I may be a lot of things, but someone who can keep their mouth shut is not one of them. This blog is a testament to the fact that I am completely under-skilled in respecting the sanctity of privacy in my personal life. For years now I’ve blogged the smallest and largest moments of my life with little attention paid to any sort of filter. Largely, that’s just who I am.
However, in recent months, and much to the contrary of years past, I’ve found it harder and harder to share much personal. I hadn’t given much thought as to why, and assumed it was just because I’m busy. But I now wonder if it might have something to do with what I’m about to write.
Maggie’s pregnant and I’m going to be a dad!
Let me just repeat that… Maggie’s pregnant and I’m going to be a dad!
And with that, let me fill in a bit of back story. A few months ago now Maggie and I decided that we would start down the road to having our first child and beginning our family. We started talking to friends about their experiences and reading books on conception — I had thought it was a lot less complicated than it is. For instance, I was surprised to learn that there’s only about 40 days a year the average woman can get pregnant — or only about a 10% chance per month — being 16 and drunk seems to up the odds.
Anyway, with slightly more baby-makin’ education than my middle school’s “insert tab A into slot B” instructions, we set to it (snicker snicker). After no joy the first month of “trying” (a euphemism that I plan to continue using long after we’ve stopped trying to get knocked up), at the end of August Maggie’s pee delivered the best message urine has ever given me. She was pregnant.
As you can see from the picture to the right, the second line wasn’t reassuringly strong. The box indicated that while no second line didn’t necessarily mean “not pregnant”, even a faint second line meant “baby”. To confirm things, we headed down to the hospital and re-did the urine test and also got a blood test. She was definitely pregnant.
We had already told most of our family and friends that we were trying, and so were bursting a bit to let them all know the good news, despite us both knowing full well the percentage of pregnancies that miscarry. The miscarriage rate was really the biggest reason I didn’t want to announce it too early here.
At seven weeks we headed back down to the hospital for our first ultrasound. Most literature says that an ultrasound should be able to distinguish a heartbeat in the embryo between 6 and 6.5 weeks. There was no heartbeat. Like a cold slap our hopes dropped a few notches and we began to assume the worse.
The doctor told us that it was still early, and that we should come back in a week or two and check again. That led us into our recent trip up to Dalian, and then this past week’s National Holiday. Though impatient to know one way or the other whether everything was alright, we assumed a bit of extra time could only make the results more definite.
And so this morning, at 10 weeks into the pregnancy, we returned to the hospital and had our second ultrasound, which showed a perfectly healthy peanut-shaped smudge complete with heartbeat. A good thing too, as I’m not sure what Maggie would have done had she been suffering through rather harsh all-day “morning” sickness these last few weeks for nothing.
Now it’s real. Despite having planned this, and known about it for more than a month, today it’s really begun to stick. Maggie’s pregnant, and I’m going to be a dad. I feel like I’ve been holding my breath since we began this journey, and while tomorrow I’ll start holding it again, today… well… today I just simply can’t hold my breath, the smile on my face just won’t let me.
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Wow, congratulations! I have a feeling this isn’t the last we hear of this whole “baby” thing…
Congratulations! Also, “the best message urine has ever given me,” is a great line
Congratulations
I saw the headline and thought you might have been cooking, took me a while to get the “baozi in the steamer” reference.
恭喜恭喜
Congratulations to you both.
Congrats guys!
Congratulations to both of you! You’re gonna have a little tiger…
Congrats to both of you!!
That is simply awesome.
Let me add my congratulations to everyone else’s. I’m very happy for you both! 加油！
Congrats. Very happy for you.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by filination and Steven. Steven said: you've bought a steamer? Oh, wait…
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Congratulations! Great news.
Congratulations! Fatherhood will make every other apparently intense experience of your life resemble unwrapping a stick of chewing gum. Best thing ever.
Congratulations!
Congrats to you and Maggie!!
Congrats. Just in case you wonder, kids do become human after 18 years. You just have to be patient, and remind yourself this fact about two years into this venture.
Big news, Congratulations.
Congrats!
Congrats Ryan!!!!
Sly Dog
Better get used to the sound of silence right now, even make a recording of it, because when Bub arrives….
Nothing prouder than a new Dad
I’ll let Yukelet know your good news.
Cheers to both of you !
Z.
Congratulations! I can’t wait until Little Humanaught starts blogging.
Thanks everyone for all the comments, it means a lot to both of us.
@Fred — while it’s still too early for names, I’ve put forth The Humantot… I don’t think Maggie’s going to bite though.
Congrats to you both!!! That is great news!
congrats!!!!
Congratulations!
Congrats…
Just another Blog Entry LOL<
Congratulations!
Wonderful news! I’ll be looking forward to more baby related blogging in the future! Congrats.
Congratulations to you two!
Hey gratz Ryan. I know the feeling. My wife is pregnant with our first child too, completely understand the feeling when the fact finally hits ya.
Its gonna be big! Cherrish it!
Peter
Great news! You can soon start writing a “sprog blog”
Once again congrats Ryan for the good news!!
I was wondering though, how does Maggie feel about having her private life being told to the whole world?
Thanks again everyone, it’s much appreciated.
@Someone: Haha, I think she’s pretty used to it by now. I’ve had this blog longer than I’ve known her. She knows it’s just part of who I am. That said, I’m a bit more mindful of privacy these days than I was in years past.
Congratulations to you and Maggie! Wishing you all the best.
As a Canadian, you may appreciate my favorite euphemism for trying:
“That’s right (insert name of couple here) has pulled the goalie!)
Awesome! Having a child in China is truly an adventure!
Wow, I’m 34 comments down, but still, congratulations guys. As I’m sure you’ve heard and will hear plenty of times, it changes absolutely everything, but it’s also totally worth it.
Congratulations! I am glad you decided to do this in Suzhou. We can all continue to support, love and tease you through this experience.
How about Raggie?
Awesome stuff man. Congrats to you both!
Congrats! Wish you all the best!
Congratulations, Ryan. We’re having a baby, too! Haha. Looks like 2010 is going to be a great year.
Our little Emily will be steamed in February
I’m way behind on this, but huge congrats from the other side of the world. The big question is: When does Baby Humanaught get a blog?
OMG. You’re pregnant!!!
Hey Ry,
Congrats to both you and maggie.. hopefully I can meet you child next time Im down..
Cheers,
RD
Health, happiness and prosperity to Maggie, you and the humantot!
omfg grtz!
[cue porn music]
And so began Ryan’s detailed account of baby Humantot’s conception…
@Richard
LOL!! I wonder if they have it on film
Ryan, I really don’t know how I missed this before, but warm congratulations to you and Maggie from down under. Wonderful news!