of heart? This picture did :


What? You can make it out? Let's try cropping it a bit and enlarging it.


Now can you see it? It's a penis, people. Or as Auntie Gina says, a "pipper". Lois is going to have a little brother, and I just about want to jump out of my skin I'm so excited. Is that wrong? Hopefully not as wrong as posting a photo of my unborn son's genitals on the Internet.

Look at me going on and on. And we still haven't seen pictures from Christmas morning yet! I think those will have to wait for my next post. That placenta I'm making is taking it out of me today and I feel the need to go lie down. And please don't listen to Jay when he tells you he saw the placenta on ultrasound and it's already fully formed and functioning. I'm telling you it's not quite finished yet. Honestly.