Little Ears

I have a bad habit of not considering what I'm talking about when Maddie is around. It hasn't really been a problem. But after today, I'll definitely be listening from a 3 year old's viewpoint.

I was on the phone today with Hope, my best friend from college. She is pregnant, and like moms tend to do, I started telling her about when I was pregnant with Maddie. "That girl would move like crazy. It looked like an alien was inside me, moving from side to side." You get the gist.

After hanging up the phone, Maddie said "Am I an alien?" "Only at 5:30 in the morning," I thought. But I explained what I meant. "No, when you were in mommy's tummy, you moved so much it felt funny, like an alien was there. You've always been human." Um,I think.

"Oh. I was in your tummy?"
"Yes, that's where God puts babies until they are big enough to come out."
"Oh. And then I came out of your mouth, like throw up?"
"No. Not quite."
"Then how?"

I braced myself. This was a HUGE parenting moment. In my mind I ran through every possible explanation. And then I said what any sensible, mature, well-read mom would say.

"Why don't we call Gram and ask her"