Mid-Autumn Day

On Saturday, Mid-Autumn Day (aka Moon Festival), we ate mooncakes and looked at the moon (not at the same time). And I tried to introduce a little more to Esther about her birth family. I ended up checking out of the library a couple of books about where babies are before they're born, and on Saturday morning I read one to Esther called "Everybody has a bellybutton." I liked that one because it didn't go into much detail about conception and birth, but showed how a baby grows inside its mother's body. I also liked it because it was primarily focused on the child's development, not the experiences of the waiting family. Some of the other books I read emphasized how the child's loving family prepared for their arrival, which is great reading for most children, but not particularly helpful in our case. So anyway, I read the book to Esther and she listened some and wiggled some and didn't seem to be absorbing much. However, she must have been paying more attention than I thought, because for the next several days she would randomly announce, "My birfmuvver tummy, I tum OUT!" And then she looks very pleased with herself.

It's interesting, because I don't think I would have thought to bring up that subject with a two-year-old under ordinary circumstances. And most of the books are clearly aimed at a slightly older age. But I seem to have hit the right developmental stage. I guess it makes sense, since two-year-olds are working on forming their own separate identity, and where you come from is an important part of your identity. And it probably doesn't hurt that several of her little friends have recently acquired baby brothers or sisters, and she's seen their pregnant mothers and then seen (or heard about) the new baby.

I'm not exactly sure how much Esther understands about her birth family so far. But we'll continue talking about it, I'm sure. Meanwhile, it's just fascinating to watch how she processes things.