Oh Baby!

It's a well-known fact that I don't like children or babies. Or teens. And now that I'm older, I'm not too keen on 20-somethings, either. But I digress.

I don't like kids, and I never did.

When I was a girl of babysitting age, adults would sometimes say to me "bet you can't wait to have one of your own!" Wrong. I could wait. In fact, I knew even at a young age that I never wanted to have kids.

As a young teen and adult, I did everything I could to make sure I never had children. To me, the safest way was abstinence. In an effort to remain childless, I kept my legs crossed tightly on every date I ever went on, the fear of pregnancy being much greater than the fear of remaining single.

So imagine my surprise yesterday when my co-worker, Rob, and his wife Pam came in with their little baby girl, Brooke. She's less than a year old, and yes I'll say it: cute. In fact, I will even take the leap and say she's probably one of the cutest babies ever. She has huge eyes, long eyelashes, and a very pleasant disposition.

This isn't the first time I've met Brooke. No, this is my third time. And each time, she has seemed extremely interested in me.

Imagine that. A little baby interested in me, a child-hater.

After talking to Becky and Michelle in a different office, Rob and Pam came into mine and said "Brooke wanted to say 'hi'." I talked to Pam and Rob, and then a little bit to Brooke. She kept her eyes on me, and smiled occasionally, and even laughed at some of my lame jokes (though I doubt she got any of them at her age).

And then it came: Pam asked me if I wanted to hold Brooke. My first inclination was to say "No" like I normally do, but instead I said "Are you sure?" She said yes, that Brooke wouldn't mind. So, next thing I knew, I was holding little Brooke.

I sat her on my lap, and she seemed comfortable there. She turned around and smiled at me, and seemed to be having a good time on my generously sized thighs. As I talked to Brooke and her parents, I found that I was actually enjoying the experience. Huh? Could that be right?

Yes. It was. It was actually fun to be holding this little girl, watching her play around with her fingers and listen as she talked nonsense to me.

Before I knew it, it was time for Brooke to go back home. I actually felt a little sad to relinquish her.

Now don't get me wrong. This doesn't mean I want a child. I don't.

I just don't think I hate them as much as I pretend to.