Another baby? Not even maybe.

I swear if one more person asks me when I'm having another kid, I'm going to scream. Why is it when you pop out a kid, everyone expects you to pop out another one?

Not too long ago, we were visting some friends, and I was asked if I had changed my mind about having another kid.

I said, "Well, there are so many other things I want to do before I even think about having another kid, you know, like getting a job and buying a house."

And she actually said this: "Oh, so maybe in another year?"

What? Are you kidding me? So, I get a job and buy a house. Then I get knocked up and have to be at home with another baby. Now I can't afford day care for two kids, so I no longer can have the job that I just got, and then we probably won't be able to afford the house we want and all of the things we want to do.

"No," was my response. "More like five years. In five years, I'll think about it, assess our situation and decide."

And then I got that crazy look... I could tell that she was thinking that I'm absolutely insane.

Why is it that I am the only person on the face of the earth that thinks this way? Doesn't it make sense to do things in a certain order. I think that I am being a very responsible parent thinking like this. I want to be able to give my kid everything she needs. Right now, we need for me to go back to work and for us to get a house. Does another kid fit in the equation? Nope. We just finished paying all of our hospital bills from Izzy... why would I want to start racking them up again? I can think of many, many things I'd much rather be spending my money on.

So I've compiled a list of reasons why I don't want to have another kid. Maybe I'll print this out and just hand it to people when I get asked that awful question!

Reasons Why I Don't Want To Have Another Child

1. I like to sleep... Izzy's really good at sleeping now, too. Of course, she has those nights occasionally where she doesn't do too good. That's enough to remind me not to have another one!

2. I like to spend money... on me! Not on diapers, formula and hospital bills. Kids are expensive. I would much rather spend $20 a month on birth control pills than spend that money on another kid. Is that selfish? Maybe. But I don't need to have another kid if I'm that selfish, huh?

3. Just got my body back to where I want it to be... why would I want to ruin it again. I gained about 35 pounds with Izzy, and while it was easy to lose the weight, toning up has been a different story. Working out is hard! I don't want to have to start over from scratch again.

4. Daycare for one kid: reasonable. Daycare for two kids: outrageous. Waiting a measly five years to have another kid will save me about $1,000 a month in day care. Think I'm crazy now?

5. I don't want to miss anything that's new and exciting for Izzy because I'm taking care of a newborn. Izzy deserves lots of time and attention... it wouldn't be fair to her or another baby.

6. I want to go back to work and make money. I wasn't meant to be a stay at home mom. I need social interaction; I need to feel like I'm making a difference. SAHM's would argue that they are making a difference in their children's lives, and while I agree with that, I believe that I can make a difference in my child's life by being a good role model and setting an example for her that a woman can have a successful career. At the same time I am giving her a gift by allowing her to socialize with other children her age... also very important.

7. I want to buy a house... Greg and I have been throwing money away on rent for way too long. It makes me sick to think of the tens of thousands of dollars that have been flushed down the toilet. I'd like to focus on that right now... not that you can't buy a house and have a baby at the same time, but that just doesn't sound like a good combination to me.

8. Childbirth... need I say more?

The list could go on and on, but I've pretty much covered the important reasons. I just wish that it wasn't expected for me to have another kid. It's just like when you get out of college, everyone expects you to get married. Why? Why has society thrust all of these expectations upon us? Shouldn't it be up to every individual to decide when he or she is ready for the next step in their life? And if the next step isn't a beautiful bouncing baby, that should be ok. Why I constantly get looked at like I am the crazy one for not having another baby right now is beyond me. Success in my life will not be measured by how many children I have, but rather by how successful my child is. So all of you out there giving me crazy eyes, stop. There's no need. I am not the crazy one. Ok, maybe I'm a little crazy! Yeah, whatever!