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Conception to Contractions By Paul Wicker I never had the joy of tenderly asking the wife during (or after) a romantic evening “Do you want to make a baby?” I was more in the “Are you sure?” camp, but I did want children. I am actually “okay” with not being consulted on the planning aspect (not that I had any choice in the matter); I would have likely messed it up anyway. My kids are almost grown, and now that this phase of my life is almost over, I am EXCEEDINGLY glad that I had my kids early. I will be 46 when all my kids are out of the house. I have friends who are close to my age and having their first child. I admire them greatly; of course I do my admiring from behind a bit of a chuckle and a smirk because I know what is speeding towards their soon-to-be calcium deficient bones like a runaway freight train. There are pluses and minuses to any parenting age. Their kids will benefit from having parents who are more mature and who are not as able to catch them. More mature parents are ready to make the sacrifices that having kids demands. We all play to our strengths – mine is a total lack of any fear of embarrassment (as my kids learned). Just as I have been assured that I was there for the conceptions, I was there for the births - all three. My father waited in a cozy room while my mom produced my two siblings and me. I can remember very clearly cursing the move in social customs that changed this wonderful arrangement. My wife was induced for the first one (birth not conception). I had NO clue what to expect and I was attempting to stay out of the way and read a magazine when the nurse looked at me and shouted, “You better get your greens on if you want to see this baby born!” My heart nearly jumped out of my chest (one further benefit of being fairly young as I would have likely gone into fibrillation right there). I charged down to the Fathers’ dressing room to don my surgical garb. I made it in time to witness the blessed arrival (which I have to admit was pretty cool). Afterwards, they wheeled my expanded family down the hall to their room and I stumbled back to the dressing room. My clothes were scattered all over the room. My wallet and keys were on the bench. Pretty cold, I thought, to rip off a guy while his wife is in labor! Then I remembered that I had exploded upon entering the room. I had cast everything aside in a mad frenzy to get to the operating room. Kids have a way of doing that to you. You see things in a different perspective. It becomes much easier to cast aside the things you thought were so important. Good Luck! Paul Wicker As father of three, Paul Wicker has experienced parenting from all sides. He recently ended a twenty year career in the oil business to start freelance writing and now he is working from home. He has several other business interests that also keep him busy. Email Paul at pwicker@houston.rr.com Sign up to Mommy's Helper - Mom's Market Ezine for marketing tips, business resources, and much more. Receive Your F R E E Subscription Now! |