The other day in the car, Ella asked me, "Will I be a kid forever?"
It was impossible to answer her through the tight ball of sadness that had lodged in my throat. She posed the question again. I answered, with a broken voice, that no she would not. "Why are you talking like that?" she asked of my emotion-filled voice. I told her it was because I was sad that she was going to grow up and someday wouldn't be my little girl anymore. Then I told her that growing up was also fun and that she had a really great life of growing ahead of her (not wanting her to misread my tears.)
Fast forward to breakfast this morning when she asked me, quite pointedly and before I was truly awake, "How do babies get in people's bellies?"
Followed by: "You were sad the other day about me being a grown-up but you said it was fun and you didn't want to share the fun with me."
And finished with: "I can't have a baby when I'm four years old. But I can when I'm older. Like when I'm nine."
How does a two-mom family give the birds and the bees talk? Sure, it's easy if you can stick to the dad parts meet the mom parts in the dark of night tucked under the arms of love, but how about, "Well, you see there is a special bank where they have, not money, but sperm! Mommy and Momma pick through a catalog, scanning for eye color, hair color, genetic defects, education, personality and maternal grandmom's allergy to cats like we are choosing a new coat from the LLBean catalog. Then FedEx, not the stork, delivers the microscopic half of the life equation in liquid nitrogen to the Dr. and we go to the ultra-romantic exam table at the doctor's office and viola! A baby gets in the belly. If you're lucky. Or if you took your Clomid."
You see what I'm getting at? It doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
When I was pregnant with Rozzy, Jason took out a kids encyclopedia with a diagram of a uterus and ovaries. He explained the menstrual process to Killian, and how an egg and a sperm need to meet. Then, gestation and birth.
The missing link? Killian had no information, nor has he sought information, about how the sperm and the egg meet up.
I don't even think he knows that the sperm comes from a man. I know this question is coming, but I'm afraid of the implications it has for a whole host of other questions about Killian's origins.
My friend Jen has explained to her five year old daughter Porter that she was able to have her because a very nice man who thinks babies are important wanted to help women be able to have them. For now, this is how Porter explains who her "dad" is to curious friends.
On some level, they understand that love is love, right?
Beckett, on the other hand, thinks babies come from belly buttons.
"Mom, your belly button got like that after Rozzy came out of it, right?"
Ohhhhh my!!! One of the first pieces of advice that has been shared with me and that I have utilized is to only answer the questions at hand as more info would probably be lost and they're probably (?) not thinking as far ahead as you. It has worked for me, mostly. I think Meredith's friend Jen gave a great answer and I know that your girls will grow to understand from you the "love is love" concept and the fact that there are many ways to make a family. You'll say what you know and figure it out as you go and I'm sure it will be right for what they need. I don't doubt for a minute the capability of either of you special ladies, your girls are sooooo lucky!
Post a Comment