Thanks again to everyone for their replies to my post, and especially to the new repliers, since I haven't thanked them yet.

I'm really heartened to hear so many great stories, particularly since so many of you have had so many difficult issues to deal with. It's especially great to hear how much children have enriched all of your lives. I know there will be a lot of work involved, but I think I'm ready for it. Heck, I could use a distraction from my grad school work, as one tends to obsess over one's research at this stage.

The environment thing sounds so key. To be honest, thinking about it is making me quite bitter about the toxic environment my parents raised me in. If I could help raise and little version of my wife and I and stop the "family issues" from being passed along...man, that would be something.