Well, it is now 2008. Happy New Year to my two readers!
I had stopped writing in this blog for two reasons. First, I felt I didn’t have anything meaningful to write in my blog. Better said, I just didn’t feel like writing, so I did not. Second, LIFE got in the way of my blog. I am very happy to announce that my wife and I are expecting our first child! We are 10 weeks pregnant. This means that we are 1/4 of the way through the process because pregancy is only 40 weeks (btw-my wife would kill me for saying “only” 40 weeks).
The soon to be new baby has really changed my life in so many ways for the better. I can’t really explain it in words, but I have a new appreciation for life, and a new sense of wonder at the miracle of life. I have returned to church (in my own way), or should I say returned to thinking about God and spirituality, in order to thank God for all of the blessings that God has bestowed upon me, and to pray that my baby grows healthy and that there are no complications at birth.
I have been reading different books and doing lots of research to prepare for the new baby. It has eaten up tons of time and I am getting to the point of information overload. We have been thinking about and discussing tons of baby names. We still haven’t found a boy’s name that we both agree on. Any suggestions? Its still way to early to find out the sex of the baby using the ultrasound. However, my wife is convinced the baby is a girl. My mother and sister in-law are both convinced its a boy because of the shape of my wife’s growing belly. I truly have no idea or clue but I think its very cool how everyone keeps guessing.
I truly have no preference for a boy or a girl. I would be extremely happy with either. At this point, I am just praying that the baby is healthy. We are both older. I am now 37 and my wife is 34. We are both Latinos with advanced degrees and waited to get married to have children. Yes, we don’t fit in to the Latino/Mexican stereotype. We have numerous friends who also waited until a bit older in life to have children and several had miscarriages or other complications. That is why I pray to God and La Virgen de Guadalupe. Shoot, at this point, I will pray to Buddha, Siddharta and whoever Aztec gods. Plus, I should have lots of credit stored up from 12 years of Catholic school.
I also have been seriously thinking about what I want to teach my child. All of the things that I would like to pass down, and all of the things that I don’t want to pass down. Thinking of these things has been much harder than I first imagined. Of course, thinking about these issues will inveitably cause serious introspection about my own childhood and all my own childhood issues. I have stayed very positive for the most part because in the “grand scheme of things”, I had a very decent childhood. One this is certain though, I don’t want my child to experience poverty. Once I received my advanced degree and started working in my field I have never, ever worried about paying a bill or having enough money for groceries or health insurance. That type of financial stability is the best feeling in the world and sure beats hearing “no hay dinero” or “no te vayas a enfermar porque no tenemos aseguranza y tu papa no tiene dinero para el doctor”. I’m not saying that I want my child to be wealthy or spoiled, but just to have a certain level of financial stability and security. Something above the bare necessities of food and shelter. After all, that is the reason that my parents came to this wonderful country: para triumfar!
My Compadre (who is still childless) suggested that I teach the new baby all the crazy dichos our parents used to throw at us like “El que no trabaja, NO COME!!!” or “Dios apreta per no ahorca”. So, I am working on compiling that list too.
2008 will be a year of big and positive changes for us. I know that time will factor into my blog/internet time, especially once the baby is born. The baby’s due date is July 2008. I am also thinking of starting a separate “pregnancy/new baby” blog to document this life changing event for us. So excuse me if I don’t post that much anymore in this blog. Its just that life is happening and I want to experience every single moment of it.
