The Joys of Pregnancy

Having an expectant wife is different, to say the least. It does take some getting used to. So, this is for all you men out there planning to have kids someday.

• For one, her appetite is increased. We read somewhere that she needs to be eating an extra 300 calories daily to sustain the baby's growth. Which is all ok. Except if you have a husband with little self control; and so if the wife is eating more, he ends up eating more. Which explains the paradox I suppose- she's the pregnant one but I'm the one gaining all the weight.
• The hormones are raging too. And although I'm an endocrinologist and trained for 12 years and did my fellowship at the number 1 endocrinology program in the country, I have no clue what's going with the hormones. All I know is that it makes for extreme emotional outbursts. I saw her crying the other night, and I asked her why. "That was a beautiful story on Delilah (soppy evening radioshow)". She watches TV, she cries. She hears Christmas songs, she cries. It's pretty comical, actually, and she laughs at herself along with me.
• Obviously there are the physical changes too. I tell my wife she is more beautiful than ever. And I mean it; there is something about the glow, the euphoric cheery mood, smile of a pregnant woman. And truth be told, the little bump on the tummy only makes it more endearing. And it's a pretty surreal feeling, knowing that it is your unborn child, slowly growing. But guys, even if you don't share my sentiments, if your wife asks "Am I still pretty?" there can only be ONE answer. Trust me.
• This one I'm having a lot of fun with. Maybe it's the fatigue that sets in. Or maybe it's the relative cerebral ischemia from the circulatory diversion, who knows? But we've both noted that she's a lot more absent minded. Forgetting things. Like that dinner appointment she had with a friend (she leapt out of bed at 2 am that night, only then having remembered that she stood her friend up). I think this will come in handy on those nights I come home at 2 am: "Honey, remember I told you twice that I was going to the pub with the buddies? You even told me to get a couple of strippers to give me a lap dance!"
• I'd like to say pregnant women are more hamsap. But my wife would kill me. So I'm not going to say it.
• Her senses are heightened too. "Honey, stop chewing so loudly. Do you smell that? Can you not put belacan into your fried rice? Why are you breathing so loudly? Don't you think it's cold in here? Now it's too hot!". Remember that show, the Bionic Man aka the Six Million Dollar Man? Well, if you want to spend less that six million dollars to get a bionic woman, just get your wife pregnant!
• The pregnancy seems to also confer women superpowers. Like the look she gives me when I say something wrong- has the power to fill me with fear and make my legs shake. And the increased muscle strength. Which explains the bruises on my face and the broken humerus.

Ah, the bliss. Yup, we're going into our 17th week. We'll find out the sex of Shim (yes, that's what we're calling the little char-siu pau for now) in a couple of weeks. We're excited, for sure, but in a few weird ways this is almost happening too fast; I think we're both enjoying the phase of pregnancy and the closeness it's brought (or maybe we know how crazy life will become when Shim gets here!).