Baby Sisters: Buy 1, Get 1 Free

I remember when I was a little girl my parents were too embarrassed to explain where babies come from, so they told me the ol’ stork story.  Believe me, that brought a lot of confusion and shock when I started school and learned from my little classmates that this wasn't so!

Although I am nowhere near ready for sex education with my own children yet, I decided that a more accurate but delicate approach would be better.  From when they were toddlers, I’ve told my children stories of all the kicking and somersaulting they did inside my belly.  I’ve shown them photos of my protruding stomach from both of my pregnancies.  I’ve even told them about the special time we spent at the hospital after they were born.

I thought for sure both of my kids understood the basic concept that babies come from mommies’ bellies.  Apparently, though, after all this time, my 4-year-old daughter still doesn’t quite get it.

One day we were out shopping, and my daughter noticed a woman with the cutest baby.  My little girl, who has been obsessed with little baby sisters since her best friend became a big sister last year, smiled and giggled over the cooing infant.  And then she asked me for the millionth time, “Mommy, when can I have a baby sister?”

I explained that someday I might have another baby, but we can’t pick whether it’ll be a girl or a boy.  She frowned in discontent and continued along beside me for a while in complete silence.

Then, as I was placing some canned goods into my shopping cart, I heard her little voice beside me: “But Mommy, why can’t we just go buy one?  I really want a baby sister now!”

I just had to laugh awhile to myself and shake my head.  What if we all came from malls and shopping centers?  What a bizarre world it would be!  I can almost imagine the strange sales pitches and promotions . . .