faraway

When our baby can talk, we will get many questions from him/her.

Zachary started talking fluently since he was 1 year old. One of his question was about body parts. He asked me why I had no penis like him. I told him that a girl/woman has a vagina.

Sometimes I can not answer his questions. Zach always tries to pester us with his questions by using a word “why” until he satisfy with our answers. Sometimes we get very tired of his “why”.

Last night, after I read a book for Zach, suddently he asked me how the baby will come out from my tummy. I was surprised for awhile and did not know how to answer his question.

Then, he asked me with other question “will your tummy break open when baby is born?”
I started to answer him “do you know that boy or man has a penis and woman has a vagina, don’t you?”.
“Yes. I know,” he said.
“The baby will come out from my vagina, Zach.”
“But why?” he was trying to pester me again.
“That is how the baby come out Zach. You came out from here too.” I did not know how to explain it further to him, Jerome just laughed at me.
“Hm … no Mommy, the baby will come out from here” he pointed at my belly button.
I laughed, “No Zach, the baby will come out from my vagina.”
“No, he will come out from your belly button so your tummy will not break open!” he insisted with his thought.

I did not try to explain him more because he will be pastering me again with other questions. I just asked him to close his eyes and sleep.

But this morning on the beach, he kissed my tummy and said “the baby will come out from your vagina, right?” Finally he can understand and accept my answer.

Galuh, 9 July 2005 at 23.00 Bali time.
When I am looking at my sleeping boy and my husband who are reading a book in the bed, I feel very lucky to have them. I wish we do not have to come back to work. It is nice to have a very long vacation with people whom we love.