cheh chehs Isabelle & Rebecca

These are cheh-chehs Isabelle (in blue) and Rebecca (in pink). They are our nieces, Isaac's cousins, my sister's kids. Isabelle is 2 this year, and Rebecca turns 4 in November. My mum takes care of the girls when my sister is at work. I did my confinement at my mum's place, so the girls were there throughout my confinement, often clamouring to see Baby Isaac.

We've been prepping the girls for the longest time, that there was going to be a new baby in the house - two, in fact, as my sister is pregnant and due to deliver in early November. Hence, to the girls the two babies became known to them as "Baby Isaac" and "our baby" (as their little sister's name has yet been set). We were prepping the girls coz they have been known to show bouts of jealousy - which is normal for kids. But it would be good if they were accepting of the new babies.

So even when I was pregnant, I would tell them that they were going to have another playmate soon, and that his name was Isaac. They too, at their age of the constant WHYs?, often asked me "Ee-ee, why is your stomach so big?" and I would reply "That is because someone is inside." They'd ask "Who's inside?" and I would say "Baby Isaac!"

Over time, it became
Girls: "Ee-ee, why is your stomach so big?"
Me: "Because who is inside?"
Girls: " Who?"
Me: "Who???"
Girls: "BABY ISAAC!!!"
and they would ask over and over again, and we would repeat it over and over again and they always laughed and were excited that Baby Isaac was growing inside me.

Sometimes, it'd be
Girls: "Ee-ee, why Baby Isaac still inside? why he don't come out and play?"
Me: "That's because he's still growing. He needs to be bigger and stronger, then he can come out and play."

One day, they asked again
Girls: "Ee-ee, why Baby Isaac still inside?
Me: "That's because he is still growing. He has to grow his eyebrows, his ears, his eyes, his nose..."
Rebecca: "Ee-ee, our baby already grow all these you know. Baby Isaac still dun have?"
I was *stunned* hahahhaa sharp girl she was, coz my tummy then was much bigger than my sister's - who is 3 months due after me. and my sister must have told the girls what their baby was growing by the week, so Becca was puzzled as to why Baby Isaac was bigger and yet slower at growing eyebrows, nose and ears than their baby! hahaha... so I quickly replied
Me: "Oh, he has already! but he needs to grow his legs and hands a bit longer so that he's taller, and he needs to grow and make them stronger..."

But more often than not, it was "Ee-ee, why your stomach so big?" and I'd always reply that that's coz Baby Isaac was inside.

Alas, 3 weeks after I delivered, Becca asked me: "Ee-ee, why your stomach still so big?" Sighz. with a great weight in my heart (and everywhere elsewhere), I replied: "huh... er... coz Ee-ee FAT lor." in the background, I could hear my dad laugh-choking on his drink. *roll*eyes* #@*&#^*#(&@**!!