When everyone around you is having babies

The shit is on, people. Denying or ignoring is still possible. Almost everyone around me is taking the next step: making a little mini-human with your boy. And to be completely honest: it freaks me out.

I need to add something to that. When my best friend called me to say she was pregnant, I reacted quite medium. Like a clumsy oaf, actually. I wish her the world, but I couldn't help it. Suddenly I was shocked. How could it be that I didn't know she was even thinking about kids? What does this mean for our friendship? Are we still going to see each other a lot? Is she only going to babble in incomprehensible baby talk? WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR WINE NIGHTS? In short: panic in the tent.

I think the first one in your friend group feels the ‘craziest’ too. But now, now it seems everyone around me is expanding their family. Girlfriends, colleagues, my sister-in-law, chicks I used to sit in class with: all pregnant. And somewhere, somewhere a strange feeling creeps over me. Is this officially a sign that you are getting older? And when is the timing right? Do you literally ‘feel’ a love flutter in your stomach when you think about kids? Are those the rattling ovaries they talk about? For now, not much is rattling for me, just my stomach, HAHA. More often than I would like, no jokes.

Even more serious: what if your partner is ready for the next step and you are not? Do you let him/her ‘wait?’ And how long can you make someone wait before it becomes awkward? Do you choose for yourself or for someone else? Is having a child for someone else not very illogical? Is only choosing for yourself not very selfish? Oh boy, is this the point where many relationships fail? Why am I suddenly getting questions from others about ‘if I want kids’ already? When is the timing actually right? Is the timing ever right or do you just have to make that time? How many questions can you still put in an article before people start finding you annoying? Do you already find it?

Me, an adult? Ha. I still laugh when the ketchup bottle makes a fart sound when I squeeze it. I'm 26. I want to travel. Work. Drink wine. Be young. Everything, but not just yet kids. Still be a kid myself. Spend money foolishly on stupid things. Live without routine. Seize every opportunity that comes my way. And when the day comes that they start rattling, you will be the first to hear it. Figuratively speaking. And then we'll talk again in two years for a mid-term evaluation, deal?

GREAT, AND NOW TIME FOR WINE.