Hi Anita,

Wow, thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to write two very well-thought out and insightful responses. I appreciate it so much. Sorry for the delay in responding. I wanted to digest everything and also have had a really busy week as my son has been protesting naptime, so I haven’t had my usual chunk of time in the middle of the day to write. I am sorry to hear that you had such a difficult beginning to life, and I am grateful that you are able to share your insight into this topic with your perspective of the world. I agree with everything you said, but still can’t help feeling a bit torn. My husband would like a 2nd child, although he does say it’s ultimately my decision. He had such a perfect childhood and sees the world in mainly rose-colored glasses, which is nice in a way, but can be frustrating to someone like me who doesn’t. He says things like, “the world has always been crazy, and there have been numerous near-total disasters in history that have been averted” such as nuclear war with Russia, Nazi’s taking over the world, etc. And that the world is probably safer now than ever. Of course, I’m not sure I agree. I’m certainly going to think about all of this more today and will circle back with you with more questions I have if that is ok? Having a second child is so tricky because it’s almost like there is no reasoning with it. I was never sure I even wanted children to begin with, but now that I have one, I feel much more of a pull to have a second. Even though the only *pro* to doing so is the fact that, ideally, I’d want one and the fact that it might be nice for my son to have a sibling to navigate this crazy world with. What a tricky thing…..

Charlotte