hi, i'm earth. have we met?

to read this here blog lately, one might make the (incorrect) assumption that i am baby crazy. i assure you that such is not the case. as it happens, i have never been one for the blanket adoration of all babies because, frankly, there are some babies i just don't like. (and i won't name any names, so don't even try to get me to spill. all right, fine. i will admit that suri cruise sort of gives me the creeps. but she's probably not a real baby anyway.)

on the other hand, there are some special babies who i adore very much and want to see all the time. and brand new baby natalie is one of them. probably because she belongs to such a special friend.

when joelle told me she was pregnant, i could not wait for that baby to come. i wanted to talk about the baby all the time: was it a girl or a boy? was the baby kicking? what names were joelle and her husband thinking about? would she call me as soon as the baby came? could the baby call me auntie fran? i bought the baby all my favorite "frances the badger" books and planned all the fun things we would do together once she got here.

and then, the miracle.

joelle was willing to stay my friend through the onset of this most unexpected and unfamiliar baby craziness.

and then, the second miracle.

miss natalie elizabeth joined us here.



she is small and perfect and has all her fingers and all her toes and squints her eyes when she sleeps and stretches out her long skinny legs and has beautiful dark hair and will snuggle into your bosoms and stay there while you talk about how tiny and adorable she is.

now that natalie and i have met and bonded, the next order of business is to introduce her to my other object of baby lust, baby kyle, so they can meet and fall in baby love (or lust. however babies roll) and then they will never be able to leave me because of their endless debt of gratitude.

i have also decided that i would be cool with not having babies of my own, as long as my friends keep doing such a good job. pressure's on, people. hop to it.