Conversing With a Munchkin

Growing up, our family vacations were spent going to my mom's sister's house and spending time with their family and our grandparents.  We were Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Mary, "Um" Blair, cousin Meg(gie), 6 years older than I am, cousin Caroline (Linie), exactly 5 months otlder than I, me (Bethie), and Sister 6 years younger than Caroline and I.  As we got older, we started to learn that our affinity for each other, our actual like of each other and the friendships we had, were not as normal as we would have thought.  I've already mentioned that Caroline has always been one of my best friends, and continues to be one.  We are even having our first babies together - in Decemeber she had her first son, Henry, just about 3 months before Baby C comes home with us. We all love that, after a family full of girls, we're bringing in the boy generation - Meg has two boys, Caroline has one, and I'm about to have to one.  Anyway, the point is that this family are my people, my favorites, my family, my friends.

My aunt, uncle, cousin Meg, and her two boys, Alex (who is either 4 1/2 or 5 1/2, I'm being forgetful right now) and Gabe (about 18 months) are here visiting for a week.  I wish I had pictures of Alex and Gabe - they are SO freaking cute - to show you.  I'll have to get some today or tomorrow and put them up.  Blond, blue eyed, big huge smiles, all absolutely adorable.  The timing of their visit is perfect, as I still haven't quite wrapped my head around having a boy, and seeing them helps me "get it" and be excited.

Last night I was sitting on the couch with Alex reading about dinosaurs together, when he reached over and patted my belly.    Below you'll find our conversation.

Alex: Do you have a baby in there? (He's got the sweetest little voice and is oh-so-smart.)

Me: Yes, I do.  Do you remember when Gabe was in your mommy's belly or when Henry was in Caroline's belly?

Alex: Mmhmm.  (thinks) What's he doing?

Me: Umm... right now I think he might be sleeping.

Alex: Oh.  Well, what else does he do?

Me: Sometimes he moves around and rolls over.

Alex: Why does he do that?

Me: Probably because he's uncomfortable or wants to be in a different place, just like how you somtimes move around to get more comfy.

Alex: Oh.  What else?

Me: I think he does Karate.

Alex: What's Karate?

Me: Umm... when you go like this. (demonstration).  I think he plays soccer, too.

Alex: (nods in understanding.)  Your tummy is really big.

Me:  (laughing, as is everyone else at this point) Yes, yes it's pretty big.

Alex: (thinks for a moment): Is it the biggest belly in the entire world?

Me: (dying at this point, but trying not to show it): Well, probably.  It's probably the biggest belly in the world.  (Uncle Blair in the background chimed in to say no it wasn't.)

And then we were back to reading about dinosaurs and deciding which ones we were.


Absolutely my favorite conversation about pregnancy so far.