Breeders

I come from a long line of breeders.  My mom only has two kids, but she is one of five.  My grandma and grandpa on my dad's side are one of five and one of eleven (funny stories come out of families that large).  My dad has just one brother, but between me and my uncle's two daughters, we have fifteen children.  Going back just two generations (to my grandparents), I have well over one hundred relatives, not counting in-laws (I'm trying to do a count in my head, but I'm quickly losing track).

So maybe that explains why my daughters love babies so much.  Maybe they are genetically destined to have kids.  Some little girls love stuffed animals, Barbies, My Little Ponies--Lily and Phoebe love babies (real and plastic).  Lily is absolutely drawn to babies in that smoochie- boochie, chubba-dubba, cutie-patootie, grab-their-cheeks, pick-them-up-and-drop-them-on-the-tile-floor kind of way.  And Phoebe hugs any doll with baby features and deliciously chewable parts.  (She also loves the big, plastic Incredible Hulk, but I'm convinced that she knows deep down inside he's just a big misunderstood baby in need of love--she's pretty smart.)

Nathan has a theory (totally unproven, unfounded, and a little screwy) that people have families with similar numbers of kids as the families they grew up in, so, with four kids, he's hoping for 10-16 grandkids.  I am hoping that some of Lily and Phoebe's baby love results in grandkids.  Then again, maybe Lily will raise alpacas and Phoebe will be drawn to muscular men with bad tempers.