We still can't see you, but you're showing - or at least your mother is. At first we thought that maybe she was just getting a bit fat (even she admits that she has a tendency to get a stomach) but even if we wanted to deny it (and we don't), we can't anymore - your mother definitely looks pregnant.

Pregnant women often receive special treatment in our society. People give them their seats on buses, for instance. But this hasn't happened yet, and you've had to endure buses standing along with your mother when those buses have been full. And there are people who see pregnancy as some sort of disease that needs to be cured. These people are always trying to make sure that pregnant women aren't working too hard. And for good or for bad, this hasn't happened to your mother yet either. So far she's had to perform all the tasks that she'd be expected to perform even if she weren't pregnant.

So now, with your mother showing, you're a most tangible presence. When I hug her, for instance, you have a way of getting in between us, making it just a little harder to get my arms around her. Don't worry. We'll include you in the fun.