Magic Number?

When we announced that we were expecting again after baby number four had turned one, we were not met with joy. Rather, the comments ranged from teasing incredulity to plain old rude. I think of all the ways to ask why someone would have yet another child, we heard them all.

You do know what causes this, right?


Nothing to do on Saturday night at your house?


Just haven't made the perfect kids yet?


Hoping to create your own country all by your self?


You do know that there are other ways to evangelize, don't you?


Ah, your parents were the conservative ones who kept you out of sex ed, weren't they?


You just don't have enough to do yet?


Don't you think the world is populated enough?


I think China's one child policy might not have been such a bad idea, don't you?


Hoping to have enough children that everyone will simply give you things for free?


Do you know that a full quiver was really only 5 arrows?


So your plan to keep Scott out of the house is just to have more kids to take care of so he'll need two jobs?

On and on and on they went. Some of the comments came from acquaintances. Some from family. And, here in the good old Northeast, some came from perfect strangers who felt the need to comment on the ever expanding belly with four other children walking along beside me.

And then at our routine ultrasound we discovered not one little Rutherford head, but two. (Yes, the phrase little Rutherford head here is used metaphorically. Our kids have gigantic heads. And to borrow a phrase from the immortal Dr. Seuss: no one quite knows the reason.) We were shocked. Every measurement, every symptom, every visit had been that of a routine, single pregnancy. Within the next two weeks, however, my body swelled from a normal 20 weeks along pregnancy to looking almost full term. Scott is convinced that  my mind needed the information before my body was allowed to take over.

What we were the most struck by, though, was the complete about-face the comments took.

How wonderful that you'll have so many hands to help you!


What a blessing to have such a large family!


Oh, the wonderful memories you'll make for these children!


What a gift to have such big helpers at home already!


Isn't it wonderful that God waited until you had so much experience before sending twins?


How exciting!


You  must be thrilled!


I always dreamed of twins!


Can you imagine how much laughter your home will hold?

The same naysayers who struggled with the idea of us having five children were now dancing a jig over six. What is that about anyway? I mean, shouldn't the post-twin news have been just as maligned? Shouldn't the news that we were not only bringing one child into the world but two be greeted with equal scorn, mockery, and loud whispers of "overachievers?"

I don't know what had me thinking about this today, but I did find myself chuckling over the memory quite often. Perhaps it was Aidan's comment that he hopes were are going to have another baby soon. Or, as he put it, he hopes I am making another baby. Even now, while we do get the occasional snarky comments, most people seem to think that the news that another little Rutherford is on the way is a good thing. We have no such news to report, but that doesn't seem to stop the hopeful queries.

Scott and I continue to wonder what precisely made five children odious but six children glorious. For he and I both, this bit of wisdom eludes us.