Every once in a while

[muttmeister]

OK, I just got done babysitting my grandkids. difficult child and wife were supposed to be home to get them by 3P.M. They finally showed up at 9:30.

Now, I really do enjoy holding my grandkids. One is 2 and she thinks I walk on water and the other is 7 1/2 months and is doing all kinds of cute stuff and, of course, they're the most perfect kids in the world BUT...next time you want to hold a baby, I've got a couple I'd give you CHEAP!

Six and a half hours late is TOO MUCH and I'M DONE. Next time they want a babysitter they can hire one.

 

[Fran]

Believe me, once they learn to say "NO" I get twinges of anxiety. Ahhh, the pleasures of raising a strong willed child.
Mutt,I can't do the whole day thing anymore. I don't want to babysit for hours on hours. I did it from 11yrs old for sibs and for spending money. You are all really kind grandmothers to take on the role of sitting for the grandkids for hours and days.
Katmom, I may just have to visit your grand baby sometime soon.
Baby brother is a newlywed. So there is always a possibility. Maybe we will finally get a girl in the Mrs. Fran family. With three aunts(older than my brother), she will never need to buy girly stuff.

All that is cute but I'm really experiencing a more deep seated primitive longing. I always called it Empty Womb Syndrome. I assume it is natures way. How else do you explain getting pregnant with the second,third,fourth.

Janna, I'm so happy to have grown kids who drive. Believe me
I wouldn't go back to those years. It was a new experience but I wouldn't want a repeat.

Maybe it is as dreamer says a sense of hope and the promise of life? Who knows?
Anyhow,I'm sure it will pass(like a kidney stone)

 

[On_Call]

I get those waves once every so often myself, although my tubes are tightly tied, as well. During those periods of time it seems that everywhere you go, people are either pregnant or toting around newborns.

A girl in my office is pregnant - due the beginning of March. She is so darn cute! I agree, Fran, that it probably is natures way. That longing is why our planet continues to be populated!

I get to watch my neighbor's 11 month old occasionally and that will have to do it for me!!

 

[Shari]

My cat has empty womb syndrome as soon as each litter is out of hers...

I have a cute little fainting goat that likes to cuddle.

Oh, and 4 new puppies!

I wish we could babysit my neice, she's in the age you're talking about, and I can so relate. I sometimes mourn that husband and I probably won't have another child because of the difficult child's. Its more than just that, tho, its the possiblity of "normal" that I long for as much as the child itseld.

Hope you can find a cuddler soon.

 

[tiredmommy]

Believe me, once they learn to say "NO" I get twinges of anxiety. Ahhh, the pleasures of raising a strong willed child.

Unfortunately, Duckie was such a difficult infant that I actually hyperventilated at the thought of holding one of my cousin's twins that were born less than five months after Duckie. I think she broke me, lol! The good news is that I was able to hold one of my other cousin's twins with no problem. They are now 15 months old. As a matter of fact, one of the teachers at Duckie's school said I have a great way with kids! I just wish someone would tell Duckie!

Yep, no more kids for me! I'll get my baby fixes from other Moms.

 

[Fran]

Shari, a fainting goat? What is that?
You crack me up with the animal entourage.
If I ever live in the country I want a fainting goat.


TM, my difficult child was a really good baby. Perfect actually. Then he learned to walk, which meant run. It was all down hill after that.
easy child was a very sensitive baby and not as easy as difficult child the first year.
Both got me good as they grew up. LOL.

 

[amy4129]

Well guys-
At 40 husband and I were talking about a third. I was really yes and he was sort of yes. But after the talking we decided we were too tired. husband will be 46 in March. I'm still thinking that it is because my friend who is 31 is due in june- womb envy?

