For Posterity's Sake: Week in Review 49

On Tuesday, Audrey looked at my stomach, watermelon-round, and for the first time asked, "Mommy, why is your belly so big?" As I explained, once again, that her brother was inside, I wondered, just what does this kid think I've been feasting on the last five months, and why didn't she mention something sooner? Note to self: my preschooler may not be the person to ask if an article of clothing makes a certain body part look too big.

This incident made me think of other nods Audrey has made to her brother, little incidents I've stashed away until now. As we prepare for his arrival and field calls asking if I'm in labor yet (even though our due date is a bit of breathing room away) this seems like the appropriate time to write them down.

A few comments regarding her brother/or her baby:

"I'll get bigger and my brother will see me climbing on Mommy and Daddy's house."

"I'll teach my brother to fly."

Following an explanation that I needed to eat because the baby in my belly was hungry:
"The baby in my belly is hungry, too. The baby in my belly eats frogs. Babies like to eat caterpillars."

And, my personal favorite:

Audrey asked me one day how the baby got fed. I explained that I was connected to the baby by a tube, and as I ate, the food went from the tube to the baby. Audrey took this in for a minute before saying, "Good job doing it, Mommy!!"


Of course, I can't sign off without writing down just a couple of my favorite stories from this week:

Last night, my parents were close by to attend an event. After they finished, they took Audrey out to eat so Jason and I could have a pre-baby date night. I can only imagine their surprise at dinner when Audrey informed them that Mommy and Daddy were high. She added that they were also high, as well as her aunt and uncle. My parents asked about her younger cousin. "No, he's little," she said. Then they asked if she was high. "No, I'm little kind of," she explained.

Today has been one of those lazy-as-sap-dripping-from-a-tree Saturdays. A perfect day for this stage of baby-preparation as I take stock of those things that must get accomplished before the baby comes and those things that really aren't necessary. And, a morning spent pj-covered family-style snuggling in the master bed, well, that was deemed absolutely necessary. After all, who knows how many more days of crawling all over mom and dad Audrey has left to herself. So we took our time, inching our way through the morning, until Audrey crawled from the mattress onto my shoulders.

"I want you to carry me downstairs," she said as I swayed her back and forth.
"No," Jason said, "I don't want Mama to carry you downstairs. She might fall and get hurt. I can carry you downstairs."
"I want Mama to do it."
"Audrey, Daddy said no," I said.
Jason, as if having a rare moment of victory, laughed and said, "I'm the man!"
"I don't want you to be a man," Audrey said.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the necessary. There is a three-year-old to snuggle.