Getting to know Jamie's to-be best buddy, Christopher

There's no doubt that, for me, I could watch little kids run around all day and just crack up the whole time. Between all the different babies/ toddlers around me, I get a lot of entertainment. Part of the entertainment is getting to see them figuring things out one day at a time.

My friend Monica has a 18 month old son, Christopher, who I see about every week at dance practice. Over the past few months, Monica has made him aware that the big bulge coming out of me is a baby. At Starbuck's about a month ago, he freely did what he has seen his mom do a lot-- he put his hand on my belly. He even went so far as to move Monica's hand away, when she wanted to feel Jamie move too. Each time he sees me, Christopher repeats this, as though to remind me, that I am carrying a baby.

At practice the other day, though, he took this a step further. Sitting on Monica's lap next to me, Christopher once again reached out to my belly. Putting his hand there, he looked at it, and quietly said, "Baby." I must admit, I was a little shocked. He had never actually put two and two together before.

According to Monica, he has been doing this a lot lately. In the supermarket, he points at strollers and other babies, and just says "Baby." In fact, after he touched my belly and declared it a baby, he revealed that he may still be a little confused. He tried to lift up my tank top, as though to say, "Well, they keep saying it's a baby, but man, they should let that poor guy out!"