The baby boom

Yes guys I am slowly approaching the end of my twenty seventh year on this earth; I'm 28 on May the 8th and actually quite looking forward to it. In past years I have had the feeling of dread, another year over, other year older. But this year I'm feeling pretty positive - I have a weekend of fun planned and I am waiting in excited anticipation of what my twenty eighth year will hold.

Part of growing older and reaching the end of my twenties is that 'things' that matter to me and my friends change ever so slightly. Although I am partial to a good giggly night out with the girls (we nearly got chucked out of the cinema this weekend for laughing too loud while watching 17again), much of my time is spent talking to my friends about mortgages, houses, how to create a patio vegetable patch, funky plastic covers for your oven trays to stop you keep burning your forearm - this was the topic of conversation in the staff room this week - and perhaps, most poignantly, children.

Several of my friends have had babies over the past year - in fact my good friend Teach is due any day now and I honestly am so excited. I have had a wale of a time shopping for baby clothes and have a little collection ready to wrap up once the little baba arrives. My real motivation for writing this post though has got to lie with Sharondie. I have just read her blog and she is pregnant! I let out a little squeal when I read the first line of her post and quite unexpectedly felt very emotional, a lump formed in my throat as I'm so happy for her - I know, from having several early morning discussions in her classroom, where we offered each other advice or a shoulder to cry on, that this is something she really thought she would never have. So yippee for Sharondie.

Unfortunately, there is always another side of the coin isn't there? Both Sharondie and Teach have been blessed, and quite quickly at that, however I am also watching one of my best and oldest friends going through the heart break of trying, and failing, to have children. We took it for granted when we were in our 'teens, 'when I have kids...' and naively it never crossed our minds that there was a possibility of our futures being absent of children. I can only guess, but surely there can not be a pain quite like finding out that you and your partner can not have children, or that there is a slim chance of conceiving naturally. The pain of wanting something so much and knowing that nature is working against you must be destroying. I pray everyday that a miracle will happen, I try not to get angry when I hear that yet another of my ex-year 11 girls is pregnant, I hope that my friend and her husband are able to get through this.