Who will 28 be?

As I'm closing in on my 28th birthday, I can't help but look back on how much has changed in the past year. Above all, the thing that has changed the most is me.

Less than four months ago I was a carefree, newlywed, twenty something who drank lots of wine (not while pregnant, obviously), loved to shop, had plenty of time for friends and social events, and even more spare time to actually give away through volunteering. I spoiled my husband, cleaned my house, played with my dogs, visited friends, held dinner parties, got haircuts and pedicures on the regular, and actually shaved my legs more than once a week (even if I was going to wear pants!).

26 and Completely Free

 I took all of that freedom completely for granted, and wasted the last little bit of time that I would ever be able to call my own. 

I begged God for change. I was tired of living so frivolously. I wanted more. I decided that what my husband and I needed was a baby! We were ready to be parents. Little did I know, that as of January 3rd 2014, we would get that positive pregnancy test and our dream was only a short time away from being a reality.

My husband and I lived it up in 2013. 26 was a great year.We went camping in the mountains, white water rafting, took beach vacations, and went snow skiing. It's like we knew that 2014 would be different. And oh boy, was it different. At 27, reality slapped me in the face, even before the baby's arrival. We went on zero vacations in 2014. Instead, we saved every penny, rearranged the house, bought baby furniture, cancelled plans with friends because I didn't want to be the pregnant party pooper. I had to limit everything I loved, from coffee and wine to staying up late. It felt like everything had a limit. There was a limit to how much of "this" or "that" I could eat, there was a limit to how much money I could spend, there was a limit to how much weight I should gain, how much exercising I could do. I had never felt so limited. 27, although we were blessed with an amazingly easy pregnancy and the most beautiful boy in the world, was a tough year of a lot of change.

And here we are now. It's 2015, I'm a mom, and I'm about to turn 28.

What will this year bring?

I know that I will get a limited amount of sleep, I will have a limited amount of money available to spend on "me", there will be limited social engagements, and limited alone time. The limits that I hadn't known at 26, and showed up at 27, will still be a part of 28.

But, even with all of those limits still in place for this year, 28 and mommyhood will introduce lots of limitless joys that I've never known before. I will get more kissses, laughs, and cuddles than I could have ever imagined. I will get to watch the love of my life grow as a father, nurturer, and husband. I will witness my sweet boy's first giggles, first words, and first steps. I will connect with other moms who will become new friends. And I'm positive that my heart will grow even more than it has in these last few short months. I will learn to give more, and take less; to listen more and talk less; and to put someone else's needs before my own. 28 may just be my best year yet.

It's so hard to say goodbye to the person you've known yourself to be for so long. Becoming a mommy means saying goodbye to your own body, your own time, extra money, and so much more. But, it also means saying hello to a whole new world that just may be even better than all of that other stuff. My goal for 28 (on top of being the best mommy in the world) is to learn to truly love this new me. Change isn't always bad, even if it's hard.

Cheers to 28!