Strong feeling

I've been meaning to get this "on paper" for a few days now. I have NO IDEA why, but I said to Rob on more than one occasion this weekend that I really think our baby was born May 31 or June 1. I have absolutely no idea if this is true and know I won't find out until the end of the year if I was right, but whoever he or she is or will be, I've definitely started to think about "the baby" a lot.

I think I've got a REALLY bad case of nesting settling in, too, since we meet with the designer for the first time today to plan out the new kitchen. I'm antsy to do something to get the rooms for Sam and the baby switched over, but can't really do much to the nursery until we know if we'll have a boy or girl. I'm still fairly well convinced we'll have a girl, but I know that the minute I buy something pink, I'll get a call that we have another son!

We've been back to talking about baby names a lot, too. Sam announced this weekend that, regardless of gender, HIS baby (still working on sharing, apparently) will be called "Mr. Wow." Catchy, no? I'm also pretty sure he's got a hidden Johnny Cash stash somewhere, because prior to the big Mr. Wow decision, he told me that we were getting a boy and that HER name would be Sue. I think I've blogged about that before, but it still cracks me up.

Rob finally saw firsthand some of Sam's emotional reaction to the adoption. It seems to come and go, and was definitely coming this weekend. The two of them were watching the movie "An American Tail," and when the little mice were in Orphan Alley looking for their family, Rob looked over to see Sam with tears streaming down his face. He told Rob that he didn't want to watch the movie and just stood there silently crying because he found it so sad that anyone would get separated from their family. I really have no idea if the Orphan Alley part had anything to do with this, but it sure had an impact on us.

Sam also has taken, again, to stuffing blankie under his shirt to pretend it's a baby. I asked him about it on Sunday and he told me that he knows babies grow in bellies. I asked him if he knew whose belly he grew in and he said, "Yes. My Daddy's." I asked if he'd ever seen another daddy with a baby in his belly and said no. He also said that "babies don't grow in your belly, Mommy." We've told him on more than one occasion that my belly is broken. I try to keep that comment separate from discussion about adoption, however. So, my poor kid is probably a bit confused. He knows he's adopted in terms of the word, but he doesn't really know that that means. I think we're doing the right thing, though, by making him comfortable with the word so that it won't be as big a deal when he really understands what it means.

I was proud to hear him say something today that made me know that while he may not truly understand adoption yet, he knows what family is. He was chattering on the way to school that Mommies and Daddies and babies always take care of each other. Then he said, "You know what, Mommy? You don't even have to look alike to be family. Daddy and Willy look just alike, but Daddy and Uncle David don't. Uncle David has more hair. But they are still brothers, aren't they, Mommy?" Truth and humor. The best combination!