Well, that was easy...
Ok, ok, ok, enough of being glib. I am excited about being a dad! I am thrilled about expanding this rapidly growing family of ours. First, there is the two of us and Samantha. Of course there is Hobie Cat. Then, two weeks ago, we brought Poly the Puppy into the house. And now, in 8 months we'll have a baby. Wow.
Yes, its true - I looked at Lisa and told her that she was pregnant. I just knew.
My former policeman-crass-cynical side says that all you need to have children is a pack of cigarettes, a six pack of Miller, eat a bag of Cheetos and live in a trailer. That combination (from my Trooper days) seemed to be the perfect recipe for fertility. Since we don't smoke, drink bad beer, or eat too much junk food, I guess I dispelled that urban legend. We don't live in a trailer either.
So there's that, and the thought that there should be a license required to have children. I know - crass. Looking at the news its hard to argue with me. Parents doing awful things to their kids, not the worst of which is simply pretending they don't exist.
Parenting is hard, tough, and for many years, a thankless job. It requires patience and emotional fortitude. It makes demands from you all the way until the end of the day - and then some more. If you are not willing to live young - it will age you. You can't escape it because you signed on for all of that when you decided to have children.
I remember that one of the reasons I fell in love with Lisa was that I knew I wanted to be a father again. Not just a dad, but a dad to her child, our child, a child we'd raise together. Parents. It was an overpowering feeling. As 40 slowly approaches, many of my friends have had their kids and they approach those middle years. I look at 40 as a great opportunity to be young at heart and crawl on the floor, make silly voices, laugh at poop, play peek-a-boo, go for a run in the jogger. At this point in life you have to be more than a little sure of what you are getting into, even though you can be sure of nothing in parenting.
I could not imagine doing any of this without Lisa. It's because of Lisa. I am lucky. I am happy. I am so, so excited! I am looking forward to this adventure with her by my side.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
A Father's Intuition
OK. . .so why is it that Rich knew I was pregnant before I did? I thought a mother's intuition was supposed to kick in? Not the case for me. I guess it is going to take a few months for it to develop. But regardless, let me share with you the details of the story.
One morning last week, Rich looked at me and said, "Honey, I think you are pregnant." My response was denial. No, we could not be. We only started trying. How could the stars align so easily? Particularly with all the stories I hear about couples trying for years before they successfully conceive? Could it be? So with some doubt, I stopped off at the drug store on the way home from work that same day to get a pregnancy test.
Of course, leave it to me to choose a truly chaotic time to want to know the answer. Just as I closed the door to the bathroom, my mother calls on the phone in order to get directions to our house. She was coming to visit for the weekend and see our house for the first time. What was I thinking? The first time that I see my mother in six months and I am in the middle of a pregnancy test? Not only that, but it was our weekend with Samantha. And why not throw in a new puppy to boot. Oh jeeze! So as Rich is giving my mother second by second instructions and as Samantha is outside in the back yard trying to get the puppy to do as she says, I first see the results of the test. "Wow! If I am reading this correctly, Rich is right. Holy cow, I am pregnant!" I thought to myself. "Could this be right? Am I reading the plus and minus lines right? Is that really a plus? Ugh. I should have gotten the test that reads pregnant or not pregnant. Then there would be no doubt. But there is no time for this now. I've got to say hi to my mom!"
With all of the chaos going on, Rich and I had very little time to absorb the news. We were happy and excited, but it all seemed very surreal. I am gonna be a mom and Rich knew before me? How does he do that?
On Sunday night we let my mom in on the secret. "Mom, we have been a little distracted this weekend and we are sorry, but we think we might be pregnant."
Now that the rest of the week has gone by and my first doctors appointment is tomorrow, Rich and I have taken the time to take all of this in. And yes, I did go out on Monday to the drug store to get a new pregnancy test. I asked Rich if we could have a "do over" and actually take the test when we could have a moment to ourselves and celebrate as husband and wife; father and mother. No more plus or minuses. I went straight for the easy read test. And three minutes later, there it was: "pregnant". We are going to be parents and I am married to a very smart man.
All is good.
One morning last week, Rich looked at me and said, "Honey, I think you are pregnant." My response was denial. No, we could not be. We only started trying. How could the stars align so easily? Particularly with all the stories I hear about couples trying for years before they successfully conceive? Could it be? So with some doubt, I stopped off at the drug store on the way home from work that same day to get a pregnancy test.
Of course, leave it to me to choose a truly chaotic time to want to know the answer. Just as I closed the door to the bathroom, my mother calls on the phone in order to get directions to our house. She was coming to visit for the weekend and see our house for the first time. What was I thinking? The first time that I see my mother in six months and I am in the middle of a pregnancy test? Not only that, but it was our weekend with Samantha. And why not throw in a new puppy to boot. Oh jeeze! So as Rich is giving my mother second by second instructions and as Samantha is outside in the back yard trying to get the puppy to do as she says, I first see the results of the test. "Wow! If I am reading this correctly, Rich is right. Holy cow, I am pregnant!" I thought to myself. "Could this be right? Am I reading the plus and minus lines right? Is that really a plus? Ugh. I should have gotten the test that reads pregnant or not pregnant. Then there would be no doubt. But there is no time for this now. I've got to say hi to my mom!"
With all of the chaos going on, Rich and I had very little time to absorb the news. We were happy and excited, but it all seemed very surreal. I am gonna be a mom and Rich knew before me? How does he do that?
On Sunday night we let my mom in on the secret. "Mom, we have been a little distracted this weekend and we are sorry, but we think we might be pregnant."
Now that the rest of the week has gone by and my first doctors appointment is tomorrow, Rich and I have taken the time to take all of this in. And yes, I did go out on Monday to the drug store to get a new pregnancy test. I asked Rich if we could have a "do over" and actually take the test when we could have a moment to ourselves and celebrate as husband and wife; father and mother. No more plus or minuses. I went straight for the easy read test. And three minutes later, there it was: "pregnant". We are going to be parents and I am married to a very smart man.
All is good.
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