Sunday, January 31, 2010

Heather’s Pregnant

I think the appropriate term would be knocked up. Heather doesn’t want me to call it “unplanned” or “accidental” so we’re saying it’s a “surprise.” She thinks the other terms make the baby seem unwanted, which is certainly not the case. In her defense, it’s hard to call something like this an accident if you have a working knowledge of biology, yet take no precautions to prevent the typical results of your actions. I still think “surprise” understates the situation a little. We have three kids. I love my kids in a way that I never thought I could love anyone. But still - that’s a lot of kids. It’s precisely two more kids than I agreed to when Heather talked me into the idea after getting me liquored up on margaritas at a Mexican restaurant.

We then spent almost three years and the cost of a Porsche 911 on fertility treatments trying to have said kid, which turned out to be three kids. In a perfect world, I guess a surprise like this would have happened shortly after my consenting to impregnate Heather - before all the doctors, all the drugs, and all the treatments. But trying to get pregnant for three years made us both stronger. That ordeal helped prepare us for Heather’s difficult high-order-multiple pregnancy, which in turn was preparation for having three infants in the NICU. In the end, having three babies at home was, and still is, no big deal given what we went through to conceive them and to get them home safely. And if everything didn’t happen the way it did, we wouldn’t have Piper, Henry and Rosemary. Moreover, I might perform my parenting with the enthusiasm of a guy who agreed to have a kid because it was a slightly better option than getting a poodle.

I guess all of that is to say that everything happens for a reason. So there’s a reason for this. I just hope that we didn’t use our lifetime’s supply of good luck on the kids we have now, and that this fall I will have the pleasure of sitting in our living room with our new little baby, being thankful for life’s surprises with a bag of frozen vegetables on my boy parts - recovering from my vasectomy.

18 comments:

  1. Hey! Just found this blog - it looks great. But man, I feel for you. I'm another triplet dad brave enough to blog (let me know how that procedure goes, eh?) Will catch up on your doings!
    Dan

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  2. awww, congrats on your surprise! :D

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  3. Poodles are so overrated. Babies are so much cuter!

    I am so happy for you both. I can't wait. August is a great month to be born. Someone close to me was born in August (haha!).

    Congratulations!

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  4. oh...and congratulations!!!

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  5. So excited for you guys!! This is the best kind of surprise!

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  6. first, love this post and love your blog.

    really, dude, you have triplets. you're not fooling anyone by acting like you planned to have another. we aint stupid er nuthin.

    oh, and also?? how about not bringing up my personal life on your blog-- it's a little embarrassing for you to go around telling everybody about my husband and the whole poodle incident. especially since that settlement landed him with twins.

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  7. congrats! While I say that, please pray that my pregnancy test comes back negative this week :P

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  8. Congrats on the new lee to add to the pod!

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  9. Thanks for the congratulations, y'all.

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  10. Oh my...that is definitely a good surprise! Congratulations!! Just think how easy it will be to just have ONE newborn this time around... and you will have three little helpers, too. : )

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  11. WOW!! Congrats to you guys! So exciting. :-)

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  12. Way to go you big old STUD MUFFIN.

    So before you go jump off a cliff, I got the OMFREAKINGGOD surprise baby too and I'm here to tell you that you will LOVE having the singleton experience. Having one, healthy full term baby after the dreaded NICU experience and three babies is so healing.

    Congratulations!!! Now go get that Snip Snip before we have to change your name to Jim Bob.

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  13. Congrats to you guys..I was just waiting to see your approach to the announcement. No fooling around here!

    I think you are very blessed to be able to also have the pregnancy and birth route that a lot of people have...I have a friend with triplets and she said there were a lot of things she felt she missed.

    And, of course, you'll have to let us know which frozen vegetables work best...you know when the time comes for other daddies out there.

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  14. Congratulations, Gary!! Oh, and I wouldn't talk about vasectomies on here. You may offend crazy circumcision guy and get another 4 page scathing comment.

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  15. Congrats!!! I stumbled upon your blog this week and can't wait to show my hubby. We live in Florida and are 15 weeks pregnant with triplets after IVF. My hubby is hoping to convince someone to just take it ALL out of me with the babies so he doesn't have to think about the frozen veggies!! HA. Anyway - congrats again and GO GATORS!

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  16. Congratulations to you and your husband, Ann.

    Go Gators.

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  17. Congratulations from a total stranger!

    Trust me, a surprise like this is good. Three kids fighting forever is Not Fun. With four, you can pair 'em off better.

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