Baby Boom, part deux

In the past two weeks, my best friend from 4th grade through college had her first baby (Baby Ethan); one of my best friends here had her first baby (Baby Abigail); and my cousin gave birth to her second son yesterday (Baby Maxwell). To my knowledge, I have at least three other friends expecting this year (if not more). ‘tis the season, indeed – or, as one friend put it, I must’ve had a lot of friends who were awfully bored last summer and fall. HA! In any case, I am thrilled to welcome such dear little ones to the world. More kids for me to spoil ;)

After talking to my mom about Baby Ethan being born, she asks me “Are you *ever* going to have any babies of your own? You’d be SUCH a good mom!” The anxious pleading in her voice was unmistakable. I told her that Sibling and S would have the grandbaby front covered long before I did, especially given that if it were solely up to her, S would have all her kids before she turns 30 – still 5 years away for her.

I understand that my mom just wants me to be happy, and that her concept of happiness is based on her experience of getting married right out of college and eventually having kids. I *get* that, and have carried around those…expectations…since I was in high school. And, as dark as it sounds, I know that her health problems often cause her to wonder whether or not she’ll even be around to ever see me get married, much less meet any future grand-kiddos.

Most days, I’m able to roll with her motherly concern and get on with my life. But other days, I get real tired of it and am awfully short with her. Ahhhhh….the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship. Never boring, that’s for sure!