thursdays

You are now 24 weeks or 6 months little pebble!  The book, “What To Expect When You’re Expecting” says that you are about 13 inches long and weigh about 1 ¾ pounds. Your skin is thin and shiny, with no underlying fat.  Your finger and toe prints are visible.  Your eyelids now begin to part and your eyes open. 

This is how you look to Mommy and Daddy:

Since you’ve started moving in Mommy’s tummy, Mommy has observed that you’re always so quiet on Thursdays.  You see, Mommy sits in Board meetings every Thursday and she wonders whether you can hear all the economists, lawyers, and finance people talking in the Board room.  It’s interesting listening to their discussions of world issues and how these impact on the Philippines, how the Philippine financial system can be better managed, and how the economy can be improved.  At the end of the day, these 7 members of the Board decide on things that we all hope will make the Philippines a little better for each and every Filipino (that includes you now, little pebble).  This is what Mommy loves about her job. Despite the long hours and the tight deadlines, she feels that she’s making her own contribution, no matter how miniscule, at making the Philippines a better place to live in.

But this Thursday, dear one, Mommy felt you shyly poking during points in the Board meeting.  Did you get worried as well with how Greece and Spain are doing? Can you make sense now of these economic calculations?

Mommy is quite convinced that you can hear so much better. Last night, after Mommy and Daddy talked about getting you a crib, you suddenly started kicking actively. Mommy asked you if you’d like to listen to her read you a book. Then you kicked! Mommy was so pleased. She started reading to you your first book, The Little Prince. This is one of Mommy’s favourite books.  It is about a little boy who lives on an asteroid (an asteroid is like a little planet) and who somehow managed to get himself to earth.  After the first chapter, Mommy asked whether you liked the book she was reading to you. And you kicked again! Mommy read you two more chapters and I think you fell asleep.

Dear one, Mommy can’t wait to read to you all these books of adventures! You’ll hear tales of gallant knights, of brave princes, of spies and mystery solvers, of boys climbing beanstalks, of young men flying on carpets or sailing across stormy seas, of pirates, dinosaurs, and space men! On some nights we will read about smart people and some of their cool inventions and discoveries. Oh such stories little pebble.

But Mommy will need to contain herself. You’ve got to play ball with Daddy too.

POSTSCRIPT: Economists are strange people. If you ask them a question, they will give you at least two answers. They’ll say, “On the one hand it is possible that ….. but on the other hand, it can also happen that…….”. This way of answering makes Mommy worry a little bit about you, little pebble. Since Mommy thinks that you can hear the conversations now in the Boardroom, you may absorb this way of thinking into your system.  Mommy is afraid that the day will come when she’ll say, “Now child, why do you think that Mommy and Daddy won’t allow you to watch TV on school nights?” Then you may say, “On the one hand, I think that you have a very good point in not allowing me to watch TV so I can concentrate on doing my homework and do well in class and develop self-discipline in the process. On the other hand, it is also possible that you do not understand that I can really multi-task and that I need to keep pace with world events and what’s happening to society at large.”