We are having a baby!
Jo Grams (my wife) is 20 weeks into the project and doing fabulously.
We have declared our space a no horror story zone.
How is it that everybody has a story about 'the things that go wrong' that they feel compelled to share?
Our friends have been good about not giving advice, or more precisely not trying to tell us that they know best!
But its weird that all of a sudden the world is full of opinions.
For this moment we have decided to have just one child. But we are coming under the scorn of some for not yet planning the second. Hell, we want to know if we can cope with the first before we consider the next. Yet here we are having to justify taking one step at a time.
Can you imagine the outcry! I recognise the developmental and social expertise gained by having children in the company of other children. But what I struggle with is the need to make that decision now. Our child will not grow up in isolation. That is the important thing.
Everything will change ..... This I believe to be true. It is part of the Chaos theory. How it will change will be determined by a million different things. About 989,000 of those things will be out of our control. So we will embrace the changes and move with them.
Is it just us, or is this a normal force of human nature?
How do you filter out the great information from the opinions?
Congratulations! That is wonderful news. Yes, everything will change - you will change! And the wonderful thing is, your instincts will kick in, you will know intuitively what your baby needs, you will be able to read the different cries and expressions.
Parenthood has been one of the most challenging and most rewarding and most life-changing journeys in my life.
Trust your instincts, don't let anyone get between you and your baby. You will be fine.
The unknown is always a bit terrifying, but take the approach you described in your post to just embrace change and the fact that a big chunk of your life will be out of your control, and you will be fine.
Again, congratulations as you embark on this wonderful journey!