I have a two-year old little girl.  My husband and I have adored raising her, and welcomed each stage as they came.  If you ask any friends close to us, they’ll surely roll their eyes and sarcastically agree with that last statement.  In any case, it’s been an amazing challenge.  Yes, a challenge.  I can’t imagine my life without her.  Her personality, as, um, challenging as it may be from time to time, has meshed into our little Stewart clan.

            Well, I blame my sister in law for my current state of anxiety.

            She has told us that she’s expecting their second one.  Their first, a year younger than ours, is just getting ready to walk.  The competitive side of me fell asleep.  It was weird.  Normally, I would kick into overdrive and think, “Hey!  We need to get on this baby making thing, husband!  They’re winning us!”  But parenting has done something really bizarre to my racer’s momentum.  It’s almost as if the gun went off and my leg fell asleep.  They tell us they’re having a baby and I’m like, “Cool.  Are you going to eat that?” to the kid in the stands with the hot dog.

            We want another one.  We do.  I think.  I think we do.  I know we will.  I guess I’m just not in any particular rush.  I have a “tortoise and the hare” approach to kids.  I just want to finish the race and have my kids come out somewhat decent…I have no desire to get there first.  Plus, I’m really enjoying parenting.  I suppose I have all along.  But right now is really fun.  She talks and I can understand her…mostly.  She feels she can communicate her needs without going bonkers.  She actually listens to me when I tell her not to touch things in public places.  She likes to make me laugh.  She’s just cool right now, and that whole sleepless nights, giving birth, getting fat, (in reverse order) routine, is sounding less and less desirable.    

            The studies are out and there are some interesting findings on the benefits of siblings and having only children.  It turns out only children score higher I.Q.’s but kids with siblings aren’t jerks.  I could put that more delicately.  Teachers say that siblings help to teach kids social concepts such as sharing and communicating.  So do I want an Einstein or a Mother Theresa?

            I know I want more kid(s), but right now, while things are getting easy(er) and more manageable.  I like to imagine my one kid, reciting Tennyson poetry to me as I garden in my spare time…in Latin. 

            You’re right, we best get started on number two.

            I could never garden.