Number 5, part 3 Baby Time!

Things were pretty good for the first couple years.  Our biggest arguments were about money, I wasn't used to someone telling me how I could or couldn't spend my money and it took some getting used to.  Then, about 8 or 9 months in we decided that we were going to start trying to have a baby.  It took a few months and a little discouragement but by the beginning of March we found out that she was pregnant and due in late October.

Those months were pretty good.  The one thing I had always dreamed of was having a family and being a dad.  I had a step-son, but that's not the same.  I was so excited about having my own child.  People would ask me what I wanted and my only answer was, "A healthy child."  And at the time I truly meant it.  But I can't tell you how glad I've been since then that God graced me with a boy.  Don't get me wrong, I would've loved a girl the same, but I think raising a boy is somewhat easier.  After all, instead of playing with dolls, I get to play with swords and guns and video games.  Definitely more my pace. :)

So as time goes on, the due date gets pushed back a bit and ends up being November 3rd.  Well by the end of October we were getting very impatient and scheduled an inducement on November 1st.  Up until then we did everything we could think of to make him come sooner.  Long walks on the beach, etc.  None of it worked.  So, Halloween night we check into the hospital (apparently inducement actually starts several hours before the birth) and by 9:24 am the next morning, we had a beautiful baby boy.

I was only able to take 3 1/2 days off work, two of those were spent in the hospital and one 1/2 at home.  Going back to work was very difficult, all I wanted to do was spend time with my wife and baby.  I remember taking pictures and video the first day or two and then like 15-20 days went by before I took out either camera again.  After that I took pictures like crazy.  That boy became the light of my life, and I felt an overflowing love and joy towards my wife in the first month or two after he was born.  I felt like my dreams had finally come true, I had everything I wanted...  or so I thought.