VANITY: Gonna burst... can't contain it anymore... must tell someone, ANYONE!

FreeRepublic | 4/12/2016 | Self

[20yearsofinternet]

So, my wife and I just celebrated our one year anniversary, and got each other the best present of all... we're having a baby!

She's only 4-6 weeks along at this point, so we haven't told anyone yet. We want to wait about 3 more weeks until the first real checkup. But I can't wait that long to tell someone... anyone who will listen/read!

We're going to the OB on 5/3 for a first appointment and to hear the heartbeat for the first time. I'm so excited to be a father. I'm happy we did everything we could to start our precious cargo's life off in a place of love and security. Got married, bought a home, settled in.

I feel so blessed and fortunate that we barely spent any time trying and (so far) have been successful. We gave it a shot in January and my wife was plotting everything on a calendar and using ovulation tests and to be honest, I think she was stressing herself out about it and that might have affected the success. Life got in the way of the meticulous tracking during February and she had given up on the record keeping, with plans to start again this month (LOL). We're lucky, I personally know people who have had to go multiple rounds of IVF to conceive, and I'm so very thankful that we didn't have to do anything like that.

For the past week I have been thinking non-stop about all the things I want to do, both around the house to get ready and after the baby is born and beyond, once it grows enough so that I can start teaching him or her about the world.

I'm relatively young around these parts (mid thirties), and I think my age and experience has kind of tempered any nervousness I might have had about becoming a dad. I'm of course hopeful and cautiously optimistic, but still a little nervous about the pregnancy going well, my wife being healthy and comfortable, and everything else involved with making it to the finish line happy and healthy. But as far as the baby actually getting here, I'm nothing but pure excitement. I'm ready for this.

I've always remained pragmatic about having children, just so that I didn't get myself all pumped up to be a father as my sole purpose in life only to find out I couldn't have kids, or my wife couldn't. I'm pretty good about managing my own expectations. But now that we know we can do it, I can't lie to myself, I'm basically giddy with enthusiasm.

So, it'll be a couple of weeks before we tell our families, but I had to get it out of my system.

Now, if you care to, give me some advice on fatherhood! LOL

[MomwithHope]

Congratulations! The only advice I can think of is an old adage - the family that prays together stays together. I hope faith is a part of your marriage and will extend to your children. That and be a good example for a son on what kind of man to be and to a daughter of the kind of man she should marry. Enjoy the ride!

[Thank You Rush]

“”The phrase “we’re pregnant” will never cross my lips. My WIFE is pregnant, “WE” are having a baby. You can pry my old-fashioned way of speaking from my cold, dead hands! :)””

Super! So glad to hear it. I was surprised to read your thread and how concerned you were that you wouldn’t become parents as soon as you would have liked. I was nearly 38 when I had my first one - as a matter of fact, my only one and had just given up that it would ever happen. Long, long before any artificial means of ever becoming pregnant was ever thought of.

My daughter was the same age when she had our grandson. I wish I’d had more and I certainly wish I had more than one grandchild but feel blessed for my daughter and my grandson. Grandparents on here will probably agree that our own kids were great but there’s just something really special about grandkids. Never knew what it meant until I became a grandmother.

Soooo - take it from an old granny - have a lot more than ONE!!!!

[DrewsMum]

I absolutely love this vanity and your excitement! Congrats!

[TXBlair]

Congratulations, Dad!!!

My advice? Try not to embarrass the kiddo too much when he or she is in jr. high or high school. All parents are uncool as far as teenagers are concerned, but if you are too hideously embarrassing, he or she may choose to avoid being seen with you, and therefore, will miss out on quality time. And then one day you’ll be gone and your adult child will live with the regret of being ashamed of you as a teenager. Your grown child will wish for just one moment of that time back to do over. So...whatever it takes, be a dad your kid will want to be around. I don’t mean to be the irresponsible dad who just wants to party with his kids; but to be the dad who plans cool family vacations, who takes his kid fishing and who teaches his son how to tie a necktie so he can impress a girl someday. Be the dad who knows stuff and teaches it to his kids. (My dad was an attorney and a history and geography buff; I was pretty sure, even as a kid, that he was smarter than most of my friends’ dads.) Be the dad who has earned the respect of his church, workplace and community; your child will figure out he/she has a dad to be proud of (even if ashamed to be seen with you, lol). Above all, be the dad who LOVES his wife and kid and who instills his values in that kid. This nation and world may be going down the toilet, but your little man or little lady is so fortunate to have a dad who is a conservative and a FReeper.

Congratulations again, and here’s to your soon-to-be FReeper 2.0!!