Oh...your baby is teething right now? Mine just graduated from high school...

I have two sons. I knew by the age of 27 that I was done having babies. I knew I did not want anymore. My husband agreed and took the steps to ensure that we did not have any more bundles of joy. Yes, he got snipped, as he says. He doesn’t like to talk about it. What a whiner. I ask him, did you see the size of littleA’s head when he was born? I am not joking; it was the size a grown man’s head! Don’t whine to me about a little snip in the nether regions. For real. Get over it. I have had stitches down “there” twice. It’s not as big of a deal as you think it is!

I had my first son when I was 17 years young. My second son arrived when I was 25 years old. At least I felt so much older by that time! Of course at 17, I was the only one of my friends that had a child. That’s not a surprise. My friends were all heading off to bars and parties and travelling. I was at home changing diapers and cleaning up baby spit up off….well, everything! I wasn’t then and am not now, looking for sympathy. It just was what it was and I was a Mom and I really wanted to be a good one. We choose our paths. That was my path.

Fast forward 7 years, baby # 2 comes along. A bit of a different situation, my parents were not as stressed out this time, a lot more congrats being thrown around compared to my first birth announcement! Still though, the only one of my friends with children. My friends, still going to bars and travelling. I am at home, changing diapers, cleaning spit up and also now working full time and trying to keep a 7 year old busy and happy. Again not looking for sympathy, just giving you some background! I had one friend who had a baby just after I had my second. Score, I now have a friend with a child!!!

A few more babies filtered in for a few of my friends since my youngest was born but my kids are much older than any of those children. For the most part though, my closest friends are now having babies. It’s exciting times! I love babies; I just don’t want any more of them personally! I am so happy for my girlfriends, I really am. I will babysit for them, spoil their kids and support them as much as humanly possible! Children are amazing gifts from God and we are so lucky to be blessed with them in our lives!

Now, my boys are 18 and 11. They need me less and less these days. I am finding I have a bit more free time on my hands. Time to go out with my girlfriends. Time to shop. Time to just spend time outside of my house, maybe even travel with friends! But…they are all at home, changing diapers and cleaning up baby spit up off…well, everything!

It’s funny. I had my babies early and a lot of people thought I was crazy. I remember saying over and over, “yeah but this way when my kids are older, I will still be young enough to enjoy life. To do all the things, I didn’t get to do when I was younger. It will all balance out.”

I was right, but I never thought of the fact that my friends would be at home with their new families at the same time that I would  finally able to get out and do some "non" kid related activities. Funny how that goes…