The not so newbie

Hi, my name is Adam Rust, and I’m new to Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine. However, I’m not new to the experience of pregnancy and newborns. In fact, my wife and I currently have four children, ages 7 years, 5 years, and twins that are almost 2 years. Also, we have baby No. 5 under construction (due August 2014). So, you might say that I’m fairly experienced with pregnancy and newborns.
For the record, I love it! I love it all. I love making babies with my wife. I love the wonder of creating new life. I love the moment of discovery when I learn that we are expecting. I love the anticipation that builds.
I love fetching ice cubes for my wife as she battles morning sickness. I love taking the older kids out of the house for an evening so she can get her rest. I love watching the baby bump grow. I love feeling the kicks. I love the first ultrasound. I love making a birth plan. I love my wife’s vericose veins. I love finding new and creative positions in order to keep our sex life vibrant during pregnancy. I love thinking of names. I love rubbing her back between contractions.
I especially love the moment when the baby emerges and I am unable to breathe for several seconds. I love holding a new baby for the first time. I love cutting the cord. I love watching her feed our new little miracle. I love snuggling with my wife while a brand new human being sleeps peacefully on my chest. I love changing diapers. I really do NOT love those miniscule buttons they put on baby clothes. Those were not designed with dad fingers in mind. I love all the transitions that happen in a family as it adds a member (or two, in some cases). I love the excitement that comes with each new developmental milestone. I love being tired because I know that my sleepless night was caused by something of infinite value. I love raising children. I love fatherhood.
But it was not always this way. I spent the first 2/3 of my life avoiding children. I did not like them. During our pre-marital counseling, I told my soon-to-be wife and our counselor that I hoped never to have kids. I viewed them as an unpleasant and unwelcome obstacle to my life’s ambitions. So, imagine my surprise and and dismay when my wife told me she was pregnant during our fourth year of marriage.
Here we are 7 years and 4 (almost 5) kids later and my perspective couldn’t be more different. I did the pendulum swing from a child-hater to a child-lover. I went from thinking of pregnancy as a mysterious disease to one of the most sacred miracles known to mankind. I went from thinking of fatherhood as a curse to fatherhood as blessing. A lot has changed for me over the past several years, and I look forward to sharing more of my story with you as it continues to unfold. I am honored to contribute to the discussion here and I hope it is encouraging and helpful to you.