baby boom

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Is it just me, or is there some kind of big baby boom going on? It seems like everywhere I turn, there is a popped out belly button staring me straight in the face. Bloggers everywhere are getting married then popping out the lil ones.

Wow. Its all lovely, but I get a little weirded out in all frankness by the exposition of bellies and weekly countdowns online. It may be because two very close friends of mine lost their babies late into pregnancy in the past year, and it really freaked us all out and saddened us too. It was really hard for them, as you can only imagine. And as a friend, it made me pause and think, and be more delicate about the whole issue. And less forward about it, and just generally more sensitive. Like I bumped into an old friend from college the other day, and she was visibly pregnant. But I waited for her to mention it, and I didn't pounce on her belly but asked her if I could touch her belly. And she grinned hugely, and said a sincere thank you for asking. Because it appears that many people feel as though women's expanding bellies are public property for all to touch. And it just so happened I was on the way to one of my stores to drop off some haramakis, and I gave her one. She was very happy!