The story of Farah

She wants to write down how Siam’s smile has become just a little cheekier, how he wholeheartedly puts his foot in his mouth, and how he really did wink at her this time.

She hadn’t expected motherhood to be this overwhelming. Yes, Farah had received some tips from her friends: "sleep when the baby sleeps," and so on. But no one had warned her about the special kind of homesickness that overwhelmed her. She felt that Siam changed so much every day that she felt both proud and nostalgic for how he was just yesterday. When she spoke about this to her best friend, she came up with a wonderfully simple solution: write it all down.

So that’s what Farah does now. She bought a de KEMPEN notebook for each year – until her son turns 12 – and then she’ll see. In these notebooks, she keeps everything she finds worth remembering. Of course, there are baby memory books, but they don’t ask about the things that really matter to Farah. She wants to write down how Siam’s smile has become just a little cheekier, how he enthusiastically puts his foot in his mouth, and how he really did wink at her. For real.

“ That needs to go in your notebook. ”

Meanwhile, "That needs to go in your notebook!" has become a standard phrase in Farah’s household. Whether it’s the gift the visitors brought, who Siam felt completely at ease with – and who he didn’t – that time Farah and her husband couldn’t figure out whose turn it was for the diaper change, or even a sweet message from the gynecologist. It all needs to go in the notebook.

The cliché "the days are long, but the years are short" is spot on when it comes to babies. The nights with Siam at the breast feel endless, and when a baby has cramps, every minute seems like an eternity. Sometimes, during those sleepless hours, Farah can do nothing but play silly phone games. But other times, she uses that time to sort out her thoughts. She grabs her notebook and is completely honest about her exhaustion and her fears. She describes how peacefully her son sleeps on her chest (but definitely not in his bed). She writes about her husband, their family, and their dreams. And that she secretly hopes Siam will remember what it felt like to lie in her arms for hours. But if he doesn’t, at least he’ll be able to read it someday.