"May I buy one baby? PLEASE?!?!"

Pam ~ Maya K and I spent about an hour at my sister Debbi's house this afternoon. My parents are coming to visit in about a week and we needed to talk about who was feeding them and what days. Debbi has twin 4-year-old boys and does part-time childcare for twin 5-month-old baby boys.

Debbi and I chatted about our food plans for next week while we each held a baby and Maya K played with her cousins Ben and Joseph. As Maya K and I were getting ready to leave, Maya K started playing with the babies.

When it was time to go, Maya K said goodbye to her Aunt Debbi and cousins, and then she said goodbye to the babies.

As she touched the foot of the baby her Aunt Debbi was holding, Maya K said "May I buy one baby? PLEASE?!?!"

My sister and I both did something of a double take and I said, "What did you ask, Maya K?"

"May we buy one baby, please??????? I want a baby, Mommy!!!!!"

Oh dear.

Debbi quickly told Maya K that these babies had a mommy that was at work and would be coming to take them home soon. Then Maya K and I left.

Here is a summary of our conversation in the car.

Maya K: "I want to buy a baby. Why can't we buy a baby?"

Me: "We can't just buy a baby, Honey. God sometimes puts a baby in a mommy's tummy, and God has not put a baby in your mommy's tummy. Or sometimes a mommy and daddy will adopt a baby or an older kid who need a mommy and daddy. That is what we did with you, Maya K. We adopted you because you needed a mommy and daddy."

Maya K: (sad voice) "But I really want a baby."

Me: "Daddy and I have already told you that we would like to adopt another kid sometime in a long, long time (we say it this way so that she doesn't think it will happen tomorrow!!!!), but you have to wait for a while. It takes a long time to adopt."

Maya K: "Will you adopt a baby, please???? A brown baby. Brown like me. PLEASE???!!!!"

Me: "Maybe it will be a baby. Or maybe it will be an older kid, like you were older. God will tell us when it is time and it will be very exciting."

Maya K: "Okay, Mommy. Maybe a baby!!!!!!"