This morning I came down to Kathy reading the paper at the breakfast table. She seemed tired or in thought, so I asked her if anything was wrong.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, which is what she always says whether or not something is wrong.

I asked her if she felt ok. She she said she felt fine, but then she hesitated! AH HAH! I sat down and asked her what was wrong.

She admitted that she was a bit worried because it had been about 60 days… woops. After some discussion, we agreed to take a test. I mowed the yard, and Kathy went to the grocery store to pick up some lunch things and a home pregnancy test.

After lunch, I asked her if she wanted to take the test before or after Danny’s All-Star game that afternoon. Nicole overheard me ask.

“Test? What test?” asked Nicole. “A pregnany test?” she said worried. “Are you going to have another baby?” She was almost panicking. I tried to steer her off this course of thinking, but not very successfully.

Kathy and I went upstairs. This new test involved only a simple stick. None of the chemical vials and critical timing involved in our previous tests I performed for Kelly and Danny. In fact, there was nothing for me to do but read the instructions several times. We were looking for a pink or purple strip.

Meanwhile, I found out later, Danny and Nicole sat downstairs discussing who would get what room and who would have to live in the basement.

As in the past, Kathy doesn’t do any half way jobs on being pregnant. The strip turned pink almost immediately. We didn’t have to wait the proscribed three minutes.

Needless to say, child number four has caused quite a bit of commotion. Nicole broke down smiling and crying at the same time when we came down and confirmed her earlier intuition. When asked to explain, she said she is very happy to have a new brother or sister but she is also very sad because she will have to share her room and baby sitting will be much harder.

I asked Nicole how she thought she might react when she finds out about her own first child. I’m afraid she might slip into a coma.

We then all went upstairs to meet the new addition, which is just a stick now. Danny and Nicole were very interested in the stick. Kelly wanted to play with her new sister/brother the stick, but of course I couldn’t let her.

When I told Kelly that Mom was going to have a new baby, she took it very seriously and gave Kathy a serious look. I’m not sure she understands what it means, but she recognized that whatever this was all about, it was important.

So now I have to finish the basement and find at least one vehicle with six seatbelts. Danny and Charlie should be moved in (down) by Christmas.