 

[rejectedmom]

I had my first child at 22. Second at 24. Then when second was three I started being a foster mom. i had a continuous stream of pre adoptive infants for 7 years. Then I took a short break and found I longed to hold a baby almost constantly. I went back to fostercare. I started taking at risk infants and toddlers. did that for another several years for a total of 22 infants and one adolecent. By that time I had adopted two more and the youngest was showing to be a real difficult child. I couldn't manage another baby when he had to be supervised 24/7. so for a few years i was baby free but I had a small dog. Then I became a grandma at age 48. I took care of my grandson for the first three years all day and sometimes over night five days a week. A month after my grandson was born, kittens were abondoned in my woodpile so I ended up being mommy to them. Bottle feeding kttens every two hours round the clock and taking care of grandson too. I loved it! Then a friend got pregnant and she asked me to care for her daughter too. I loved this little girl but she was extremely difficult so I only did that for 8 months. Then my daughter decided to become a stay at home mom. I was suddenly infantless. It was so hard on me. I finaly had to tell her I really needed to see him at least once a week. I couldn't go cold turkey. When my grand daughter came along my daughter was a stay at home mom. I didn't get to hold her much because my daughter felt she had missed out the first time around and didn't want to share much. Sooooo I got a puppy! He is a sweety but he is a PIA! Now I am witout infants in my life, funny I really don't yearn anymore. I guess maybe i'm over it? I am getting a new kitten in a few weeks but not because I want a baby to hold. I really want a kittlen. LOL -RM

 

[donna723]

Fran,

About the fainting goats....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fainting_goat

 

[Shari]

Wee difficult child's goats are fainters. Well, they were before they met wee difficult child. Now nearly nothing startles them.

Its actually a neurological defect. Seems to be a dominant trait, tho (and funny as all get out).

I must share, when "Goat" (that's what difficult child named mama goat) was let out of the trailer to be bred, and the billy did what billies are supposed to do, it happened to be on the top of a small dirt pile. difficult child thought this was so funny, he shrieked. Goat, who of course was used to it, thought nothing of it, however, poor Billy, in the heat of the moment, fainted, and not only toppled off of Goat, he toppled right off the top of his pile of dirt. Where's the camera when you need it?

When you get to the country, I'll bring you a goat. They really are cuddly, and the best part, when difficult child hits them, they think its just part of the game and hit back! (that's why we have goats!)

My human babies were like yours, Fran. easy child 1 was a HORRIBLE baby. difficult child 2 was the most wonderful, low maintenance, easy to care for baby in the world. (paying now!)

And no offense to anyone, but I'm not sure I could even CONSIDER the idea at 40. I'm a few years off and I think its pretty much OUT.

 

[Fran]

What a great pet. A fainting goat-who would have thought.

I love the mounting goat fainting story. Might be traumatic to his manhood.
Thanks for the clips and article Shari and Donna. They are just adorable.
We can't do anything about our difficult children and easy child's growing up. I'll just have to wait for grandchildren. (then I'm calling Janet or mutt to stay up at night) with the little darlings.

 

[Sue C]

Fran -- I understand what you mean. You should see husband and me smile and goo goo to every baby we see in the store. We certainly do not want one, and we are not even ready for a grandkid (I feel too young at 51 and also don't want to be asked to babysit!!). I'm thinking the adorable, happy little babies remind us of happier times. I don't know. Just guessing.

I have a friend who is going through wanting to have another child at age 44, and her daughters are 10, 12, 14, and 16. She opted for a new puppy!! Good choice.

Sue

 

[Shari]

Funny, when I was pregnant with difficult child 2, people would ask if I wanted a boy or a girl, and I answered "puppy".

Puppy is much easier choice.

 

[dreamer]

I also got a cabbage patch doll a couple years ago-----if I decide I want to drag a baby around and do not want to take dog, I guess I could grab my cabbage patch doll?

