Ready for another installment? Here's another common question:
How does Isaac feel about getting a new sister?
He feels good about it! And he does understand that there's a baby growing inside me, and that at a later date she'll come out and join our family. He's old enough to fully comprehend that aspect of it -- although he doesn't understand that it will change his lifestyle.
He's always been physically affectionate, and now he has many, many hugs and kisses to give my belly. The shape of it seems to fascinate him. We have a game where he asks me, "What's that in your big fat belly? Is that a beach ball? Did you swallow a watermelon?" Then he usually prompts me to answer that I don't know. Then he informs me, "There's a baby in there!" (He's also fascinated by the shape of other parts of my anatomy. This past week he asked, "Why are your breasts getting so fat?")
He calls the baby Leaf nearly all the time now. Sometimes he asks what she will be like, and he wonders especially what kind of things she will like. (This afternoon he said that he thought the new baby will like trucks.) To counter these high expectations we've looked at pictures of him as a newborn, and I've explained that brand new babies have somewhat limited interests and abilities. But he's still looking forward to teaching the baby about the world, including crucial skills such as how to say "shop vac."
He's got the most important element right, though. Last night when I asked him what in the world we will do with a baby, he answered, "Love her!"
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Every once in a while he does express a little uncertainty. Earlier this month he said, "We don't need another baby at our house. We already have a baby." To make it clear, he tapped his own chest and said, "Right here."
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