First Comes Love, Then Comes ...

In the South, you know how it goes:: go to college, meet a nice boy, get engaged, get married, then immediately people start asking, "When are y'all going to have a baby?" Well, the same has been true for us. We have been married for 2 and a half years and yes there has been talk of kids. In fact, I hope that is something that all couples at least discuss BEFORE marriage. I would hate to go into a marriage thinking the other partner wants kids only to find out the opposite. Anyway, to answer your questions, yes, we both want kids. How many? We have no idea. When? Who knows. By what means? Well, besides the obvious answer... Hopefully, two ways: Adoption (God-willing) and one or two of our own. I was hesitant to write this post because I don't want to excite the grandparents too much but it is only natural to start wondering when is the right time for kids. Many of our friends already have kids, some even have several kids. Some days I think I am more ready than others. On good days I think I am ready to do this, to be a mom. Other days I think heck no!

I ran across this email at work that I thought was too good not to share.
Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Sugguest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behaivor.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

This isn't even the whole email but I thought I'd save some for another time. Does this sound like anything I want to RUSH into? I think NOT. On the other hand, everyone I have talked to have said it was all worth it in the end, which I'm sure it is. I'm just not quite ready for it yet. But I have a feeling it'll be here sooner than I think.