The things Deaglan says

Keep your eyes open mommy to see a choo-choo train.

(Every morning and afternoon on our drive to and from daycare, we are on the lookout for trains, mighty-machines (big cranes or bulldozers), dogs, the Thames River, garbage trucks and school buses. I told him to keep his eyes open once and ever since he has told me to do the same)

Can I be a nude-dude please???

(Several months ago Shaune began calling Deaglan a nude-dude whenever the kid was running around naked. It has become somewhat of an event before and after bath-time, or anytime he has escaped our grasp without clothes on.)

I don't like/want mommy/daddy. I want daddy/mommy.

(This is usually said to the parent present who is doing the undesirable thing to him...changing his diaper, telling him T.V. time is over - it's my least favourite thing that he utters)

Mommy have you seen Dekwen?

(He often yells this out from wherever he's hiding when he doesn't think you are looking hard enough for him)

I see Mommy's penis.

(Too much information I know and he has only said this once. We were getting ready for an outing on one of the days I have Deaglan on my own and he said this when he saw me coming out of the shower. I gently explained to him the difference between mommies and daddies in this respect)

I love you too mommy/daddy.

(Possibly the sweetest words I've ever heard in my life)

Mommy you look beeootiful and have pretty earrings.

(Okay it could be a toss-up between this one and the last for my favourite)

I stole the picture from Shaune's foodblog. This granola was outstanding sprinkled on my cheerios everymorning.

The things people say

I'm at that point in this pregnancy when people are not editing themselves before speaking to me. Something happens when people see a pregnant woman. All normal rules of social etiquette seem to fly out the window. It doesn't surprise me that grouchiness and pregnancy are sometimes associated.

I'm in pretty good spirits these days so I'm not letting comments like Are you sure you're not due now??? or You're already waddling! get to me. Give me a few months and add several more pounds and it will be a different story.

I'm 5'2" and have a short torso. There really is no place for a growing baby and all of my other organs to hide.

But waddle or no waddle, I look at this face to the right and realize I grow a damn fine specimen!

The emotional life of this boy

I've been reading a book called Raising Cain: protecting the emotional life of boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson. It dawned on me after we were told that we'd be having another boy that I knew nothing about boys despite the fact that I grew up surrounded by four brothers, always had a father around and have been dating men since I was 15 - I've stopped dating them and settled on one in particular but you know all about that.

And as with anything worth knowing in life, I realize that nothing will beat my experiential knowledge still to come in the years ahead but I wanted to be prepared with some rudimentary insights into the psychology of boys.

Interesting stuff.

I've begun to realize that there are a lot of myths when it comes to how we all so easily dismiss certain traits as "Aww it's just men - that's how they are". Most interestingly to me is the theory that men are not unemotional by nature but more likely due to nurture. The authors - both experienced and well established psychologists give tons of evidence that supports the theory that what's missing in a lot of boys' upbringings is the tools to express themselves emotionally. I won't bore you with a book report but I've found this a valuable read.

Coincidentally, in the last few weeks on our drive home from work and daycare, I've noticed that when asked about his day at school, Deaglan often mentions one of his friends and their emotional being that day. Last week he said Emma cryin. I asked him why Emma was crying and he said Emma tired. Today on our drive he told me about Jeremy just out of the blue Jeremy sad When I asked why, he said Jeremy hungry.

I tried to get him to expand each time but really how much can a two year old elaborate? I realized though that it's important during these conversations to let him know that these states his friends have been in are okay and good and normal. I tell him that when someone is sad, it's nice to give them a hug. Usually after these touchy feely talks we go back to looking for garbage trucks or the signs of a train coming. It's about balance right?

The little people

Pregnant women are coming out of the woodwork around here. And we're all due this summer. Brace yourselves for a population surge.

Seriously.

And there is a lot of controversy. Should you find out the sex? Are you showing too early? Why aren't you showing yet? Will you keep your toddler in daycare or pull him out when the baby comes? Will you go with a trendy name, something pulled out of the history books, soaps or will you make him or her a namesake?

My baby, the one on the inside is making himself felt lately. I forgot, even though it was only just over two years ago, how odd yet wonderful it is to have a little person moving inside of you.

The little person on the outside is moving around a lot too. I find I have to outsmart him these days because I certainly can't catch him. He's developed quite a few habits that I find hard to hate. For instance when he is in the time-out chair, because he doesn't quite understand the concept that he needs to sit there for longer than two seconds, I must sit on the floor acting as a barrier between him and freedom, he often reaches out and strokes my hair and with the sweetest most sincere expression says: I'm sorry mommy. Even Supernanny would have a hard time resisiting that little face.

Well - we chose to find out the gender of our baby and we are going to go with a not so trendy name and we may keep the toddler in daycare part time and I definitely think I am showing way too much.

It's good to be growing a baby but I also yearn for a time when my belly will be flatter, my back not so achy and food will be a meal instead of the constant landscape of my daydreams.

I'm enjoying this trimester though - often referred to as the 'honeymoon' phase of pregnancy. I'm in no hurry to get to the end just yet.