A plea

Dear Margaret Anne,
You are six months old now. I realize you are an individual and very different than your brothers and sister. You have your entire life to wear different clothes and have your own opinions about books and sports and clothes and flowers, but please do me a favor and not develop any illnesses that are totally unique to me.

You have been sick now for two weeks with things Andy never had and it is totally throwing me for a loop. This business of coughing so much is makes you throw up? Please stop that. And now this nonsense where you have a high fever for three days in a row, making me totally worry that you're going to overheat? I don't like that either. Please limit your illnesses only to things I have experience. That means you can have colds, ear infections, sinus infections and diaper rashes. Please leave the rest of Dr. Spock's medicine dictionary out of this house. I promise in return you can have more ice cream and television when the time is right.

I appreciate your kind attention to this matter.

Love, Your Mother