Hahahahaha. No. Just
no.
That would be my sister, Tina. It seems she celebrated the first birthday of my nephew by conceiving baby #2.
I've been trying to process this in my head since she told me a couple of weeks ago. Yes, this is what I was alluding to in my
Six Words that Saturday and a few of you did guess correctly. One of you even made sure to send me a direct message on Twitter so your guess would be on record. I wasn't quite in a positive place when I wrote those words.
When she found out she was pregnant with Collin, she called me. Honestly, just the fact that her phone number was on my caller id when I arrived home and her message asked me to call back was enough to tip me off that she must be pregnant. You see, she can't afford to make long distance calls. In fact, that's the only time she has ever called me. Ever.
This time, the news didn't even warrant a phone call. Just an email. Never mind that she probably could've just kept the news quiet for another couple of weeks and told me in-person on Ye Big Ole Family Vacation O' Fun.
It's such an in-my-face reminder of so many things. Our lack of closeness. Her inability to afford even a quick phone call (or unwillingness to make it a priority). Her place in the family as the golden child creating grandchildren and great grandchildren while I'm failing at such tasks.
I feel bad for my father though. Because Tina and her husband can't afford gas money (and didn't pay a dime towards their share of the rental - my folks paid it all for them), they are riding down with my parents in the back of their
Exploder Explorer. That's my mother and father, sister, brother-in-law, and baby (in a big car seat) plus all of their things. On a good day, this trip would take about twelve hours. With a one-year-old who has recently decided he hates "no" and a two-month-pregnant lady (plus my parents' unwillingness to drive through major cities, instead taking crazy detours), I expect it will take much longer than that.
Again, my overwhelming issue is concern. She can't really afford baby #1 and now baby #2 is on the way. My baby sister is now going to have two kids less than two years apart with no insurance, no stable income, at the mercy of family and friends to keep food on their table and a roof over their heads.
And I'm also fully aware that my reaction is probably much more about my own issues regarding children and family than anything else.
I don't mean to sound like I think the little ones are evil or unloved or undesirable. I just can't help wishing the circumstances were a bit different.
Yes, Auntie Cate once again.
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