A family of four

When I went to pick the little girl up on Monday, the teacher showed me the family portrait that Evelyn made. On a sheet of paper, she glued on four paper cut out figures to depict her family: one woman, one man, and two children on the side one right next to the other, as if holding hands. The teacher asked her to identify the figures, and, after much prompting because she's not voluntarily speaking to the adults yet, Evelyn told the teacher that the second children is "my sister." "Is it really a girl?" the teacher asked me. "Yes," I answered as I stood mesmerized by this simple, plain picture. The inclusion of her little sister made me incredibly proud and happy. It shows how well Evelyn understands what is to come. My growing belly is not just an at times inconvenient phenomenon, and baby sister is not just a noun in conversations or a kiss/hug on my belly. She knows that baby sister is about to come into the world, stay, and be a the newest member of our family. That she will have a new person to care and love, play and fight with. That we will go from a family of three to a family of four. Seeing how she already perceives baby sister as an integral part of our family touches me so. I have an amazing daughter.