Dear reader, when you get pregnant (if you are a man, you better know what I am talking about!), I hope you will be happy and ready and it won't come as a surprise to you. There are two lines that are the most important two lines in the world at least for the half hour that it takes to get the kit from the chemist, do the deed, hold the breath, close the eyes, and bingo! open em up!
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| The Life (Changing) Line |
Life can change in infinite proportions if that second line appears on that little test kit. It is quite amusing how different people may react to this second line in the picture to the right, depending on how much they want or not want to see that line turn up. This second line doesn't show up at first, but emerges slowly just as in real life, situations don't show up in their full glory in the beginning and then, they take shape humbling you down, teaching a lot and well, maturing you up just a little bit more.
Once you know it, you are restless. You already feel like a parent. You don't realize between you and your baby, there are scores of folic acid bottles and prenatal vitamin packs, and months and months of morning sickness, tense OB visits and what not. You assume you are a parent already, you start crossing the street more carefully and your mind races at the speed of light. However, the most important part here is probably the speed of sound, or to be more precise, the sound of Chinese whisper.
In our case, one part of us wanted to keep it to ourselves for the first trimester but the excitement wouldn't let us sleep and we decided to share it with our parents. ONLY with our parents. So, we waited for the sun to rise in India, and we revealed to our parents. We thought they would jump out of joy and there would be tears all around, but our parents knew better. My and my wife's parents have given birth to six children and they know all about the folic acids, morning sicknesses and the tense OB visits. So, they asked to take a chill pill and eat well, and most important, NOT TELL ANYONE! Except of course, our siblings! They definitely need to know. After all, it is going to be a great addition to their lives too. So, well, another couple of late night calls to Bangalore, Delhi and Ahmadabad!
...and then, we decided to be good kids (just as we would want our kids to be!) and vowed FINALLY to not tell anyone. Two days later, we were beginning to believe that we should be fair to our close friends and since we have always shared our downs, we should share our ups. It just won't be fair to not let them know. Well, another couple of calls to Purdue, New York, and various places in the Bay area. Soon, we begin gathering information on a whole army of babies being made in all these different places.
Then, of course, the chemist at CVS had to be told, and of course, in restaurants, you need the chef's advice but not one person more from now on!
So, tight lipped and straight-spined, as I walked from my department to the swimming pool (because I need to be a healthy father), I bump into a classmate. A few niceties over, I end up asking the dreaded question - So, what are you doing for your summer internship? She said, "I am doing nothing as my internship is already fixed. I am having a baby in May and nursing her throughout the summer." Could I be heartless and not tell her? No. I did tell her. I hugged her, and she hugged me back.
... But I Swear NOT ONE PERSON MORE....!
Once you know it, you are restless. You already feel like a parent. You don't realize between you and your baby, there are scores of folic acid bottles and prenatal vitamin packs, and months and months of morning sickness, tense OB visits and what not. You assume you are a parent already, you start crossing the street more carefully and your mind races at the speed of light. However, the most important part here is probably the speed of sound, or to be more precise, the sound of Chinese whisper.
In our case, one part of us wanted to keep it to ourselves for the first trimester but the excitement wouldn't let us sleep and we decided to share it with our parents. ONLY with our parents. So, we waited for the sun to rise in India, and we revealed to our parents. We thought they would jump out of joy and there would be tears all around, but our parents knew better. My and my wife's parents have given birth to six children and they know all about the folic acids, morning sicknesses and the tense OB visits. So, they asked to take a chill pill and eat well, and most important, NOT TELL ANYONE! Except of course, our siblings! They definitely need to know. After all, it is going to be a great addition to their lives too. So, well, another couple of late night calls to Bangalore, Delhi and Ahmadabad!
...and then, we decided to be good kids (just as we would want our kids to be!) and vowed FINALLY to not tell anyone. Two days later, we were beginning to believe that we should be fair to our close friends and since we have always shared our downs, we should share our ups. It just won't be fair to not let them know. Well, another couple of calls to Purdue, New York, and various places in the Bay area. Soon, we begin gathering information on a whole army of babies being made in all these different places.
Then, of course, the chemist at CVS had to be told, and of course, in restaurants, you need the chef's advice but not one person more from now on!
So, tight lipped and straight-spined, as I walked from my department to the swimming pool (because I need to be a healthy father), I bump into a classmate. A few niceties over, I end up asking the dreaded question - So, what are you doing for your summer internship? She said, "I am doing nothing as my internship is already fixed. I am having a baby in May and nursing her throughout the summer." Could I be heartless and not tell her? No. I did tell her. I hugged her, and she hugged me back.
... But I Swear NOT ONE PERSON MORE....!
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