Is it ok if I be a little jealous of you all.... We tried but lost two pregnancies early (and are well past the date now, as I'm 60 and my wife is 54).
I've heard both. Some say going from 1 to 2 is the hard one, others have said going from 2 to 3 is the hard one (but apparently once you have 3 there's no difference between 3 or being a Duggar). We're hopefully set on 2. We can hardly handle #2 by himself, #1 was/is so easy.
We had a very similar experience. Our first child slept the whole night through the second night home. All he did was eat, sleep and smile. We said what's all the fuss about babies? Piece of cake. Then we had Mookie. Didn't sleep for two or three years.
People without kids will think this statement is an exaggeration but you would be very wrong. I couldn't tell you what 6 hours of continuous sleep feels like anymore and that is going on 5 years (multiple kids).
The thing that's truly ducked up is that I wouldn't trade a second of it and would do it again in a heartbeat. I know that I'll be leaving my reputation in tatters here but since we're among freinds here I've thought more than once that I'd happily swap five years of my life for another hour sitting in the big rocker in the nursery reading some book to my babies. You guys with little ones damned well better cheri s h every last second of it. Life does not get more pure.
I'd be more than willing to create a couple little Crew fans. I just can't find a woman who's up to the task.
Now that I am back in Ohio most women I meet want kids. Maybe it's because I'm in Canton or 43 but there seems to be no shortage of family types.
I figured as much. I am not too concerned about cost, we can "afford" three kids. It is everything else that comes along with kids that is utterly taxing (even though in this thread, BA told all of us to cherish every moment of it). I am 30 years old. If I have time and I am able and we want another one down the road, perhaps we might have one more child. Though, most people expect a couple to be done when they get the golden combination of a boy and a girl. Yet, I feel too young to committing to the finality of making the choice to be done procreating. You sound like my parents, except they had four of us. I usually respond with "well, that was your choice/your life." That really sucks. Really. No words can explain my thoughts for the loss of a child, at any stage. Sounds like Canton.
That's the only reason we would have gone for three, to try for a girl. But then some other stuff came up, she was starting grad school and I was going to be doing a lot of traveling and particularly with no local family we just couldn't see how it would work. Probably OK. I know people who've had four even five trying for one gender or the other and still not getting it.
My husband and I made a lot of professional sacrifices to stay in the area with our families. I am not sure if we would have kids if we would have moved away.
Had one buddy who got a basketball team before they got the cheerleader (not trying to be sexist, BTW--it just sounds funnier that way).... Found out later that my wife and I are both strong CF carriers, so it may have been a blessing in disguise (though there apparently is no history of it in either family that we know of). And, as a result I had the chance to mentor a fine young man as a "Big Brother" (unofficially). He lost his dad at 4--and I met him while coaching U-9s. He's now a freshman at Findley. I wouldn't say I was a perfect role model or anything, but I could do one thing his mom could not do--be a guy. So I've learned not to doubt God's wisdom in this matter. Took a little bit though.
When #2 came along, everyone seemed to think I'd want a boy to complete the cycle or some such, but I was happy with either (and if you forced me to choose, I probably would have picked a second girl). I'm always surprised at the number of comments I/we get about getting our one boy and one girl and being done. For me, I always wanted 1-2 kids, their sex didn't matter. My wife always wanted 2-3. She's good at 2 most of the time, and if she gets that inkling for #3, all I have to do is wait an hour or so for #2 to dispel her of that notion.
In a lot of ways, I had wanted to give my son a brother. Truth be told, I was in disbelief for some weeks after our 20 week ultrasound that we were having a girl. I would not have been shocked that when I delivered, the baby was a boy. Males run heavily on both of our sides. I think in some ways my husband is content with one of each, but he probably would have been more gung-ho about trying eventually for a girl.
I'd like to formally introduce the newest and realist Crew fan, Connor Essman. He loves to fill his diaper full of Precourts. Coming soon to a supporters group near you!
I love how in the last pic you already have him ready for the reboot of Mascot Soccer, once oust Precourt and his totalitarian mascot hating regime.
He is so beautiful. I encourage you to partake in the time-honored tradition of foregoing nursery rhymes and instead singing Crew chants. I just rocked my girl to sleep with multiple renditions of “wise men say.” Markus always favored “Glory to Columbus, go let’s go Columbus.”
I would normally edit my last post, but unfortunately the time has lapsed for me to edit it. So I post this video to share with the posters in this thread. . Enjoy!
My daughter has one of them birds that you press a button and talk into it and it records what you say and plays it back to you in "chipmunk" voice. Then randomly it will say what you recorded as well as other phrases...also has a motion sensor...so nearly every morning when I turn on the light to her room to get her up for school the stupid bird launches into one of many Columbus Crew chants...it's cute.