The Talk: Part II

Yesterday I blogged about Scarlett's new found knowledge of how babies get here by reminiscing about the smaller talks we have had throughout the years. In The Talk: Part I, I explained how Scarlett found out that there were different parts to men and women and that these parts determined standing up or sitting down on the potty. Today I will share with you how Scarlett found out where the babies logistically come from. It all started with a fairly innocent birthday present from a friend...

It was pregnant Barbie and I guess to my non-parent friend, this seemed like a fun gift for a five-year-old, but tell me moms, what would you have said if your little cherub opened up a present and inside the box was a plastic doll with a removable, magnetic womb complete with fetal-position baby? Yep. I said "Thank you" too and hoped that it would disappear into toy-box heaven. (It's the same as "Sock Heaven" which is also a really great song by Steve Taylor.)

Invariably, the question came: "Mommy?" the beautiful little angel said while pulling off the stomach to reveal, not only Barbie's cute little baby, but also Barbie's new abs of steel stomach. (Apparently all you have to do is remove pregnant stomach and presto! old-pre-baby stomach is back. I'm still looking for the magnets on me.)" Mommy, is this how I came out? The doctors cut off your stomach and I was in there?" When Scarlett was born, I vowed never to lie to her. Not even convenient lies like the ones that would have gotten me out of this situation and if I had a C-section I could have just said "Yes" but I didn't.

"No, Scarlett, that's not how you came out, but Mommy was so glad when you did!" (She wasn't buying this technique.) "Ok. Well..." and I told her how babies come out to greet the world. She started to cry with perfect Barbie body in one hand and Barbie's pregnant stomach in the other. I held her, asked why she was crying and got this exact response in between gulps of air and tears:

"Mommy, I was really looking forward to having a child, but now I think it's really going to hurt."

I explained that yes, sometimes it does hurt, but that she wouldn't have to worry about that for a long, long time and when it was time for her to have her own babies, that God would help her and she would be able to do it.

As of last week, Scarlett still plans to adopt. And Barbie...? Haven't seen her. Perhaps after her second baby she, like me, is still looking for her pre-pregnant self.