Two Plus One Makes Three

So it seems 18 months is the magic age when nosey people inevitably start feeling free to ask when we're planning our second child. You'll notice I said "when" not "if" we're planning to have a second child which seems a bit presumptuous to me. Here are snip-its from a few recent conversations I've had.

Recent conversation with a friend in my mother's group:
Friend: So I noticed you're selling Kariana's infant car seat.
Me: Yes, she's way too big for it. Besides, we moved her into a convertible seat months ago.
Friend: But you should keep it for your second child.
Me: Pause. (Hmm. The thought never crossed my mind.) Yeah, maybe.

Recent conversation with my mom:
Mom: The other day you mentioned you had a doctor's appointment.
Me: Yeah.
Mom: How did it go?
Me: Fine.
Mom: So are you guys thinking about having another one?

This has caused me to realize how perfectly happy I am with one. I will admit I've considered a second, briefly. Society pretty much forces you to at least consider it, but the thought of another child seems too chaotic and beyond my capability as a parent. I'm perfectly okay with this. I've accepted I will never be one of those easy-going moms who takes parenting in stride so the thought of two terrifies me. I am a perfectionist, who likes my house clean, organized and relatively quiet. My life needs to be predictable and children by nature are not. Like most of the other things I have accomplished in my life, I take my parenting role seriously and feel there is enough responsibility to ensure our one grows up to be a well-adjusted and contributing member of society.

My decision seems to strike many people as odd. Somehow it is implied that as a mother it is my God given duty to provide my daughter with a sibling so she can become a well-balanced individual. There is tons of commentary about how to raise an only child not to be a spoiled brat. This is probably a good time to tell you that I am an only child and I am quite content. I can't make any promises that I'm not a spoiled brat but I know a lot of spoiled brats that have siblings so I'm willing to bet "spoiled bratism" is not attributed solely to only children. At any rate, I'm well adjusted and I am confident Kariana will be too.

So this realization made me decide to make a few minor changes to my blog. I am perfectly happy with our family of three and think my blog should reflect it. I added a "My Family" section with our family picture and changed the sub-heading in my blog title. At first I typed in the sub-heading, "Our Little Threesome," but then I thought about what my mother might say and decided to play it safe with the sub-heading "Two Plus One Equals Three." This is a blog about our little threesome, plus the cat makes three and a half. So there.