Dear Amy: "Mourning Mom" had a baby and a husband who insisted he didn't want another. Our son-in-law had a crazy notion like this too. Our very wise daughter waited a bit and one day said, "I think Jack (our grandson) needs a sibling."
It opened up a new line of thinking, and we now have three grandchildren.
— Happy Gran
Re: wtf.
Also, whenever I said "Wooz needs a sibling" it didn't mean I was looking to get KU, it was shorthand for "This kid is suffocating me right now with her constant demands that I be King Triton to her Ariel, make it stop."
And Happy Gran needs to STFU and MYOB. Get one of those creepy doll babies if necessary.
Since my sister is pregnant and SIL *might* be pregnant (via IUI), we have talked a little more about #3 and his/her cousins being close in age, BUT we're not ready for another kid...mainly financially, but also DH's work schedule makes it hard to want #3, knowing how much already falls to me with regard to the house/kids.
My brother got 2 siblings because my mom wanted to be a "good" Catholic. After she dumped that I came 5 years later.
I do not miss baby snuggles. The inevitably end in baby body fluids of some sort.
Should I put a sign on my lawn?
As for my kids, we had another in part because of DS. I don't know any other way to describe it, but he is the kind of kid that needed a sibling. And also, we're gluttons for punishment. DS was super easy as a baby (still is), and we decided to tempt fate. DD is a handful, but the two of them are awesome together.
ETA: uh, when we get old, not them. Words are hard, so very hard.
As my first pregnancy was awful, and birth experience worse, I'm pretty dead set against repeating it - especially with the increased preeclampsia risk with subsequent pregnancies. (Risk to me, and risk to the baby.) I'm also thinking 5+ years apart would be a pretty big difference, and I really don't want to repeat all of the baby stuff again - especially if another kid wasn't as "easy" as Wolverine. DK wants another, but I told him I wouldn't even consider it unless he was willing to get snipped afterwards. (I'm not chancing him pushing for #3 if we'd have another girl.) He's not keen on the vasectomy idea, so we're at an impasse.
Dixie, I have seen beautiful relationships between special needs students and their siblings. Yes, there is pressure and sometimes it can bring challenges for the sibling, but it can also be so positive and loving too. Everything works out in the end.:)