Things about babies

The kids had a baby-name discussion several months ago and all suggested fairly reasonable names. Except Matthew. After the submissions of Peter and Andrew and David and Benedict and Maximilian (notice all the boy names--after so many boys, we all default to "boy" when we think "baby"), Matthew said, "No, our baby is named Pancy-wancy, and he will grow up to be a camel and live in the barnyard, in the fence where he will be safe." No other names could be suggested without vociferous protests from Matthew saying, "NO, his name is Pancy-wancy!!!"

Lately, the barnyard hasn't come up, except from the older kids, and all of us have taken to calling this poor child Pancy-wancy.

I pray it will be forgotten after he or she is born and has a real name.

We are waiting to find out if it is a boy or a g irl. Katie and I are still praying hard for a sister for her, and Katie is fairly sure she is. I have to say that I did pray to St. Therese of Lisieux that we might be given another daughter, thinking that she, who was so close to her sisters, would have sympathy for Katie, who has none. I asked Our Lady of la Leche, too, just for good measure. With the two of them asking, how could Our Lord say no?

... ... ...

Matthew, sitting on my lap the other morning during piano practice:

"Mommy, what's that bump on your lap?"

"It's our baby."

"Pancy-wancy is in there?! When will he come out?"

"When he is big enough."

"Oh."


Matthew, sitting on my lap during Joseph's school time later the same day: "How does the baby get out?"

me: "Ummm..."

Joseph: "He comes through a dark tunnel and then there is LIGHT!!"

Me, thinking to myself: "Thank you, thank you, thank you Regina Doman for that one!!"

... ... ...

Earlier this morning, after watching a video of their cousin, Simon, Matthew began talking to the computer and saying, "Hey Simon, what does a monster say?" Then, since the video was no longer playing, answering for him, "grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."