We miss lazy Sunday mornings with Sunday papers, coffee, morning sex, long shower, crosswords, wonder for an afternoon wine, easy dinner and just ourselves to get ready for the working week ahead.
On a larger scale, travelling with just two adults, if it goes tits up and it's two adults with credit cards that's a bit of a pain but you are both in it together and can improvise. Not so with children! So the off-plan travelling was out, it just costs more to have more secure hotels, travel options and gold plated insurance!
But on the whole we haven't really felt our children were making us sacrificing anything at all. I mean they are fucking expensive! And it's increasing again now we are looking at driving lessons, university, teenage clothes, shoes and activity choices.
The positives far outweigh the negatives for us. We had two, two years apart, they are both boys, their relationship is so lovely to have watched develop. They are thick as thieves, love each other more than they love anyone else, they bicker, play fight, banter, accommodate, support each other and are each other's biggest cheerleaders. It's comforting knowing they have each other (and long many that continue).
What we gained, once they were old enough, board games for 4, excuses to watch Pixar movies, chasing bubbles round the garden (who doesn't love a bubble), enjoying their reactions when you guide them into sorting out their own ever so important to them (yet in the grand scheme of things trivial to everyone else) problems.
So there isn't really that much time to worry about what you wish you were doing or sacrificing (apart from adult only Sundays).
Whilst you are recovering OP, read all your to-read pile books, watch any adult only films and tv shows, it's a long time Ceebeebees and Pixar, go to places you can't take a buggy, up hills, exposed landscapes, putting suntan lotion on babies and toddlers is a fucking pain in the arse it really is, it's harder to keep them sunproof than rain/wind/cold proof. So do some of the sun things whilst you can.
Go to your local pub in the evenings, if you like a pub drink once in a while, enjoy a sunny evening glass in a pub garden before your operation.
Go to your favourite eatery, with small kids even if they are eatery behaved, they need to go for a wee, or whatever, meals are rarely uninterrupted, so you either don't really eat out, or go to family friendly places, which are great but if you like a fancy meal now and again, well they are not that. You don't really get to "savour" a meal out shall I say.
And a boring one, get any paperwork, photograph albums (digital or printed) sorted out. Shred, digitally file, rename, get things labelled and easy to put your hands on. Otherwise you will end up with a pile of paperwork with the system "I think it's in there somewhere" or "did they email me or you?", it will save you hours if you get a system in place beforehand.
Hope all goes well.