All the Gory Details

When I was pregnant with Sam, my friend Gigi gave me a book called A Child Is Born that depicts the journey from conception to birth and is replete with graphic photos of naked, big-breasted women birthing and nursing. Sam loves this book.

I first got it out to show him how the embryo/fetus/baby looked at various stages but he started flipping through and despite my surreptitious skipping of pages, he soon found THE photos. "Why is she making that face? What's all over the baby? What's that rope on its tummy?"

So, I started telling him the truth. He now understands that the baby will either come out through a cut in my stomach ("Will they stitch it back up?" he asked.) or ... through my "pee pee."

"OH!" he said. "So that's why boys don't have babies. They don't have a mama's pee pee."

He is ever curious and ever watchful. I was drinking tea in the car on the way to work and knew that if he knew it was tea, he would want some, so, like any great mom, I lied and said it was coffee. "You can't drink coffee. Whatever you eat, the baby eats and the baby does not like coffee."

After he seemed to show an interest in all things baby I decided I would take him to the ultrasound. I made sure it was OK with the doctor and prepped Sam about what would happen. Then I realized he had a field trip that day to a nickel arcade so
I didn't take him. I didn't remind him of the appointment. I think he would've chosen the arcade. Maybe next time.