First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage.
That’s why I was ready to have a baby right after I said I do.
My husband, on the other hand, was slightly baby-phobic, and it wasn’t just the messy diapers that scared him off.
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Inspired by Melanie (Big Mama) and her book Sparkly Green Earrings, I decided to record my own journey to motherhood. This is Part two in the series, so if you would like to start at the beginning with me, please follow the link below.
Part 1
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Long ago, in the years of braces and 80′s helmet hair, I decided to have all my children before I was thirty years old. The actually number of offspring was negligible, but the thirty year cut-off age was inflexible.
I am not sure if I thought my womb would automatically put up a no-vacancy sign while I was blowing out the candles on my cake or if all my eggs would fry over-hard, but I knew if there were to be children, they must come early.
My biological clock wasn’t only ticking, but it was keeping time and an alarm would sound at the strike of midnight February 12, 2005.
It made sense to begin the enjoyable work of baby-making within our first year of marriage.
My better half was not convinced. In fact, he may have broke out in cold sweats at the thought of 3 A.M. feedings and minivans, but everywhere we went, children seemed to find us.
It was as if we lived in a world without birth control.
Every time we went out to dinner, it was family night, even long after the early-bird special was digested. Children even found us on school nights when they should have been tucked snugly into their crayon colored beds.
We worked in the church nursery…well, I worked in the nursery while my husband kept me company. We taught junior church and helped during vacation Bible school. Kids were everywhere and it didn’t look as though they were going to grow-up anytime soon.
I made googly eyes at babies and bonded with toddlers.
I thought, now is the time of fertilization.
My husband’s little fishes swam against the tide of my hormones. Babies were a subject best left for future discussion, so I stopped dreaming of pink and blue bibs. I had plenty of time until my clock chimed thirty.
With eight years to spare, my uterus could enjoy a bit of a holiday.
No babies. Not for a while.
Tricia – this is a great series! And I’m so glad to have “met’ you – it’s funny, I had my first baby at … 38!! It was so strange to see my chart going back and forth with the big words “Advanced Maternal Age” on it. Evie has hit the nail on the head, yes, it keeps you young and good and tired to have kids when you’re a bit older. I wouldn’t change it for anything
Thanks for sharing your journey with us at Wednesday Wanderings!
Paula
Great post Tricia! I was opposite of you in that I got married when I was just about to turn 21 and we practically vowed at the alter that we weren’t having kids for ten years!!! It turned out that I unexpectedly got pregnant at 26, but miscarried. After that, all I wanted was to be pregnant and have kids! Ended up with 2 more miscarriages in the same year. Then after tests and surgery to fix a congenital anomaly with my uterus, we had our oldest daughter when I was 27. Our middle daughter came when I was 29. And our youngest daughter came when I was 32! Our girls are now 8, 6, & 3 and because of complications with pregnancy, my tubes are tied and we’re done with biologically having kids. But the door is still open for possible adoption…and there’s an 8-yr-old special needs orphan in Lithuania that has stolen my heart recently! I’ve committed to being her prayer warrior and guardian angel to raise funds for her adoption. God is moving on her behalf…!
Rachel, I sent you an email, but I wanted to state here that 30 is NOT old, not by the furthest stretch of my imagination. Back then, I was young, too young to know that your 30′s are a fabulous time to have children. You have plenty of time. I promise….still time for 5 kids even.
I’ve had that thought as well…but I just got married 10 months ago, and I’m already 28! I’ve even been TOLD by people that there’s NO REASON I should ever try to have kids in my 30′s. Ugh. I used to say I wanted 5 kids…and all by the time I was 30. Ha! Our first MIGHT get here before I’m 30, but we’re definitely not stopping at just that one!
(Unless God has other plans of course…)
Don’t listen to the negativity! I had my first child at 35 and my third child at 41. All three are wonderful and healthy! It keeps you young… and just a wee bit tired!
Thanks Evie! I’m not as worried about it as I used to be
Can’t wait til God chooses to bless us with our first though!