Ay Bay Bay

So many friends and family members are having and adopting babies this year! I'm tempted to say 2014 is the year of the baby but I actually think it'll be many years before my social media sites are no longer full of baby announcements. After all, I'm in a my twenties and my friends are just getting started (or haven't started yet). If the announcements get under your skin read this post. If you love them (or just want to keep reading) read on!

I have to admit---I'm in the "love them" camp. I just enjoy seeing families form and grow. I also am enjoying feeling normal again. For awhile there we were the only parents in our social circle which made me feel a little bit like an outsider (but only a little bit) and suddenly I feel like an insider again.

I'm weirdly giddy about my friends who are getting pregnant for the first time. And maybe even more excited about second and beyond pregnancies (because they beat me to it? because I want everyone to have 10 kids? who knows?). But all this shared happiness probably has more to do with the fact that we have walked with some close friends through some really painful stuff and we're finally seeing happy endings (beginnings) to those stories.

This week close friends of ours took their baby boy home after a very long adoption journey. They started the process before we were even pregnant with August and have walked a long, difficult road to get this baby. He's a miracle baby and my heart is so full to see this finally happen after waiting so long. Two other friends of mine that I cried with when they had miscarriages are pregnant---and one is due any day now! Another friend that has struggled with infertility for months and months and thought she couldn't have children just found out she's pregnant.

There are women blogging about the pain of infertility, or the pain of miscarriage. There are women announcing good news. There are women suffering in silence and women celebrating quietly.

I can't help but be aware that mixed in with all the joy of new babies there are women who are hurting. Women who are trying so hard to get pregnant. Women who have lost pregnancies and are reminded of the loss when they see the announcements. Women who are single and feel like they are so far behind their friends.

We have such a great opportunity to share in both the joy and grief at all stages of life. I am so glad I've been able to participate in these stories. My heart is really full today as I smile at pictures of new borns and baby bumps. I just can't keep it in. :)