I love this thread. I've been busy and not able to follow many of the threads so I missed most of this as it happened. The initial post, with the "test", was something I had seen and laughed at before. Almost all of the subsequent posts touched some part of my experience.

Wes, you and your wife have keep your sense of humor no matter how tired, frustrated, and worn down you get. Our first daughter cried for her first six months of life. Our second came into this world with a quiet smile and stayed that way for the next 16 years (and counting).

I was not ready. I was not a great father at first. I learned but at a cost. I was similar to John Gray who upended a bowl of porridge on one child's head. I never struck my children but I am capable of a convincing yell and I often made use of "the voice".

It was during the final efforts of marriage counselling that I learned that my children were afraid of me. That devastated me for I had begun to learn how to do the job.

I have done my best to be a good father. I have worked to overcome my temper and my poor reactions. I fear what I may have done to my sweet children. But I know they love me and that helps me in those moments when I fear the result of my poor judgement.

And, to be fair to myself, I wasn't all bad. My children are wonderful young adults now and I trust them to make good decisions. They trust me, after a lot of their own work, to be understanding and fair.

Wes, it's too late for you to decide whether you are ready or not. You are in for a hell of a ride. Keep a tight rein on your negative emotions and let the positive flow free and you'll do fine. If I remember from earlier posts you are in your 40's. I trust you have thought through the implications of this grand adventure and are ready to fly. Enjoy the trip. It's one of the greatest there is.