This is my entry to The 31 Sentence Contest Round 5 by @tristancarax. It is a contest based creating a story with 31 sentences exactly, and each sentence has a set number of words allowed. For more information on joining the challenge see this post:
Family Life
I recall the period before the birth of our child, from the moment we first learned we were pregnant, and then through the “surprises” that being with child brings. Though I’m not a woman, I am a father and understand that pregnancy comes with changes to the expectant mother’s life as the new life she carries, develops.
As is the case with many pregnancies, our first one came with many odd and sometimes surprising desires, such as strange foods; foods she otherwise hated. When the changes to her body began she was happy that she was a mother as she caressed her “bump.”
With each new change it became more difficult to know how to act or what to say around her. Thankfully, I am blessed with the ability to accept change, especially when it’s not only predictable, but it also brings with it the understanding we must have.
It’s crucial that expectant fathers prepare themselves for these coming changes and surprises, enabling them to remain calm when “storms” arise.
You must keep reminding yourself that most changes will disappear, though some will remain. Those that remain, however, will be those changes that will only serve to improve your relationship with your partner, the mother of your child. Believe me she will love you for supporting her.
Then we decided we’d have another child.
We did plan for it, just as we had the first child but with some new tweaks added. It was important to take into consideration that the new baby would have an older sister, and therefore we had more things we needed to consider before child two was born. We had decided on three kids in six years’ time.
One thing we didn’t do was to consider the interactions of growing siblings. Failure accepted. My wife and I both had been the only child in our families growing up, so a lack of understanding on our part concerning sibling rivalries was to be expected. Indeed.
One choice we’d made had become a small issue for awhile. We’d decided that my wife would be a “stay at home mom” as we’d both agreed it would be best for the children. This turned into a small issue later on, and unfortunately wasn’t consumed as new knowledge.
Instead, there was tension at home; tension between the kids; tension for mom having to hear all their selfish and petty complaints. My wife became jealous of me going to work at my job. When the third and final child arrived, we felt we were back at step one at times.
I’m at fault. I was so blinded by the fact that the kids would gush and welcome me home. It happened every single day. I’d enjoyed playing the part of returning hero so much I lost sight of my wife’s struggles with another child now added to the equation.
But thankfully, like I wrote earlier, it’s fine. We have love for each other. We’re doing it right.
Family Life © free-reign 2019
