Cerin Amroth

All is well in utero-land. The latest pics aren’t much different from the last batch, I’d say. “Here they are”:http://www.polytropos.org/ultrasound.jpg.

No doubt about it: Number Two is a boy. After processing this fact all day, I’ve realized that what I’m feeling isn’t disappointment, but apprehension. Part of me wanted another girl, I think, because it would be something familiar — an irrational hope that everything would go exactly as smoothly as it’s been with the first one. A boy, on the other hand, is Something Else Again. _Any_ second child is a whole new hand of cards, of course, but I think that that’s what’s been bouncing around my head, regardless.

We told Ella yesterday morning about the coming baby. We had dinner last night with friends — two with a 5-month old, two with a 1-month old, and 2 who are expecting. We thought it would be a good opportunity to reinforce the concept. On Friday night, I mentioned to her that we were having dinner with all of them. When I told her about Bob and Jen (who is pregnant), I told her that Jen has a baby in her tummy, just like Cindy and Laurel did — the other mothers.

So on Saturday morning, I told Ella that I also have a baby in my tummy (I don’t like this euphemism but it seems appropriate for a 2 year-old). Nate, Ella, and I were on the floor in the living room, and she was playing with some flash cards. She looked at the cards the entire time, but she had some reactions that suggested she knew what we were talking about. We, of course, showed her that we were very excited about the whole thing, so she also reacted with smiles and laughter when Nate told her about being a big sister. When I mentioned that it’s the baby who is making my tummy bigger, she said something about me being “really fat” — little does she know, it’s only the beginning!

On the whole, she didn’t say much. When we tried to elicit comments from her, she asked if we would play with the cards, so we didn’t push it. I suspected she knew something was up. In fact, it seemed as if it came as no surprise to her. We haven’t been surreptitious about talking about it infront of her, but we usually used more clinical terms.

We’ve been reinforcing big sisterhood every opportunity we get this weekend. I was surprised early today when she actually told a friend about it. Mind you, we had to put her on the spot to tell him the news, but she did say with seeming excitement, “I’m going to be a big sister.”

What capped it all off was being able to tell her about the ultrasound on Tuesday. We told her we were going to a doctor to see pictures of the baby. Fortunately, we had pictures from the first ultrasound, so she wouldn’t have a different sort of picture in her mind. It will be a lot of fun to have her there with us. We told her that we’ll try to find out if the baby is a boy or girl. She didn’t express a preference. It will be interesting to see if she does. Stay tuned …

“389″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella389.jpg — Ella and Abi at the zoo.
“390″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella390.jpg — Hangin’ around with Daddy and Eric.
“391″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella391.jpg — Playing with the Godfather at a vacation house up in New York.
“392″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella392.jpg — Also in New York, Green Eggs and Ham.
“393″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella393.jpg — Suanna and Ella at a sculpture park.
“394″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella394.jpg — Another nice one of the two of them.
“395″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella395.jpg — Reading with Francesco. At the moment, Ella doesn’t have a bruise on either knee. This is the first point during the summer in wihch this has been so.
“396″:http://www.polytropos.org/mt-static/ella/ella396.jpg — Sporting the latest Marmar-made dress.

Ella took advantage of a bit of time when both of us were distracted this evening, and started rooting around in my backpack. At some point she took the portable USB mouse out of the front pocket, and was going goodness-knows-what with it. When Suanna poked her head into the living room, she found the mouse attached to the laptop.

Ella had plugged it into the correct port.

My little girl . . .

We’re encouraging Ella to be a little more forthcoming with good-byes to people whom she knows well. Usually the prospect of hugs, kisses, or even blown kisses causes her to hide behind one of our legs or bury her face in her hands. On the other hand, she’s always surprising us with her graciousness.

Just now, for example, as some friends were heading out the door after watching the World Cup game with us, she started off by saying “Thank you for coming!” But when hugs and kisses were suggested, she looked at the floor and mumbled “Sorry — I have to go,” and then sprinted into her room.

She built up some courage and re-emerged, though, in time to say “Have a safe journey!” This again raised the possibility of hugs and kisses, which she responded to by curling up into a little ball.

After our guests had left, she uncurled and wailed, rather pathetically, “But I wanted to give them a kiss!”