Uh, Aims? Heads up.

We've also been talking about whether to have another baby. It doesn't look likely, the main reasons being:

Not getting any younger

I'm over 40, and (more importantly) Wallybee's approaching it too. Risk factors increase with age.

My younger sibling is a non-neurotypical nutcase, and we got it right with the first one, so why risk a second?

Yeah. Flip the order for me, but there are some suspect outcomes of my genetic heritage. My younger brother's position on kids has always been that he's not willing to take the risk that they'd turn out like him (though now he's engaged, I think he's softened his stance).

Not a parent, but I can tell you my parents' reason! I was a well-behaved baby. Almost unnaturally so. My parents were pretty certain they'd get a demonbaby the next time out, so decided that my being an only child would be FINE.

Yeah. With Ryan, it feels like we won the baby lottery. We couldn't wish for a sweeter little person. (His latest development: we were at dinner with a friend, who lent him her mobile phone. After playing with the buttons and turning on the lights, he put it up to his ear - upside down - and started merrily burbling away. Lovely Boo.)

I love kids, always have. If we were younger, I'd want another. But I'm happy with the way things have turned out.

Not a parent, but I can tell you my parents' reason! I was a well-behaved baby. Almost unnaturally so. My parents were pretty certain they'd get a demonbaby the next time out, so decided that my being an only child would be FINE.

Not a parent either, but I have observed this phenomenon more than once.

I went exploring a bit in my new town, in search of dinner. There's a tavern that has a portobella sandwich, but I wanted something to bring home, not to eat out. There's a cool little coffee shop that has a hummus sandwich on the menu, but they were out of hummus. While I was walking, a random guy in a Jesus shirt offered to pray for me. There's an antique store down the block from me that has a shelf of books that I really want a closer look at, but the store is never open when I pass by. There's also a deli down the block from me, but it looked like they're only open for breakfast and lunch. So, I ended up with a sandwich from Subway.

but I have observed this phenomenon more than once.

I'm here to tell you this happens. I have living proof.

Not a parent, but I can tell you my parents' reason! I was a well-behaved baby. Almost unnaturally so. My parents were pretty certain they'd get a demonbaby the next time out, so decided that my being an only child would be FINE.

On the other hand, my brother and sister in law say that if their first or first two babies had been as good as their third they would have tried to have many, many more babies.

That reminds me of the great Cosby routine about the birth of his first child. He and his wife were delighted, because she was perfect: "Ding! My name is Erika, and I love you both. Mommy, what time would you like to get up in the morning?" "Um, 7:00?" "Well, I will not wake up until 9, and even if my diaper is wet, I will not even cry. I'll just lay there, saying, 'Leeleelilo, lilolilo.' My name is Erika, and I love you both. Ding!"

He then says that they decide to have another one right away, before they lose whatever they have going for them. Sure enough, Daughter #2 arrives, or as they came to call her, Beelzebub. Champagne in one hand, cigarette in the other, saying "Who's in charge here? You, the ugly guy, why are you here?" "I'm your dad." "Get rid of him, Momsy...What time ya been getting up in the morning?" "Um, 7:00." "Would you believe--3:30. And this is how I cry. WAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

The nephews' parents want to know why they got the easy one in their late 20s when they had all the energy and the difficult one in their late 30's when they were too tired for him.

On behalf of unexpected second children born with perfect well-behaved siblings everywhere, I would like to say, "Hey!"

I know that I was a planned second child. The only thing unplanned about me was that they wanted me born a few months earlier, but my mom got bronchitis at the time they would need to conceive, so I got put off for a few months. I'm not entirely sure why my mother thought I needed to know that.