Babies, Birds, and Bees

On our way to pick up Tyler from Art Club, Lauren and I somehow got to talking about Barney (the purple dinosaur) and Thomas (the tank engine) and how she and her brother used to love them.

But Now They Don't! (her words)

I told her I missed having little babies in the house who liked Thomas and Barney.

(Why did I say that?!)

She immediately pounced and said, 

"You should have one!  And make sure the baby is a Girl!."

and...

"So how do you have a baby anyway?"

She caught me off guard and it was hard to come up with a decent answer while driving.  I'm sure my thought process I had going on was as dangerous as texting and driving.

I answered her with the standard in shock answer:

"When a Mommy and Daddy love each other they have a baby."

Since she's not TWO she had a follow up:

"But how does it happen?"

I then chose to get (an awkward sort of) real and see if it would appease:

"Well the Mommy has the egg and the Daddy fertilizes it and that makes the baby."

She said:

"Oh Okay...

(long pause and I thought I was in the clear)

...but I still don't get it."

I quickly answered,:

"Don't forget you have an orthodontist appointment tomorrow."

(this is her first appointment and I knew it would stop her in her tracks...

I just needed a break and time to think.)

She let it go and fretted about her ortho appointment.

-----

She's nine-years-old and I believe she's old enough to understand a frank explanation.

Something along the lines of: 

"God designed a Mommy's body and a Daddy's body to make a baby because...(I'll let you imagine the rest of the details")

I think she'll understand

BUT

I just want her to stay my little girl a little longer.

The next time she asks I will give her the basic birds and bees lecture.

I'm sure both of us will be mortified.