So we started doing a sort of video diary for Elliot. We don’t have it down to a science or anything, but Tania and I are basically, as often as possible, recording little video clips of ourselves talking to Elliot, telling him what he’s been doing or what’s been going on outside (the tummy) related to his life, or even just talking about random stuff. No preparation, really, no pretenses–just us in the “normal”, talking to him, not just about him. Tonight we recorded him pushing and kicking inside of Tania’s belly–we could actually see it (which is somewhere between incredibly cool and “Alien” [the movie] weird)!

Basically, the idea is that he’ll be able watch, listen to, and know his parents from back when he was still in the womb. He’ll know us that much more, know how much we loved him even way back then. And then, when he’s in his twenties at college and misses us (yeah right), or when he has a family of his own to share with, he can always pop in the video(s) and see his parents. But, mostly, we hope making these videos for Elliot, before we’ve even met him, will help communicate to him how much his parents love him.

-T

P.s. By the way, there’s something very transparent about doing this. I’m sure in twenty years Elliot will laugh his behind off at his parents’ haircuts and clothing. Or maybe that gigantic, six-foot pseudo-beanbag in the living room.