Gosh my mom had me when she was 15, and my bro 2 yrs later. then when I was 15 she went and had b/g twins. Even tho I did not live there, somehow she was able to harness my sense of duty to family and I babysat them many days from 330 till midnite while she worked. Then I went elsewhere at midnite to babysit for a 3rd shift worker single mom.
When I was 27 mom had another son. My dtr came 2.5 years later....my mom NEVER babysat my kids but I often was called upon to go babysit my yougest brother.
I always wondered how my mom managed.....parenting all those years....but it was not so much the at home stuff, but...I absolutely do not think I could go thru the school stuff all over again.
Dogs and kittens and cabbage patch dolls do not have to go to school.
I suppose with a 17 and an 18 dtr at the moment, one just never knows when one could become a gramma? THAT thought makes me a little nervous.
Yeah, I LOVE Babies.....and nah, I do not think i am too young to be a gramma.....but I keep telling my kids they are too young to be mommies.

Fainting goats sound kinda neat to have around!
Guess I will settle for our 3 new kittens, tho- they get to come to us next week or so! I am excited!

 

[dreamer]

OK- I know....babies are nifty cuz you donot have to wonder if they are getting arrested when out of your line of vision. Or if they are riding in a car with some crummy bad driver. Or shoplifting......or any of those other scary things. They wear what you pick out. they do not sneak out at nite. They do not call you names. They (usually) let you fuss with their hair. Their hair is not some strange color. You can talk funny and babble at them and noone seems to think you are weird for doing so. you can sway when you hold one and noone wonders what you are doing and why. You can rock your leg up and down when they are on your lap and noone tells you about the newest medication for restless leg syndrome. If you look bad, you can tell people the baby kept you awake all nite. Baby spit up is a lot easier to deal with than........a 17 year olds.....
Crawling children cannot get as far as fast as 16 yr olds with a drivers license.
Yeah 6-12 months is pretty cool!

 

[Shari]

Good points, dreamer.

Whats up with all these kittens! Too cool!

 

[dreamer]

yeah lotsa people were talking about new kittens, weren't they?
For us our 2 much older cats passed on and then the other one we had also passed. We did not get more when the first 2 passed becuz the last one had some ugly behaviors, (she had been feral, a stray and .....well.difficutlt) so we did not want new kitties to learn anything from her.
All my life I have had cats. Oldest difficult children friends cats had a new litter......the timing was right, our old cat passed a bit ago-------
and--- upon visiting the new kitties parents......I found the parent cats to be the most gentle and beautiful and small sized cats I have ever seen. The parent cats humans have all 3 generations of ancestors living in their home------and all the cats are just wonderful little critters, so-----I decided these cats were perfect. I was gonna get just one, BUT.....all 3 kids had been pestering for years for their own cat. The old cats were here before any of the kids were even born. I also started thinking----I take my dog with me when I go out.....but usually cats do not go out, LOL- not on vacation, not to parades, etc, LOL. And cats seem to be happier when they have another feline companion. The litter had 3 cats. I have 3 kids. Usually I have always had 2-3 cats at a time. I decided to just take the whole litter, LOL.

Time will tell if I lost my mind or not.
BUT I am very fond of all manner of critters-----and currently easy child has a rabbit she bought ut of spite that is unsocial in her room....and we have a 15 yr old red eared slider turtle.......and dog. This is the least pets I have ever had and the 3 kittens just sounded absolutely divine. LOL. Now that my last "baby" is 4-----------last baby being dog-----well, he is not playful like he used to be......we could use some new blood here.....new energy.......what could be more playful than 3 6 week old kittens? LOL. I am sure I will enjoy feeding them much more than feeding grouchy husband or 16 yr old easy child or oldest and youngest difficult children. LOL. and I bet I will not even mind cleaning the litterbox near as much as cleaning our bathroom.....LOL,

 

[Shari]

Awwww.....sounds like so much fun! There's not much better entertainment than watching kittens play. Altho the 2 we have right now....well...grrr...... lol

Enjoy your new furbabies. I love the furbabies, too (as Fran has noticed). Someday I'll list them all. (yikes)