At first I was reluctant to join a Mommy & Me group. Lucas and I had a good thing going with our daily walks, bi- and tri-weekly outings to Target and counting down the hours until Daddy got home; why on earth would we need a playgroup? At three months old, he wasn’t even playing yet.
The first meeting we attended was at a Starbucks on a warm August morning, there were maybe 10 of us. 20 if you count our children. Our babies unable to do much else just laid in their car seat carriers. The eldest child was seven months old and gave the rest of us a preview of what was to come.
Our conversations were exactly as I had dreaded, but very much needed to be a part of; from how old was your baby when he first sat up/rolled over/discovered his feet/slept through the night/smiled and you knew it wasn’t gas? to where did you get that toy/onesie/hat/play gym and what do you think about that stroller, those diapers/burp cloths/setting up a college fund/diaper bag?
Sort of mind numbing stuff to anyone but a new mom, but all the topics that weigh heavily on the minds of novice parents as we navigate through that first crucial and confusing year of mommyhood.
It’s was comforting to share with and learn from other new moms and a relief to know that they were going through the same frustrations and concerns that I was.
Right from the start, there were a couple of moms in the group that I could see being friends with (i.e. participate in activities outside of the group) and I definitely relished in the social interaction and adult conversation!
Our group celebrated it’s third year, much like many of our children, this past September and now most members have added a younger sibling to the group. It has been a joy to see our babies grow into little people and I wish that Lucas and I could see our friends more often.
I can’t remember when Jenn joined our group but I liked her right away and her son Jackson is darling. He is the subject of the fourth shot in my Instagram queue:
Jen isn’t a blogger or on Twitter, but she is a fellow mom and friend.
This post was written for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. Prompt 5.) Open Instagram and scroll down to the 4th photo shared by a friend. Share the photo, link to the person who posted it, and let it inspire a blog post.
