Moppet on Munch

Ok folks, so Munch it is. I'm still trying to think of something for me and hubs (he's retaining his damn veto power over his nickname, it seems. Gah!)

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, Moppet and I were sitting in my mom's rocking chair, and Moppet's insistence on sitting so close as to squish my belly uncomfortably, brought on this conversation.

Me: Moppet, there's a little baby in Mama's tummy. If you press so hard, the baby will get hurt. So you have to be gentle, ok?

Moppet: Baby inside?

Me: Yes, a small baby.

Moppet: (disbelievingly) Open baby?

Me: Not now. Now the baby is too small. We'll open baby when it's a little bigger, ok?

After that, every once in a while when she climbs onto my lap, she demands to see the baby and then traces out the baby's eyes, mouth, nose, head, body, and hat (!) on my belly.

Sometimes, without warning, she'll come up and hit my belly - not hard, but hard enough for it not to be a joke. Then she asks concernedly, "Baby hurt? Baby cwying?" I think it's simply because I've told her not to, and she wants to see how much I'll take before she gets into trouble.
This is not looking good for Munch once he's out and unprotected. He'll have to toughen up really quickly, the poor kid.

But there are other times when Baby must be given a goodnight kiss. And not just by her, but by Papa and Mama also. Since I am quite unable to perform the contortionist act required to kiss my own belly, she will usually give the baby another kiss on my behalf. And then she will ask, "Baby sleeping? Baby happy?" And when I say yes, she says, "Moppet happy!"

So I think she does understand to some extent, although of course, she has no clue what she's in for when Munch actually arrives to share centre-stage with her.

Moppet always was possessive about me, but recently it's become rather extreme. Mama has to carry her a lot, even from one room of the house to another. Only Mama can wash her bum, only Mama can put her to bed, only Mama must sit with her while she drinks her milk. This from a child who was quite happy to have Nanny or Papa do the honours a couple of months ago. Whether it is the result of our short break at home where she and I spent all our time together, or because she hasn't been too well since she got back, or because she understands that there's a new baby on way, I don't know.

In any case it's going to be an interesting ride for all of us.