I loved to drink too. I think I liked the taste, but that was really an excuse to drink for me. I loved the buzz, getting drunk.. I usually never hated it. Then I crossed an invisible line like it sounds you have, where I 'had' to drink to kill the shakes, and started drinking most every day. I thought I was having fun, while I was killing myself and my marriage.
It sounds like you have a laundry list of excuses to keep on drinking.. lots of people do.
I wish you the best in what you decide to do, but I know for this alcoholic, hitting bottoms, worrying about my husband leaving me or breaking promises to him, worry about my health, simply became more important to me than the taste of a cold beer on a warm summer day.
You're worried that if you stop drinking you'll inevitably fail or even worse, well that might happen if you choose. Or you can keep drinking and make sure it does.
You're afraid to break promises to your wife.. She has nothing to do with your recovery, don't make her promises. This is between you, and yourself. Not your wife, not the people who you think are your friends that will be happy to tie one one with "one last time" (there's a huge number of people that become critically ill and/or die that way, the one last 'hurrah' before quitting.. so be careful.. I agree with LifeIs on that one, it sounds like a horrible way to spend a birthday!!).
This is up to you. You aren't 'like a child', you just need help and support.
It doesn't seem you're done yet. Hopefully the things you fear wont happen soon, but they're all "yets" anyways, and will eventually.. sounds like you've been pretty close to hurting yourself, the dui, the relationship troubles.. when one or all three of those give, boy will you wish you would have prevented them from happening. Because you CAN now. Knowing the problem that alcohol is playing in your life, and willingly continuing to choose alcohol over your life is a real hallmark of how destructive this stuff is. Kills, ends marriages, jobs, lands folks in prison ..
For what it's worth, I enjoyed the sunset last night with my 4 month old and husband.. sans alcohol and it was one of the most beautiful moments yet.