By Caitlyn Kirby
The website FiveThirtyEight reports that almost 60 percent of Americans choose to know the gender of their child before birth. The rest stick to buying gender neutral clothes, toys and nursery items.
They have no gender reveal and everyone is left on the edge of their seats. Two teachers at Delta High School decided to become a part of the minority.
“I could have gone either way but she was like ‘I wanna wait’ and I thought that sounded super special,” Mr. Adam Lennon said.
Mr. Lennon, Biology and Anatomy/Physiology teacher, and Mrs. Taylor Lennon, a freshman English teacher, recently had their first child, a baby boy. Henry Alexander Lennon was born just a few weeks ago on July 26 at 5:31 p.m.
Three days past her due date, Mrs. Lennon had to be induced due to medical reasons. She then endured an intense 30+ hour labor for Henry to be born at 21 inches and seven pounds, 12 ounces. She was glad to have had such a great team of doctors, nurses and family to help her through it.
Mrs. Lennon says that recovery has been going well.
“I feel like I am improving every day,” she says. “It’s amazing how the human body comes back from pregnancy and giving birth.”
Not knowing the sex before birth was Mrs. Lennon’s idea initially, but it took no convincing for Mr. Lennon to be on board with it. They knew they would love the baby regardless and just wanted it to be healthy.
“The element of surprise made the big day much more exciting,” Mrs. Lennon says. “Mr. Lennon was the one to tell me our baby was a boy, and that was so special to me!”
Mr. Lennon says that finding out it was a baby boy filled him with an overwhelming joy, because this is what they originally wanted. After having multiple dreams that it was a girl, Mrs. Lennon was surprised to find out she had a son, but so excited to meet him.
The Lennons agree that being new parents is tough, but so fulfilling. Mr. Lennon says becoming a father also means becoming a more worrisome person. This involves constantly hovering over his wife and son, making sure they are safe and healthy.
But apart from the anxiety, getting to know their baby has been so rewarding. Having a support system and reaching out to other moms has been helpful to Mrs. Lennon.
“It helps to know that my husband and I are in this together,” Mrs. Lennon says.
Mrs. Lennon will remain on maternity leave until after fall break. In her absence, Mr. Kip Omstead is teaching her classes.
Mrs. Lennon sent him teaching materials for the quarter, and other teachers in the English department – such as Mrs. Whitney Freeman and Miss Amanda Craw – are there in case he has any questions.
“Mr. Omstead used to be an English teacher at Delta, and a fantastic one at that,” Mrs. Lennon says. “I know my students are in great hands while I’m gone.”
