Last Christmas, I received the best gift ever—the news that I was going to become an aunt. In September, I rushed to the hospital the day of the birth of my new nephew Nathan, and I couldn't be happier. The baby fever was strong, at first. But after hearing of all the struggles that come along with having a child of your own, I compiled a list of all the great aspects of having a nephew instead of taking on motherhood myself.

1. You miss the pregnancy.

As a female, the process of being pregnant for nine months sounds absolutely brutal. Instead, preparing for the baby by hosting a baby shower and obsessing over cute gifts for the baby sounds much more enjoyable.

2. You don't have to endure the birth.

Again, as a female, giving birth to a child sounds absolutely horrifying and a type of pain I don't think any woman is ready to endure. Having a nephew requires no pain on my end, but I'm entirely grateful for my sister-in-law's strength and courage in embracing motherhood.

3. You don't have to carry the financial burden of a child.

I love walking through Target and seeing all of the little shoes, toys, and clothes that I could imagine my nephew using. I can choose to spend my money on those items instead of having to spend my money on diapers, diaper cream, baby food, and the many, many other items required when having a child. Between the doctors visits during pregnancy, and everything they need until you send them off to college, kids cost thousands and thousands of dollars. I would much rather buy the fun stuff instead.

4. You're able to sleep through the night.

I've heard nightmare stories of the sleepless nights my brother and sister-in-law have endured trying to get the baby to go back to sleep. By having a nephew, I'm not the one obligated to wake up with him every night, and comfort him back to sleep.

5. You have a whole new form of entertainment, but only when you want it.

If I'm ever having a bad day, I'll just watch videos of my nephew laughing or smiling, and I'll instantly have a smile on my face. No matter what's going on in my life, if I hear his laugh, everything seems instantly better. However, I miss all the unwanted things related to motherhood - relieving the cry, changing diapers, feeding, but I get to experience all of the fun.

6. You can go out on the weekend without having to find a babysitter first.

One of the biggest adjustments to a person's life after having a child, I think, is always being responsible for them. As an aunt, you're not obligated to find a babysitter every time you want to go out on the weekends or go to dinner with a friend, but you're able to babysit whenever you want to just for fun.

7. You can be the fun aunt.

I have the ability to be the cool aunt. I don't have to worry about discipling him, but I can partake in all of the fun activities whenever I want. I'll be the one that he'll come to if he ever wants to run away from home, and I'll be the one who he'll come to with the troubling problems he doesn't want to bring to his parents.

Becoming an aunt gave me more happiness than I ever thought possible, and it's only been three months. I can't imagine how much joy the little bundle of sunshine will give to me throughout the rest of my life, but I'm excited to find out.