Mummies and daddies

Babies and toddlers everywhere. Waddling along the pavement to nursery with their mummy’s in little bobble hats and furry coats, dressed as tiny santa’s, christmas puddings or halloween pumpkins with everyone saying ‘ahh’, having their first bath, first steps, first smiles, first day of school, belly buttons falling off, growing and changing in pictures into little people, going to the park, watching cartoons, rolling around the floor.

Pregnant women everywhere. Faces glowing and bellies swollen. Radiant and excited, spending weekends planning their nursery, colour schemes, moses baskets. Going shopping for maternity clothes, baby clothes, bottle brushes, sterilisers. Counting down the days until their little man or little princess comes, having butterflies about their first or second scans. Showing their families and friends the small black and white pictures and thinking that their baby is sucking their thumb or waving, reading baby books.

Families everywhere. Having days out, having christmas dinner together, pictures together, mums making little picnic lunches, all getting up together in the mornings, faces changing by the day, parents evenings, chatting with other mums, putting drawings up on the wall, christenings, birthdays, anniversaries, family pictures, dressing up, putting the kids to bed, helping with homework, playing in the snow, imaginary games.

Abortions everywhere, morning after pills everywhere, people shuddering at the thought of getting pregnant, parents with children that they don’t want, parents that abuse their children, children without sheets on their beds, children without beds, children with no dinner, children who get told things that they should never hear and see things they should never see, babies who get left in wet nappies and sick running down their neck.

Me in my house, waiting for my little baby and my swollen belly. Waiting for the nappy changes, the bedtime tantrums, jealous of all the mummys and daddys in the world. Feeling tearful at all things baby or child related. Thinking of names. Looking at cots. Walking past the formula milk in Tescos. When will my little baby come? When will I be a mummy too?