Baby Dep

We told M about the baby a little over a month ago. She immediately (a) decided that the baby would be a girl, and (b) named her Dep. She was right on the girl thing, but we're working hard to disabuse her of the notion that the baby will actually be named Dep.

I've been amazed at how quickly M has embraced the idea of a baby sister. Already, if you ask her who's in her family, she includes Dep in the list. And at least once a day, she hugs or pats my belly and tells me she's saying hi to the baby. Or she tells me how much she loves her baby sister. Last week, at the library, the storytime lady complimented M's friend's new baby sister. Not to be outdone, M declared "my baby's in my mommy's tummy and her name is Dep."

I know that M's enchantment with the baby is unlikely to last long after Dep actually arrives, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts. I love her enormous capacity for love and her ability to imagine what's got to seem like a totally abstract notion (I mean, really. There's a baby, but it's in mommy's belly? How crazy must that seem to a toddler?). I have a feeling M's going to make a great big sister, and I'm so, so glad that we get the chance to make her one.