A football team of children

It started the other day.

We were watching a documentary about Human Reproduction and there was this family with 16 children and another one on the way.
'Mamma mia! That's a lot of kids!' I said.
'Yes,' He replied, 'but they're doing the right thing.'
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Yeah, He had said in the past that He wanted a lot of kids but I was thinking more like 3 or 4 at most, not 16! That's more than a football team (substitutes included). I'm sure He will come to His senses after His (or our?) first child is born and He realises what it really means to have 16 of them.

But it wasn't the quantity of kids that got me upset. It was the fact that He was acknowledging the fact the He wanted kids at all. Like I said, it's not the first time He mentioned it but I'm a bit hormonal at the moment and things have gotten a bit blown out of proportion. The problem was that I calculating in my head if 16 children would be feasible. The math went something like this:

- We're both 24, but I rounded up to 25 since our birthday's aren't far away.
- I'm quit my job to go back to studying earlier this year and I won't be finishing my Masters until September 2013. On the other hand, He is still unemployed but is hoping to join the army on a 1 year contract next year (more or less around the time I finish studying). So let's say it won't be until 2014 that we are financially stable enough to move in together. = 26 years old
- Knowing Him I would imagine that He would wait at least a year before asking me to marry Him after we'd moved in together = 27 years old
- It would take at least a year to plan and organise a wedding = 28 years old
- All couples need a honeymoon year without worrying about pregnancies or kids = 29 years old
- It could take 1 or 2 years in total between trying to conceive and pregnancy before the first kid is born = 30/31 years old!

Now, when I was born my parents were 36 and 39 years old, and I always remember going to friend's houses and seeing how many more things their younger parents could do. They were so much more full of energy and active whereas I was lucky if we went for a walk on weekends. Not only that, my parents tried to have other kids after me but mum only got pregnant again one more time but miscarried because by that time she was over 40. The same thing happened to my maternal grandparents who got married late in life because of the war and only had one child at 38 years old... For this reason I have always promised myself that I would have my first child before I hit 30, no matter what.

Then my calculations all hang on the presumption that before 2014 we will both be employed - really not an easy feat in the current economic climate. Especially not for Him as He doesn't have a degree (just His high school qualification), and only about 2 years experience if you add together all the temp jobs and internships - not enough to get a job when all the job adverts ask for at least 5 years experience in the sector specific to the job opening. He's been trying to find a job for a year and a half now and still hasn't found anything. He tried to sign up to the army in august but because of the quantity of requests they decided only to take the youngest applicants that time round but He's decided to reapply in January anyway.

I tried to hint this problem to my boyfriend (without putting any pressure on Him), but He just answered saying that life expectancies were much longer nowadays and that 40 was the new 30. That may well be true - but I don't think anyone has told women's biological clocks this yet.

Of course He may ask me to marry Him sooner and that would speed everything up significantly... We've been together 4 years now and for the last few months I've made no attempt to hide my impatience. We love each other and He knows if He asks me I'll say yes. So what's the hold up?