A Sweet Reunion

For the last couple of years I have been anxiously waiting for my sweet friend Beth to have a baby. Beth is one of the sweetest people I know and I was so excited for her to finally be a mom. After a rough start she finally told me last year that she was going to have a baby! We started planning and getting excited for my visit after the baby was born. The last time Beth and I had seen each other was the night before her wedding 3 1/2 years ago. We spent that night staying up late talking and eating cookies in our pajamas. It reminded me of our high school days in Tokyo. We first met when we were 14 years old. It was no coincidence that her family moved literally right around the corner from mine in a small suburb of Tokyo. That may not seem like a big deal to live close to someone but it was a rare occurence to live right next door to another American, let alone a really good friend. Most of our friends lived all over Tokyo. Some lived a 15 minute train ride and others lived almost 45 minutes away. We all took the hour long bus ride to school each day. On Beth's first day we sat next to each other on the way home and headed over to her house after school. My mom finally had to call around 10pm to tell me to come home. We just clicked from day one. We have been the best of friends ever since we first met almost 18 years ago.

Even though our lives are very different we have remained close and connected. I was so happy that we would now have one special thing in common--MOTHERHOOD! My trip to meet little Sophie and reconnect with Beth exceeded all of my expectations. It was like going home somehow. For me Beth is more like the sister I never had. It was so exciting to finally hold Sophie and enjoy her just as I enjoyed my own babies. I loved being able to witness the special connection that Beth and Sophie had already made in such a short time. Beth sure is a natural and she is going to make the best mom. We vowed to not let time pass us by too quickly before another reunion together. I am so anxious to watch this little girl grow.

Here is a sneak peek of some of the photos I took during my visit.
Enjoy.