Thirty-one things I took for granted before I had kids

(in no particular order except numbers one through three; I really did take sleep for granted the most)

1. Uninterrupted sleep
2. Sleeping in
3. Sleep in general
4. Wearing grown up clothes on a regular basis rather than special occasions
5. Rarely discussing bowel movements
6. Going out at night
7. Intimacy
8. The fullness of my hair
9. Adult conversation
10. Shopping (grocery or otherwise) at a leisurely pace, alone or with girlfriends
11. Eyes without bags
12. Going to the bathroom alone
13. Reading fiction
14. Taking a shower or bath alone
15. Going out to eat
16. A stretch-mark free stomach
17. Going out for coffee
18. Feeling energized
19. Going out to the movies
20. Being carefree
21. Driving a sporty car
22. Wearing attractive undergarments
23. Going to the doctor once a year
24. Working with other grown ups
25. Vacations in exotic locations
26. Alone time
27. Discretionary spending
28. My measurements
29. Uncluttered living space
30. Small loads of laundry
31. Being quiet

Of course you all know the punchline to this. If given the chance to go back in time, I would relish more sleep and many of the other items on this list.


But I would give them up all over again, in an instant.