Baby boom...

Friends and babies. Babies’ friends. Friends’ babies. Friendly babies… Very confusing from a distance, I can tell you that!

The time that your friends are starting to have babies while you cannot seem to fit anyone else but yourself in your life, is a bit strange. It has been lovely strange, especially if you are very close to your friends when they make this life changing decision. Before I went travelling, my time with Petra and Lex when they had Roos and Toon has been very mindblowing (never learned so much about babies!), very loving and emotional. I saw Petra almost every day; I reckon those 9 months preparation are not just for the parents-to-be but also for people around them. Seeing Petra ‘grow and glow’ made me part of that. It has been very very special.

Last year when I was travelling my friends Inge Judith and Fried were pregnant (yes, another one of my theories: you are both pregnant. Last time I checked you need man and woman to get pregnant. So there). When I was home in May I saw Inge Judith’s belly (6 months). Bit new, bit different, but yes, it fitted fine; I got used to it. Now that Sjoerd is born, it is very hard to imagine that Inge Judith and Fried are parents. I have never met Sjoerd, nor have I met Inge Judith and Fried as parents. Pictures and stories are great, fantastic and a must (hint), but they don’t give you the full image.

So now I get to the stage that friends are having babies without me seeing any phase of that. I know, I choose to live here, and I love it, but still. It is hard to imagine your (best) friends having those tiny little creatures which are cute…and more importantly… theirs. And it all happened in this last month…I wonder what was going on in Europe, 9 months ago…

So congratulations to Emma and Anthony; Irish friends I met in Australia in 2001 and whom I obviously saw much in Drogheda and Cork when I was living in Ireland. No more late nights drinking Guinness/Bulmers and dancing to Anthony’s Ska band…Little Luke will make sure they will get sleep deprivation though!

Then my friend Miranda and her husband Harro. Little did I know 5 years ago that while Miranda and I loved nice dinners after work and a few glasses of excellent wine, that Miranda’s quitting cigarettes actually meant that she wanted to get married and buy a house. Happy days for their family now they have Dante, their 3rd child…

Then last, but definitely not least: my best friends Catherine and Floor. Catherine and I went to uni together. We loved dancing, and beer, our bike rides to the beach (that damned tram behind me…), the tattoos (does it hurt….euh yeah), city girl versus country side girl, the festivals (Lowlands: first introduction to…Floor) and off to Australia together. They both took great care of me when I got back from Australia and I absolutely didn’t want to be in the Netherlands. So I know they will be great parents for little Jip who is now part of that sublime match.

So wauw, babies. It is honestly hard to imagine that while I go biking, climbing, running and snowboarding that my friends are taking care of their children. I wish I could just hop over to see them. Im sure I would 'click'.
And sorry (dad): I’m still not convinced that I should go back to Europe nor that I want children. Yes mum, I know you can put children on your back while you go hiking. And yes everybody, I’m sure I would be a great mum, but I had my share over Christmas…I love kids, especially because I can give them back to their parents…

And I heard more friends are expecting…joyful news!