It goes without saying that the beginning of a marriage is an exciting time. Leaving the wedding behind means time to relax and settle in as a married couple, and along with the new status come a lot of "firsts." There are the typical big firsts, such as first house and first baby, of course. But there are also a lot of fun little firsts to enjoy along the way as you get used to your new married life. Here are five to look forward to... and I'm sure there will be plenty more!
1. First time coming home to your husband. The first time I came home from work and found my husband at home with dinner on the table, my heart felt warm. The first time I came home from a solo trip to my parents' house several states away and found my husband waiting for me at the airport, my soul felt at home. I might have experienced these things before my husband and I were married, but there is something about these moments as a married person that highlight the permanence, stability, unity, and lifelong mutual care a marriage promises.
2. First time you see your new name in print. Facebook name-change and the scribbles in my notebooks aside, the first time I saw my new married name in print was a big moment. Admittedly, I took my driver's license home feeling as though I'd duped someone and adopted a covert identity, but ultimately, it really drove home the fact that I had joined a new family and was really one with my new husband. Each time I see something else in print - my nametag at work, a piece of mail, a credit card - it gets a little more real, but it still often gives me butterflies.
3. First reference as his wife. What a proud moment it was the first time I heard my husband say "my wife." Those words spoken from his mouth gave a beautiful validation to the vows we had just made. Every time he introduces me as his wife or refers to me as his wife to someone, it still feels new and exciting. Along the same lines, the first time I referred to him as my husband was memorable. I almost expected someone to call me out for my charade - but it was real, and it's still exciting to get used to.
4. First wedding as a married couple. There are so many amazing things about your first wedding as a married couple (aside from your own, of course) - sending in the RSVP card as "Mr. and Mrs.," dancing together in the Generations Dance (and getting out in the first round), and reminiscing about your own wedding. Of course, my favorite thing about my first wedding with my new husband was realizing I no longer had to go through all the planning and stress of my own wedding!
5. First double-married-couple-date. My husband and I went out on plenty of double-dates with our dating friends before we were married, but our first married-couple-double-date took on a whole new character. We were talking about future kids and houses instead of video games and weekend parties. The date was a nice dinner and walk through a cute town instead of pizza and drinks at a bar. The first married-couple-double-date was a wake-up-call that we were getting initiated into a different league than the young-and-single one we'd been used to... and even though I'm sure we have plenty more pizza and drinks left in us, it was exciting to know I was making the transition into married-couple-world with my husband.
As you enjoy your first year as newlyweds, don't take for granted the excitement. So many things that you do will be for the first time as a married couple - first grocery shopping trip, first vacation, first time you take care of your husband when he's sick. Each experience paints a clearer picture of the reality of what your marriage is all about - a lifelong process of melding two lives into one.
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"Mrs. Who?" How to Get Used to Your New Last Name