You know how they say that kids say the darndest things? Score one for Miranda.
This anecdote happened a little while ago, when we were on our way to go see the navy ships from Esquimalt Lagoon. I was driving along Humpback Road with Tammy beside me and kids in the back, when out of the blue, Miranda asks “How do you not have a baby?” I had to ask her to repeat the question. Then I asked her why she wanted to know. I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions and start talking about the biological aspects of making babies before I figured out where such a strange question came from.
So she said, “Because I don’t want to be cut open like Mummy was.”
Lightbulb turns on. Every once in a while over the past few months, Miranda has said things like “I don’t want to have babies” and “I’m never having a baby”, just out of the blue. Sometimes while playing with a baby doll. She never bothered to explain the statement and we just answered with vague things like “Oh well, time will tell,” or “Maybe you’ll change your mind when you’re older”.
Then I realized that we’d always been open with her about her and Ian being born via C-section and to a kid that must seem pretty scary, especially when you know what it’s like to get cut but not what anesthesia is like. So we told her about that and how Tammy wasn’t in any pain and how some people actually schedule a C-section to avoid natural childbirth.
She seemed reassured, and there haven’t been any no-child-ever assertions since so I hope she’s feeling better about it. Not that we’re going to pressure her to have kids, it was more about her being fearful that suddenly and without her control she would be cut open someday.
