The sonogram revealed a cigar-smoking handsome male that looks strikingly like me.I've been thinking a lot about my life after Elliot is born in December.
Plenty of people live full happy lives without children, but if I were to go through the rest of my days without having raised a child, I will have missed an essential part of the life experience. (I speak for no one but myself on this).
I'm 35, and I will likely keep living longer than I have already lived. If we had decided not to have a child, what would lie ahead for 35+ more years? More drinking, traveling and hanging out with friends like we did in our 20s? Then, when the friends all have children, we're stuck with only drinking, traveling and surrounding ourselves with more and more material things until the day we die? Don't get me wrong, I love Katie so much that I start to miss her when she comes home even a little bit late, but I could not see myself at age 45 feeling I'm living a full life merely on career and traveling with just the two of us.
Thank god I'm gonna have a little dude to eat weird food with, teach to sail, light shit on fire, catch and cut up bloody fish, skateboard, teach guitar to, look for fossilized shark teeth, teach to drive a stick shift, and do 800 other things I would not have done otherwise. It's like life will begin anew in four months.
NOTE: I don't wanna hear from parents warning me of all the sleep loss and shitty diapers. What, do you think I can't handle being around other people's feces and losing sleep? Have you not noticed that for seven years I've been going on 4-day sailing trips with no fewer than four other dudes?? I am ready.
So glad to hear things are continuing to progress well. This post may be the one thing that every convinces me to have kids. Thanks for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. By the way, do you realize how much sleep you'll lose and the dirty diapers you'll be dealing with?
ReplyDeleteThat's another great post.
ReplyDeleteThat cigar might give Katie wicked heartburn.
When he smiles at you for the first time...magic!
ReplyDeleteI've been visiting your blog off and on for a couple of years. I don't know how I stumbled across it; but here I am.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Having a baby boy is likely to bring you more joy than you can imagine. I have one myself.
Ah man, the sleepless nights suck, don't think you're prepared. Poopie diapers aren't that big of a deal though; I've never met a parent that really minded changing them. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather Heidi change them but still, not a big deal.
ReplyDeleteThe first day they take the tiller or outsmart you or hit a baseball or win a race or laugh at your joke....wow, that makes the sleepless nights worth it.