Family News Update

Haven’t blogged in a while – had been awfully busy rushing end of year stuff, as well as beginning of year stuff...

My wife announced that she was pregnant last month. The news was a relief as well as a source of stress for me. Relief because we have been trying for a while, and well, finally, here’s the good news, and stress because of the doubt that we will be able to cope with another child.

Unlike the first time, we did not tell anyone we were trying for another chills this time round. You see, we have learned our lesson. Tell someone that you are trying for a baby and you will get asked constantly: "So, how is it coming along?" After a while, you start getting extremely stressed trying to answer these questions... "Um, no, still zero." The nicer blokes will nod and smile sympathetically; while some others will make remarks like, "Hm’n, firing blanks?" which makes you want to give them a hard kick in the groin. Let’s see who will be firing blanks then.

So, if you are trying for kids, do not tell anyone - especially your parents. While your friends might be too polite to probe further, parents feel no such compulsion to restrain themselves, and will hound you incessantly, asking questions so embarrassing that they will make you wish you were an orphan: "So how many times are you doing it? / Are you doing it right? / Are you still wearing tight underwear? / Drink this – it’s supposed to increase your - / Maybe if you try different positions -".

And when finally your wife’s pregnancy test kit turns positive, it feels like a massive weight has fallen from your shoulders. Once again, you can hold your head up high. "Yes! I am virile! I’m not firing blanks! My little boys can swim!"

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And then, there’s the stress. You wander what you had been thinking. You can barely manage your own life; how in the world are you going to cope with - not one, but two kids?

You worry that one of these days, your boss is going to discover that you have no idea what is going on at work at all. You worry about paying off your mortgage. You worry about whether you are spending enough time with your kids. You worry about bringing your children up right, and being able to give them the best things in life. You worry about whether you are living your life right before God. And then, you remember that the bible says "Do not worry about tomorrow..." and you worry if you have been worrying too much.

But of course, the bible is right (as usual). We spend too much time worrying about tomorrow, and not enough time cherishing the present things in our lives. Right now, I should just stop thinking about how to cope tomorrow; instead, I will just celebrate the fact that: "Yes, I’m not firing blanks!"