Why we want to have kids

I get baby fever often, as mentioned before. I do desire to be a parent and I'm obsessed with parenthood and I know that it directly affects who your child will be. Most of the time when I say, "I want to have a baby." Cory's response is always, "We can't have a baby right now." His most recent response was, "I want to have a baby too." Whoa. That one caught be off guard. Of course we're both in agreement that a baby is still a few years away for us, but we talk about it often. So I finally asked Cory why he wanted to have a baby. He asked me to go first. I'm a child development major with a minor in family studies. My study areas believe there is a theory for why people chose to have children, and that the reasons why can be placed within 5 categories. The theory claims that people want to have children:

1. Because they feel it is the next step in life for them
2. Because they want to (to carry on family name, humanity, etc.)
3. For their own reason, wanting to be a mother/father despite the world and circumstances around them
4. To take on a challenge / fulfill a destiny
5. To fulfill the thought of creating a life with significant other

I'm not saying these are set-in-stone reasons or that there aren't options outside of these choices. However, when I was asked the questions that is what came to mind, because it's what I've been taught. So it is what I based my answer on. I told him that I wanted to have children for a mixture of these reasons. Mainly reasons 1 and 5. I do feel that there will come a point in my life where it does feel like the next thing we should do as a couple is expand our family. And the thought of creating a life with him is so special to me. To know that we can bring a little being into this world and it be so much apart of each of us yet have it's own identity is just an awesome thought for me. A little being to love, to share, and to raise. Those are just brief for me though, I could probably talk about why I want to have children all day long. Not to mention my obsession with the parent aspect of it. I know how to raise a child. I know what they need physically, socially, emotionally, etc. I feel that by having a baby I can fulfill these needs and I think it will shape me into being a much, much better individual. Not to mention the miraculous and beautiful reality within a pregnancy. I often say, "I'm in love with the idea of being pregnant, but not the idea of having a child." ...yet. Pregnancy is absolutely amazing to me. Just having your little baby in there. Amazing. I'll probably be the crazy lady who is in her first trimester talking to and rubbing my stomach all the time, with no baby-bump. Anyway... So I turned to Cory and told him it was his turn. The answer he gave couldn't have been more perfect or more precious. Sometimes he totally surprises me. He said that he mainly agreed with what I had said and with reasons 1 and 5, but also 6. "What's 6?" I asked. He said 6 was that he had already mentally created an identity for our child which he already loved and that fulfilling that identity was something he couldn't wait to share with me. Awww! Isn't that so precious? How many men would say something like that unprompted? I could be wrong, maybe men say those types of things all the time and mine just doesn't...so when he does it's always super sweet. Haha. Either way, I thought it was a pretty awesome thing for him to have clearly thought about and say. Side notes:

• Found Aiko a boyfriend! 2 1/2 pound male up near Ste. Genevieve, AKC registered and champion bloodline!!
• Aiko and her boyfriend...uh...'hooked-up' three different times! So imma sure hopin for some puppies! If so she'll be pregnant for 10 weeks and should start showing by week 4-5. She'll be due sometime around February 16th.
• February 16 is unfortunately also my nieces birthday. Hopefully puppies come early...or late.
• I am starting a blog for Aiko -- sad, I know. But Christmas break is here and I'll need an additional activity to prevent boredom!