Baby Shower

Last Sunday afternoon I found myself outside under our big gum tree being comforted by my dogs Ari and Odi. Ari had his head on my lap sighing every now and then and Odi was on the bench next to me snuggling as close as possible. I was sad.

Two of my favourite people in the world are having a baby in April and it was the baby shower. All of the other people there, bar one of my other beautiful friends, were pregnant, had children, or were children! I love baby showers – I love babies, I love seeing all the cute little outfits and toys, and I love joining in the celebration of the impending arrival.

But, it is really hard too. I see how beautiful my friend is carrying her child and how excited her Mum is and her husband, and her sweetheart little daughter, and I realise that will never experience that. I will never know what it is like to carry a child in my body – to feel it grow and move. I’ll never be the centre of a celebration like a baby shower.

I will never know what it is like to be pregnant. Okay, I was pregnant twice, but I lost them both very, very early. It is magical to me how a baby grows and develops from a microscopic thing into a human being in just nine months, and how that growth changes and shapes a woman’s body. I guess, in a way, it will always stay completely magical to me because I will never experience it.

I am really thankful that my friends include us in events like the baby shower, because they could easily not, given we don’t have children. But, our friends know how important they and their children are to us. We wouldn’t miss any of it – even if it is hard sometimes.

By the way - Ari and Odi did not look like their photos here when they gave me cuddles....