...but I already bought the cow!

One of the first things my mother-in-law said to me when she found out about the baby:

"I hope you are the last person Dino has children with."

(feel free to laugh - I did)

You would probably have to know my mother-in-law to believe me when I say that she didnt mean anything - rude or otherwise. She wasnt necessarily calling me "Baby Mama #3" (I admit I sometimes feel self conscious that people are thinking about me in that way). She was just telling me how she honestly feels and, frankly, I agree with her sentiments so it would be hard for me to take it personal.

The other day I was thinking about how I will never have a family like the one I grew up in. We are never going to be the kind of cohesive unit that The Stranskys have always been; the "Us vs The World" attitude that brought me so much security when I was growing up. Theres always going to be an element of sharing. Maybe it will be easier for my kids to accept than it has been for me. If thats all they ever know, why would it even seem strange to them? After all, arent blended families the norm now?

[message truncated due to temporary insanity]