Why

Over the weekend I was thinking about some of the questions I've seen perusing adoption applications. The biggie is always "why do you want children?" I spent some time trying to think about how I would answer that. I mean does anyone really know how to answer that? It's difficult to articulate into words why we want children. I can't pinpoint an exact reason but I think this kind of explains it.

We've been married for six and a half years (seven this coming February). We've been 'together' for nine years. During this time we're moved into three different houses, bought cars and washing machines, adopted cats, traveled across several time zones, fought, loved, weathered the storms of health and emotional issues, taken more road trips than I can recall, picked up hobbies, lost and gained friends and watched an insurmountable amount of television. We have loved every minute of it. But we're ready for the next step, the next adventure - having children. I have been really happy and fulfilled with my life for several years, it was no easy task getting to that point but I did. Now that I've reached that level of personal happiness I'm ready for parenthood. I want to change diapers, I want to be awaken at three in the morning, I want to have a chubby, sticky hand reach for mine. I know my husband will be an amazing father. Everyday, even on the days he leaves his shoes lying around for me to trip over, I marvel at how lucky I am to have this kind of partner. 

I am under no illusion that having kids is somehow easy, I know it isn't. I know it isn't rainbows and sunshine and unicorns. Based on what I have seen and heard, parenting is hard and messy and financial and emotionally draining. I still want it.