In 1996, one event changed my life forever. At that time I had been married for eight years, and would soon celebrate my 37th birthday. My wife and I were both career-minded people, and really didn't give much thought to having children. Truth be told, I never wanted kids. I would hear irritable toddlers screaming in grocery stores and restaurants. They were quite annoying. What used to drive me nuts was when a parent wouldn't immediately respond to his or her child when they were addressed, and hence what would result were kids shouting, "Mom!" or "Dad!" over and over and over. I wanted no part of that.

My wife is a fairly devout Catholic, and the church only recognizes two forms of birth control: abstinence and the rhythm method. I never liked condoms, and compared their level of satisfaction with trying to pick your nose while wearing gloves. The pill was out of the question as well due to my wife's rather rare heart condition. I cringed at the thought of a vasectomy. I was not religious and am still not to this day, but I respected my wife's upbringing; so the rhythm method was our chosen option to avoid pregnancy.

Well, it didn't work. My wife was fairly regular with her monthly cycles of menstruation, and suddenly she was missing her periods. I went to the drug store and bought one of those home pregnancy test kits. Sure enough, within a few minutes, the distorted blur turned into a plus sign. A subsequent appointment with the doctor confirmed it. At the age of 35, she was going to become a first-time mother. At that time, I was still Pro-Choice when concerned with the issue of abortion, but I dared not discuss this with my Catholic wife. I was going to be a father in my late 30's whether I wanted to or not.

As the term of pregnancy progressed, it was time for an Ultrasound. I was in the exam room and saw the fetus on the display screen. This is what changed my mind. It was quite small; about 65 millimeters in length, but there was a definitive heartbeat with steady rhythm. The medical staff knew the gender, but we opted to be surprised at the time of birth. Upon seeing this primitive yet living being inside my wife's womb, it was then when I realized what the Pro-Lifers had been saying. I was mesmerized, and couldn't take my eyes off the monitor. This tiny, two-and-a half inch fetus was my child! My literal flesh and blood that I helped to create.

After the appointment was over, I immediately had feelings of remorse for my previous beliefs

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