[Salone]

Aye, I've been there. Just not in the extreme degree as you, but I have.

Unfortunately for you, you are incredibly right. Parenting is a full time gig, and the last time your friends were able to do anything fun without their kids along was probably a very long time ago. The reason they obsess over their kids and nothing else is because all their time is going to children. It is quite literally all they have to talk about. Everything else in their life has been pushed to the side.

This was especially disconcerting for me because, well...I hate kids. So very much. Retail does that to you. So when someone has a baby, I'm out. Having one causes you to completely obsess over it and constantly tell anyone who will listen about every little movement or gigglesnort that it makes. I don't care about the little flesh croissants, so I do my best to stay the way from any of them or any one who has them. Granted, this does not do well for your circle of friends as you get older.

Sad to say it, but new friends might be the order of the day. Don't strike out your current ones from your roster, but consider putting them on the back burner. People with kids will eventually gravitate towards other people with kids. People without kids simply don't understand the whole 'kid' thing, so we tend to shy away or simply not want to hear anything about them.

It's tough. It really, really is tough. Heartbreaking experience as you watch friends slowly fade away because their spawnmongrel devours all of their time like a Graboid.

I wouldn't feel entirely guilty, Ginger. Or at least, don't feel guilty alone. There are tons of others out there who are in the same position. Friends are friends because they share common ground. Friendship fades when the common ground fades. The erosion that comes with childbirth has caused that. It sucks, but...what can you do?

Good luck with it. It is a trying experience.