I hope you get one just like you

My parents never said it but I know other parents did.  "When you grow up, I hope you get one just like you."  And so, well, I arrive at Today.  S asks me to adopt another baby from China.  "I'll take care of it!," she pleads.  And all I can say is, "No!"  "Why?"she wants to know.  "Because I don't want another baby.  Babies are a lot of work."  

I was baby crazy for a long time.  As a little girl, I too wanted my mother to have another baby.  "You have your little sister," she would tell me.  "Yes, I know, but I don't remember when she was a baby."  This made perfect sense to me.  

I'd throw coins in the fountain and wish that I'd find a baby behind my front door.  I wanted a baby more then anything.  At nine or ten I would go to the neighbors' house just so I could play with their baby, Alexandra.  Her older brother, Chrisopher, had a cleft lip and palate and it's strange to me now b/c I knew he looked a little different but never knew why until I was much older.  

I guess wanting a baby is not such an unusual thing for a little girl to want.  And I suppose the survival of the species really depends on people liking babies. That said, my babies days are done (until I'm a grandma).  And then I'm pretty sure I'll be baby crazy all over again…...