I like to think I study parenting. Not with books or articles or words and such””the back-and-forth flicking of the eyeballs thingy interferes too much with my naturally vacant stare.

No, I study parenting through experience and observation, and  from hearing war stories of wrangling the little mini humans into full-sized ones. I’m interested in it all, even the very beginning. Before the beginning. No, I don’t mean porn, I mean the decision to start trying for a kid.

For some eager couples, it’s very difficult to conceive, though. Sadly, Life can be unfair even when it’s trying to “find a way.” The unfairness is magnified by the sense that the act of getting pregnant seems like it ought to be the easiest, most pleasurable thing in the world to do.

My wife and I have had some big bumps on our procreative road, so I’ve experienced a bit, and we have friends who didn’t just struggle with infertility, they went World War Baby on it. I’ve seen the tightly-managed frustration and disappointment turn out to be merely the opening act for a vast emotional music festival of anger, inadequacy, sadness, envy, shame and guilt at being jealous or turned off by others’ speedy stork deliveries.

The “moment you find out” is pretty spectacular (whatever the reaction), but like holding your breath, the sweet gasps one finally takes after a chest-achingly long time seem to have both the ecstatic joy of finding out as well as the sweet relief of the long-endured struggle of trying to.

Here are some amazing reaction videos of couples who held their breath for a long time to become parents…
 

After 5 Years of Trying

He thought they were shooting a video for a contest submission to win a trip to Aruba. She surprised him with something much much better than Aruba.

After 2.5 Years of Trying

These two were trying for 2.5 years before she could surprise him. They recorded their families’ reactions, too. They’re all priceless, but the soon-to-be-grandmother’s reaction is hysterical (at 2:15).

After 2 Years of Trying

Watch dad fall apart, and then the rest of the family lose it as the latest addition to the family is announced.

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Don’t hold your breath. Follow us on Facebook.

And now for something completely different…
Seriously different. Hopefully entertaining.