We All Have to Grow Up Sometime {Guest Post}

Emily from This is the First Day of My Life is my first guest blogger this week. Yesterday I wrote that she is a super mom of 3 kids. A 17 month old and almost 4 month twins. She writes about a topic that inevitably strikes all of us. Different times for different people, but we all have to grow up sometime…

Read, leave Emily some love in the form of comments for being brave enough to be my first guest poster, and then go check out her blog. She has an ADORABLE video of Hudson up right now, along with some great photos. You won’t be sorry you checked it out.

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Being an adult comes with a lot of memories. And most of those memories have to do with childhood. Because my childhood? Lasted till I was 24 & found out I was pregnant! Ok- not really- but up until I was responsible for someone else’s life, I never felt like an adult. I was all about having fun. Sure- we bought our house and had bills and all that stuff- but the difference is: when my husband left for work in the morning, I was basically free until he came home. I got up. Took as long of a shower as I wanted. Dried my hair. Got dressed. Had time to prepare a healthy egg white breakfast and sit. And eat. And not rush. And go spend up to 3 hours at the gym.

Most times after I was ready I would either go run errands, which were partially errands and partially shopping for shit we didn’t need. A few days a week I’d head to my uncle’s shop and do some typing for him- but my schedule was never all that set-in-stone. I basically went when I could. When I wanted to take a trip? I just booked plane tickets. Granted, I did a lot of stuff without my husband. I bet if you asked him when HE became an adult he would say when he started supporting me! I was able to go on a few trips to NYC and Chicago. We were able to have friends over every night of the week and stay up smoking and drinking and generally having a great time. Looking back- that time was pretty great. We had responsibilities like car payments and bills- but we still rented so we were basically saving a ton every month. When friends asked us to do something there was never a problem. Parties? We were there when we wanted to be.

But once I became pregnant with Hudson- that all changed. I sold my yellow sports car. Because it was the adult thing to do. I stayed home and saved money. It was the adult thing to do. I barfed my brains out and laid by the pool and got tan. I saw my friends but it was getting less frequently. Which, I was sad about but obviously knew it was part of the deal. I would soon have my own family to take care of.

Hudson was born January 2009. And the first time I ever felt like a real honest-to-goodness adult is when I held him for the very first time. All the changes that I had been going through to get to that point melted away. I suddenly didn’t care that I had to sell my most prized possession. I didn’t care that my body could possibly be in ruins. I didn’t care that I wasn’t going to the fun nights out my friends still got to enjoy. I looked at this kid & knew it was all worth it.

And that was a springboard for where I am now. Sometimes? I have to make choices about what to buy on a given week. And the childhood Emily would probably be able to justify everything I needed and wanted as well as everything all the kids needed -and what I wanted them to have. But now? I actually think about it. Does Sawyer really need ANOTHER outfit? Not unless I can find the size to fit NEXT summer. Does Truman need this? NO! Because Hudson has still in style and still in great shape clothing that they can share. Plus? I can buy nicer things for the boys knowing that TWO get to wear it. Not that making those decisions is any great feat. It’s just what you do without a second thought when you are responsible for other people. When you have to put a roof over their head. When you need to save so they have a future. When you have to put food on the table and prefer it is the healthiest tastiest food you can get your hands on. Basically- you and your needs become second class.

I suppose the part that makes me an adult is there is nothing I’d rather do.