*It was about a girl, age 9ish-12ish, who was an only child.
*Her mom gets pregnant, which I don’t think the kid was thrilled about, but mom has a stillbirth or miscarriage.
*There’s a scene where mom comes home from the hospital after losing the baby and the girl is cuddling with her and there’s a rather detailed description of what the mom’s tummy feels like now that there’s no longer a baby in it.
*There’s also a scene where the girl’s aunt is babysitting her, I think while mom is in the hospital, and the aunt takes the girl to a bar for dinner where the aunt’s boyfriend’s band plays. The girl orders spaghetti and a chocolate shake. I remember this because it blew my mind at the time and sounded like the best dinner ever.
*I THINK there may have been another book to the story, wherein the mom winds up having another healthy baby.
*It was written in the 70s or 80s.
*I read it sometime in the late 80s.
*It was similar in style to a Beverly Cleary or Judy Blume, but I DON’T think it was written by either of them or by any of the other really well known children’s authors of that time.
*I am NOT thinking of the Anastasia Krupnik series.
That’s it. Any ideas? There’s no particular reason for me trying to remember, except that it pops into my head every once in a while and drives me bananas.
Norma Klein, Confessions of an Only Child.
The sequel is Tomboy.