Surprise!
The phone rang when Elsa was asleep. I always answer when she’s sleeping even if I don’t know the number.
I’m so glad I did!
Some of you probably remember my crazy Swedish friend, Annica. She was my only friend when I lived in Sweden and, in true cliche form, she was nuttier than a fruit cake. I really liked her, but boy oh boy was she crazy. I think she tainted my whole view of Swedes, though she was much warmer and more fun than any other Swede I ever met.
I was surprised to hear that she was still with her husband. Back in the day she was always convinced that he was having an affair and she was always wanting to have an affair, preferably with a woman. I couldn’t help but think that she wanted to have an affair with me since she talked about it all the time, but I studiously ignored those comments. I don’t understand lesbian sex. I don’t want to understand lesbian sex. No offense against lesbians. Go off and have fun together, but leave me out of it. Much like you would like to be left out of straight sex, I would assume.
At that time she had two little girls and didn’t think she would ever have any more. She went through all kinds of fertility treatments to get her two children and didn’t have the stamina to go through another round of therapy. This was almost ten years ago.
She called today to tell me she had a big surprise.
Yup. Pregnant. She has a 13 year old and a 10 year old. She and her husband are in total shock. It’s a happy shock, but still. Quite the news to get when you assume you are infertile.
I just had to post about it for all my long time readers who remember the stories of crazy Annica. Remember the Christmas I wanted to buy blue fabric for my Christmas curtains (a Swedish must during the holiday season) and she refused to help me make them unless I bought a more traditional color. Can’t go against tradition! Or the time she was so embarrassed she wanted to die because we were taking a walk and I took my coat off. You’d think I was naked underneath.
Silly, silly woman.
For those who remember, her oldest daughter was born at 24 weeks and never learned how to eat. At the time I was there she had a feeding tube in her stomach. Despite all kinds of tests there was no physical reason that she couldn’t eat. She just refused. The doctors told her mom that she would start eating when she entered school. I guess doctors don’t know everything. Despite being 13 and having plenty of peer pressure, she still refuses to eat. She drinks formula so doesn’t need a feeding tube, but won’t eat solids. Definitely makes my problems seem insignificant.
Speaking of my problems, Mike and I both have colds. It is going to be an interesting Christmas. We are supposed to get together with friends, but I’ve already warned them that we may not be up to seeing them so they could make a plan for their meal.
I thought Elsa was a lot better last night. She was in bed and asleep by 11:30, which was a huge improvement. Then she started coughing at 11:33. Then she vomitted all over me, herself and the bed at 11:34. I’ve never seen so much vomit in my life. Motherhood=glamorous. It’s a good thing Mike has decamped to Erik’s room for the past few days. I changed clothes, threw a towel over the worst of it and switched sides. Gross, but oh well. Motherhood is pretty gross sometimes.
And now that Mike’s home, maybe I can go do some Christmas prep. We were going to finish our Christmas cut-out cookies today, but then Erik discovered American Ninja Warrior. Why would anyone want to bake stupid cookies when you can watch buff men run an impossible obstacle course? He’s already determined he’s going to win as soon as he turns 18. I don’t know how any of those guys made it past the second qualifier. You have to be in amazing shape to get past those obstacles.