Steve,
I’m often amazed that I have kids AND that I’m a parenting columnist. Stranger things have happened, I suppose.
I never had a strong desire for kids until I hit my mid-30s, then suddenly, I thought one might be fun. So I married my boyfriend and, surprisingly, got preggers almost right away (I initially was convinced I had stomach cancer when the nonstop nausea hit like a week after we pulled the goalie).
The weird part for me was I wasn’t sure I really wanted to be a parent, but the moment that baby was born, I turned into a different being. I know it’s mostly hormonal, but damn, I loved that baby with a fierceness that I never imagined I had in me. Still do. And to add to the cliches here, parenting is the harder thing ever, but it also rocks. Regularly. I think I’d be bored and self-absorbed without my kids to keep me entertained and selfless (not that you risk boredom and self-absorption. I’m just talking about me).
That said, babies are really, really hard. And I’m really glad mine are more self-sufficient these days. And I don’t think I want anymore.
