Big Mama's Big Girl & Big Girl's Big Mama

Today is Leo's due date (rah rah, baby boy, rah rah rah!?), and since he's not making any move in the right direction (down and out, my boy!), I've still got time to write about my precious princess before I get sucked into the wonder of having TWO amazing children to love.
Ah, my big girl!

Story time: "Baby Wolf and his mum and dad..."

Actually, she's floating in between big and pretend-small these days. Have I ever introduced her alter ego, "Baby Lola"? Baby Lola is a good few months old already and pops up whenever Tara feels particularly cuddly. She doesn't do much talking but a lot of cooing and snuggling, likes to be carried and extra amounts of attention. "I'm not Tara, I'm Baby Lola," she announces in a sweet little voice. "Tara is in Ferien (on holiday) with Oma Gisela." We see a lot of Baby Lola in the morning or in the evening, when Tara is tired. And oh, just how handy did that old dummy come in that we found when unpacking her old stuff?! Too old for Baby Leo, too big for Tara's many babies, and Tara herself sure never had any use for it when she was small... but Baby Lola? It's the must-have gadget of the day. Ah, week. Ah, month.

"Baby Lola" shares a cuddle with the bump (today full term)

The real Tara, of course, is a lot older than that. Old enough, in fact, to have many a baby in her own tummy that pop out ("Baby Tina, she already came out") or pop back in, depending on what is more convenient ("Mummy, Daddy, I can't pick the puzzle up off the floor... I have einen dicken Bauch (a big tummy); I have a Baby in my tummy...."). And since having a feel for, or a look at baby Leo movement has become old news, she sometimes treats us to a feel of her own baby ("Mummy, my baby is kicking now, you can feel it if you want") - lifts her top up, pokes her tummy out and wobbles it a bit while making a serious and important face. I always, always take her up on her kind offer - those are my grandchildren in the making, after all!
But she's big in other ways as well, looking after her old mother and treating her with kindness. Example? Last week, when tired and keen on playing with mummy on the floor, she threw a massive tantrum when I told her I couldn't sit in the specific way she wanted me to, that little bossy thing. Two days later, wanting to play on the floor again, she offered me lots of different position: "Can you sit like this? Can you sit like this? Or like that?... Ok, you can sit like that then. Come and play with me!" And another day later: "Mummy, can you come and play with me? You can sit any way you want!" I'm so impressed by such consideration that I fall to my knees and play on the floor until my legs go numb.
I do wonder who I will see more of once Baby Leo is with us - Baby Lola or Big Tara?

Last week was term break at nursery, and since I was at home and felt guilty about sending here when there was no need, I'd reduced her hours to morning-only. We spend a lot more time together than I'm used to, and it wasn't even half as hard as I thought it would be. The library, the park, story telling time, making new friends down the road that we'd noticed months ago but never had the time to talk to, tons of cuddles - it was a bit like honey-mooning with my girl, just the two of us before we become three/four. I spent half the time just staring at her thinking, wow, you're so amazing, and feeling very much in love with her. My girl!

And then, of course, there's her baby brother, my boy. Still snug inside my enormous tummy, with his perfect little heart beat, perfectly average estimated size, still giving me probably rather average amounts of stretch marks (*sob*).

"Hey, Papi! It's Leo's due-date! Foto session time!... No, fotos first, then dinner, come on, I'll be way too tired later!"

All covered up - not looking too impressive...

...so I'll get it out into the open, and have it kissed while we're there...

... looking big? Looking small?

If I've got anyone thinking it's a small tummy, let me reassure you: It's the perspective. It's huge. And very nearly at its peak. 3/5ths engaged, says the midwife, who came round today, and since second babies often only engage fully during birth, not before, it's a sign that we're very close to meeting each other, finally. On Saturday, we have agreed, after Oma Gisela has arrived for a spontaneous weekend support visit, and after the midwife's favourite dance show is over. Starting 9pm, finished by midnight - sounds all very good to me. Not tonight, please, I'm too tired now: Instead of resting while Tara was at nursery, I went into Broadstairs to enjoy the sunshine and a pretty walk. Would that be fine by you, little man?

Your due-day, Leo, was a beautiful crisp and bright sunny day. There was spag-bol for dinner, made with tomatoes from our garden. Papi had some sort of fume exhaust emergency at work and got home late. Tara chose lots of books about babies to read, Mum drank chocolate tea and listened to Norah Jones. A good day to be born - but just as good a day to give to mum to enjoy and keep looking forward to meeting you.