Should I become a parent?

[Andres]

I want to have children. I really do. And so does my wife.

The first child hasn't even been "made", and I'm already loving it. I'm even going to start writing a diary about my feelings for this unknown, yet to be born child, to share it one day with him/her once he/she gets old enough to have children of his/her own.

But now that we have decided she (my wife) will stop using "the pill" (contraceptive), I'm beginning to feel unsure.

Is this normal?

I mean, thinking about it, I do realise having children means we'll have to sacrifice alot. Our private lives are rather busy and we aren't home alot in our spare time. But all of this will have to stop once the first little fellow has arrived. Most of the time (and I consider 'time' as very precious) will have to go to the child. Our relationship, friends and family will stay very important, but it will inevitably become less important = less time for that, not to mention the earthly pleasures like travelling, going to a restaurant, partying, consuming huge amounts of beer, sporting (yep, beer and sports in one sentence)...

And off course, I knew all of that before, but now that we have decided to stop the contraceptives, it becomes more and more reality, it is becoming something that is actually going to happen, no longer dreaming, making jokes about it, no, it is going to be real, a fact.

And the fact that this is scaring me, starts to make me feel doubts and I wonder, will I be a good parent? Aren't I too selfish for parenthood? I think you can call it fear for an unknown reality. Maybe lack of self-concidence. Will I be good enough for the task? Am I able to sacrifice what has to be sacrificied in order to be a good parent? And thus, I come back to my inital question, mainly adressed to my fellow Orgah's who are parents themselves: are these feelings normal?