Today as I was trying to convince Gusi that going in his little potty was a good thing, I got sidetracked when he saw my belly (I was tugging at my shirt). He wanted to see the whole belly, so I obliged him. Then he wanted to touch it, so I knelt down for him to do so. I have started my third trimester so the belly is big, or as a t-shirt I have says "bellylicious". Gusi was all smiles. He said his baby brother was inside the belly. I am finally convinced that the boy gets it. He gets that there is a baby growing inside me. I keep telling him that he was once in my belly and was once a little baby, but that seems to still escape him.
In the meantime, I am getting ready for our departure from Senegal for what will likely be a four month stay in the US. I realize that I'll be home for the 4th of July, summer weather, campaign madness and the Olympics, not just the birth of my second son. Although we've been gone nine months, I'm sure a lot will have changed. There will be that "catch up" period where I'm realizing that the places I went to before are no longer open and it will be incredibly eye-opening for Gusi who has all but forgotten his home town.
During the next two weeks I'll be attending going-away parties, lunches and dinners. Lots of folks will be leaving Dakar permanently, some off to Sri Lanka, some to Mauritania, some to Moscow, some to London, still others back to the US. And then there's us. Gusi and I will be leaving in less than two weeks. I am more nervous about being at the airport at midnight and waiting around for the airplane than I am about the actual flight to the US. It's the airport time that gets you with Gusi--he wants to explore, roam, run, anything but sit still. And with my big belly, it's just not going to be easy. I hope he decides to take pity on me and sleep all the way from door to door. If only it were that easy.
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