Baby Talk

Dear Mackenzie,

You ask me a lot of questions: 

-Can I have a treat? 

-Can I stay up early? (you mean "can I stay up late" but it's so cute how you've always said it this way) 

-Can we cuddle? (my favorite question!)

Yesterday, though, you asked me the BIG question: How do you make babies? You are the fourth kid to ask me this and the question still flusters me, hahaha! It started last week when I was looking at baby photos of Second GuhGaw for his yearbook pages and I said I wish I could play with you guys again when you were babies. You told me, "When I'm a grownup, I'll have babies so that you can play with them! I'll have four babies like you!" Consequently, you started thinking about having babies and that naturally led to you wondering exactly how you go about having babies. We'd just watched a movie scene where the female character thought she might be pregnant and took a pregnancy test. Remembering that, your questions began:

You: Can you pick to be pregnant?

Me: Yes.

You: How? How do you make babies?

Me [after a shocked pause]: You give a special hug to the person that you love.

You: What kind of special hug? How do you do it?

Me: It's just a special hug you do with the person you love. You don't need to know how to do it until you're older.

You: But you and Daddy are always in love.

Me [confused]: Yes.

You: So why don't you make a baby every time you hug? How do you do the special hug? Can you show me? What about Gianna's mom? How did she make Gianna?**

Me: Hold on, I have to go check on something!

I went to hide in Daddy's office and when I emerged, enough time had elapsed and you'd moved on from your baby-related inquiries. I suspect that you still wanted to ask me about babies but I also suspect that you were aware that it was time to drop the subject!

Love,

Mom

**Gianna is your friend from nursery school. Her mom is single and had Gianna via a sperm donor and while I've never talked to you about that (are there board books on in vitro fertilization?), you have always recognized that Gianna doesn't have a dad in the traditional sense. I love how sharp you are!

Moments of Gratitude

Dear Mackenzie,

I am grateful for a lot but today, I am especially grateful for the way you suddenly slip your hand into mine when I'm not expecting it (like when we're brushing our teeth next to each other) and that when you hug me, you say things like, "I'm going to hug you forever!" I am also grateful that you always want to sit in my lap and cuddle with me. I love you so much, Kenziebear!

Love,

Mom

How You Roll

Dear Mackenzie,

When I walked into JieJie's room tonight, I didn't see you but I heard your muffled voice: "Ding dong! JieJie! I'm a package!" You were rolled up in her comforter and JieJie just kept reading the book she was reading so after a short bit, you called out again, "JieJie! Can you open me? I'm getting hot!" Hahahaha!

After JieJie opened her "package," I told you that I liked the game you had just invented. You proudly told me that you'd also invented another game involving being rolled up in the comforter: "I can be sushi! I'm the salmon!"

I love your imagination, sweetie!!

Love,

Mom

Out and About

Dear Mackenzie,

Baby tooth #2 is out! It was bothering you for about a week and I would tug at it here and there, but it was still pretty stuck. When I brushed your teeth tonight, it was pretty wiggly and I tugged it, but you cried "Ow!" so I let go. Then you started to say something and your tongue pushed the baby tooth out onto your lip where I caught it! Neither of us had even realized that I'd actually pulled it out, haha! And I'm always amazed when baby teeth fall out because they are sooooo tiiiiiiinyyyyyy!

Love,

Mom

Casting Call

 Dear Mackenzie,

The leg on your American Girl doll broke off and I haven't had time to fix it, but you made a cast for the doll by cutting up a piece of construction paper and wrapping it around the leg. Then you laid the doll and her leg on a book and said it was a hospital stretcher. I love how creative you are!

Love,

Mom

Mind the Gap

Dear Mackenzie,

It's out! You lost your first tooth today! When I saw you after school, the first thing you showed me was how loose your tooth was--you could practically push it all the way down. Then when I was showering you, I was worried that it might fall out then and go down the drain, so I asked you if I could try to pull it out. You said yes and with just the slightest tug, your tooth came right out! There was no blood, there were no tears--just a cute little gap in your mouth!

Love,

Mom

All You Need

Dear Mackenzie,

When I tucked you in last night, I asked you if you needed anything. You replied, "I need Mama. I don't need anything else except for Mama." My sweet girl! You always make my day and I love you so much!

And oh my goodness, the first thing you told me when you saw me this morning: "Mama! Six days until I turn 6!" It's going by way too fast!

Love,

Mom