my new superpower

Saturday morning I had a dream. In the dream I gave birth to a baby boy. It was lovely. But then there were some insurance issues and the baby got relocated and I spent a lot of time walking around the hospital waiting room trying to figure out what I needed to do to get to my baby boy.

And then I woke up.

Even with the insurance problems, it had been a pleasant dream. I laid there in bed (it was 6-ish—not quite time to get up) and thought about baby boys and how my brother and his wife were expecting their third child in the next week or so. They already had two girls, and the oldest girl had her heart set on a baby brother. She’ll probably be crushed if it’s another girl, I thought to myself. And then I reconsidered, Nah, once she sees the new baby she’ll be fine.

I drifted off then, and when I got up for reals about an hour later, my first thoughts were about that baby boy. And then—  What if they had the baby last night! Ha, wouldn’t that be wild.

I fired up the computer and shot my brother an email. The subject line said, “Any baby last night?” In the body, I explained, “Weird dreams,” and then went on to ask if they wanted us to start sleeping with the phone by our bed since we were on call for the girls’ childcare. I wanted to ask, Any boy baby? but I thought that might come across as presumptuous and irritating, especially if they went on to have a girl.

Twenty minutes later the phone rang. It was my brother.

“We have a baby boy,” he said.

GOOSEBUMPS.

 But wait. The stinker must have just gotten my email. He was pulling my leg to get back.

“Ha. You’re kidding.”

“Um, no…? We have a baby boy.”

He sounded tired and confused…and happy. I stopped doubting and started squealing.

Turns out, the baby boy—a real one—was born right about the same time as my dream baby. The midwife didn’t arrive at their house in time (not her fault, they didn’t give her enough time, or maybe I should say the baby didn’t give them enough warning), so my brother delivered the baby himself and everything was marvelously honky-dory.

Perhaps I should invest in a crystal ball?

8 Comments

  • Margo

    oh, that is so sweet! You better keep a notebook by your bed to write down all your dreams so you have a heads up in wakeful time. . .

  • karen

    WOW! As someone who almost didn't have a midwife at a delivery, I can say WOW! twice. Well done, papa!

    And your dream? Super awesome.

    My eldest was three when she patted my stomach and said, quite out of the blue, You got a baby in there, mama? And sure enough, I was about 2 weeks pregnant. There hadn't been any discussion of it … so it wasn't triggered.

    She also knew it was a boy, even though everyone else was certain it would be a girl.

    I am thoughtful about how for so long we were told to dismiss our intuition … at least those of us who were raised in the Catholic Church … or at least in my experience. I believe it keeps us safe, and sometimes allows us little special experiences …

    Congratulations to all!

  • Mama Pea

    Good thing you didn't dream the baby was a girl 'cause then your brother and his wife would have had another girl. No? You don't have those powers?? ;o)

  • jennifer

    Goosebumps for sure!! Congratulations on the new little nephew. What a life he has waiting for him if your brother and sis-in-law are as fun as your family is! And even if they aren't (which I assume they must be!) he will have fun cousins and such to play with.

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