Random thoughts

I recently had a conversation with a neighbor that led to our age when becoming parents. She is 31 with a 3 year old and a baby Stockton's age. She mentioned that some people have been critical of her for waiting until 27 to have her first baby. She then started telling me about her sisters and some of her friends that got married and started having kids right after high school and have left their husbands so they can experience a fun, single life that they never got to live. She was saying how happy she was that she waited because now everyday with her kids feels like Christmas.

I didnt say much in the conversation, but I knew that I agreed with her. It wasnt until thinking about it later that night that my random thoughts could correctly communicate what I was thinking. This is what I came up with: I am 27 with a young marriage and a new baby and I can honestly say that I dont feel like I am missing out on anything. Obviously there are times that I wish I could just go out to dinner and movies with my friends at the drop of a hat. And go shopping for new clothes without thinking twice. Or even go run errands without having to plan my day around feedings and nap schedules. But when I think about me and Troy as a couple and as parents I realize that we have both experienced alot that life has to offer, not as much as everyone, but more than most, at least in the culture that we live in. We have both experienced love and heartache on a mature level, we have both acheived financial independence that allowed us to experience living on our own and being solely responsible for ourselves, we have both dabbled in a life that all of us are curious about, but most of us are either too disiplined to try or too embarrassed to allow themselves to admit it. We have been able to travel and see parts of the world and country that has opened our eyes to how others live, we have been able to enjoy ample amounts of free time that we could selfishly enjoy however we wanted to, we have both been able to enjoy dating and being single, making good friends and being able to have many fun times with them; while at the same time also experiencing feelings of lonlieness and fear.

Through these experiences and life in general, we have learned the importance of family and a solid support structure, we have figured out who we were and what we wanted in a spouse and what values in life we wanted to live by. We have both ached so badly for the family that at times we never thought we would ever have. So now that we are here, we can both finally exhale and just enjoy it. There hasnt been a day since I have had Stockton that I have felt like I was missing out on life. Am I naive to believe that day will never come? Maybe. But for now, like my neighbor, I will enjoy waking up to Christmas morning everyday.