So far, So good

Remember when you're a teenager, and 30 seemed so old? Well, even when I was turning 26, 30 still seemed impossibly old, and it felt nearly impossible that it was so quickly approaching. In fact, I spent a portion of my 26th birthday in tears - so upset that I was closer to 30 than 20, and why why why did I have to get old?

For my 30th, I skipped town. I've always been a 'let's celebrate' kind of person, but I didn't see any cause for celebration. At least I was married, and had an amazing husband who allowed my eccentricities and took me on a wine tour in Texas hill country for the weekend. It was wonderful, and will be a hard birthday to top. I didn't suddenly sprout crow's feet and liver spots (though I was awarded a stretch mark - even though I was LOSING weight - literally the week after I turned 30), and my joints didn't start creaking. All my friends in their 40s promised me my 30s would be great, even better than my 20s. Yeah, right.

Well, 2008 is wrapping up, and I'm officially 31. Reflecting on the past year. Wow. It's been pretty amazing. I'm coming in to my own at my job. My management values my contributions, and has awarded me handsomely, with a promotion, a raise, and a sizable spot bonus for my role in an enterprise project. I love my husband more every day, and we celebrated our one year anniversary on the Riveria Maya at a beautiful resort - a vacation we paid for upfront, something I never could have done in my 20s. And, despite my pessimism that it would take us months and months to get pregnant, we were blessed quickly, and now we're just slightly more than four months away from cause for another celebration.

I'll admit, my 20s were a lot of fun. I loved being able to get up and go practically where ever I wanted, whenever I wanted. But all those people that made those experiences so great - well, they're still around. We're still celebrating together, we're just celebrating new and different, and in my opinion, a lot more profound things. The question 'Where can I take my baby to nurse?' may replace 'Where can I put these jello shots?' occasionally, but I'm starting to accept that that's OK. And besides, how great is it (at least temporarily) not to have to suck my stomach in for pictures?! :)