Many women can tell you they feel a little pull toward babies. Maybe men do too, but if they do they're more secretive about it. As women, though, we see babies and we want them. We want to cuddle them, hug them, care for them and, perhaps, even give birth to them.
All that work that comes with caring for a baby quickly flies out of our minds. All we think about is the little cooing noise they make, the way they always smell so good, how sweet and innocent their little faces are, especially in sleep, and how their tiny little smiles can brighten any room.
Over the weekend I uploaded all of our videos of Autumn to our computer so I can burn them onto DVDs. Autumn is absolutely fascinated with these videos and can happily sit on my lap and watch herself. We spent a lot of time watching an 8-month-old Autumn try to figure out how to crawl. We watched 8-month-old Autumn wave while playing with Daddy. And I felt that tug to hold a little, helpless baby again. Then I felt guilty, because I love 2-year-old Autumn so very much. And she's so much fun because she talks and she interacts so much. I can take her to things and watch her truly take notice of her surroundings. She's an absolute joy (although I could have done without yesterday's temper tantrum in the middle of the mall concourse).
Then yesterday morning I received an e-mail from my sister. Attached to the e-mail was a picture of a beautiful baby girl. Hopefully, after some more paperwork and a few Guatemalan legal procedures, this baby will be my new niece in a few months. And I'll have to go visit this adorable baby girl, and pick her up and cuddle with her. Of course, Autumn will want to be right there, touching the baby, too, and that's just as it should be.
And maybe it won't just be my urge that's satisfied. My Dad will have another little granddaughter and he can hold off on asking me when grandchild number 10 will arrive because he'll have her. Last night I told Keith my Dad would be happiest if all six of his kids had six kids. I hate to tell him, though, that even with all the baby urges, eventually some practicality will seep in, too.