Losing My I.Q.

What is it about babies? When there are no babies around, I am completely fine being me. I can handle working and answering questions and being the happy-go-lucky team lead my team is used to. When a baby shows up, I turn into a babbling idiot.

For example, last year one of the bankers brought in her newborn. After holding the baby for a bit, I forgot how to spell my own last name. It's not a hard last name to spell. It's Brooks.

Now what is amusing about this is the fact I spelled the name, I just used numbers instead of letters for part of it. I called up a different department and I had to give my full name. I told them, "It's Beth Brooks. B-R-Zero-Zero-K-S." The guy on the other end knew what I meant, but he got a good chuckle.

Tonight, a banker from our team brought her baby in. He is 17 days old. And ADORABLE. I'm not supposed to be allowed near babies. It's not because I'm bad at holding them or anything like that, it's because then I think they are cute and I turn all girly.

Do you know just HOW MUCH it annoys me when I hear myself saying, "Oooh, bababa, cooo."

I DON'T want a baby right now. I don't know if I EVER want a baby. But when I see a baby, I always end up saying, "I want one." Then I smack myself in the head.

I do have to admit, as cute as the baby was, I was happy to turn him back over to his mother when my arm got really tired from holding him.

What is it in my brain that makes me act like an idiot around babies? Is this some maternal instinct? I don't think so. I know that my dad was always the one who was more interested in little kids and babies. My mom has told me, point-blank, "I didn't even like you until you were 8." Sure, she loved me, but she didn't LIKE me. That's why she only had one child. She really started to want to actually connect with me once I hit 16 and could drive.

Don't let me near babies. Please. I replace all my thoughts with, "Goo-goo, gah-ga."