After debating whether and when to have kids for what seems like FOREVER, we've finally taken the plunge and decided to go for it. I started this blog as a way to chronicle the journey of our attempt to become parents (without all of the gory details - I promise). I also hope to chronicle my first trimester here (whenever that may be), so I can allow my friends and family to look back and see what we were going through during that time. We don't intend to tell anyone about a future pregnancy until we're 12 weeks into it or so, but I'd like to give everyone a bit of a window into those first several weeks of pregnancy. If they're interested, of course.
For this post, I wanted to answer one important question: Why now? Why, after debating for years on the decision to have a baby, did we finally decide to do it?
The answer is that it's not going to become easier as time goes on. All else being equal, it's better for a woman to have a baby young. I'm turning 29 in a few weeks, and, while I think that's plenty young enough to have a baby, I can't wait much longer and feel comfortable that I'll be able to have the kids as spaced out as I'd like. We'd definitely want two kids, and we've talked about having a third. If we wait much longer, the timing of the third kid would be dictated by my age rather than when we're actually ready for it. My husband's 31, and, if we have a 3rd kid in 5 years, he'd be 35 or 36. While I think that age would be okay, I doubt he wants to have kids much older than that (although I also doubt he's thought about it as much as I have).
Also, my career is just going to get more demanding. As I move up in the company, I'm likely going to be working longer hours and taking more demanding trips. Waiting will just make things more complicated with my career. It's easier to have kids when you're lower in the organization, I think, rather than waiting until you're a director. Plus, if we ever want to live internationally, I want to do it before we have kids or after we're done having them all. The worst situation would be to move to a new country with one kid. I'd know that we'd want a second, but my options would be limited by the fact that I really don't want to have a baby internationally. Since it's apparent that I'm not going internationally in the immediate future, we might as well just try for a kid now.
Finally, there really isn't any reason for us to wait anymore. I have a good job, and I'm making enough money to support the two of us plus a little one (My husband just recently recovered from a back injury, so he hasn't been working for several years. He's going to be a SAHD anyway, most likely - unless he wants to go back to work, which is fine with me). My husband also has MAJOR baby fever. I don't really feel the traditional "baby fever," but I'm sure it'll start once we get into this more.
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