Baby BOOM

When 'J' was born we were given the opportunity to join a 'Baby Group'. It was set up by the hospital & compiled of 12 (including us) Families. All the babies were born within a month or two of each other, some even days apart, & we all live in the same general area. As first time parents, it gave us the opportunity to share the journey with others that could relate, step by step, with what we were experiencing.

The hospital set us up with a volunteer 'group leader' that ran the who/what/where/when/why of it. Starting around when 'J' was 3 months old, we met every other week for 6 months. At each meet-up we not only got the opportunity to socialize, but the hospital provided us with a 'specialist' to answer our questions & broaden our knowledge, topics ranged from sleep patterns to safety, photography to sign language & much more. Not only did we add tools to our 'Mommy Box' (is it just me or does that sound dirty? Eh...moving on...) but we built friendships, with both the other mothers AND the babies too.

As time passed several members slowly faded into the backdrop. Coming to fewer functions, disappearing altogether. But about half of us are still truckin' on. The meet-ups may be smaller, and less often (way less often), but the friendships are still there.

And as they say 'History has a way of repeating itself', we did again. Had babies together, very close together. It was not planned, nor was it even talked about, but one by one we all started announcing our 'good news' to the group. Five pregnant 'together', two just on their heels & one non-preggo. Well as fate would have it.... the 1st two in the lead had their little boys at the same hospital...on the same day! Fast forward to a month later...& we welcomed Little 'A' to the world while across town our good friends added another little girl to their bunch the same day! Two weeks later, another boy joined our growing group.

Before Little 'A' arrived, I planned on making gifts for all the new arrivals. Bought the yarn, marked the patterns, & got started. Then 'A' arrived two weeks early, & crochet took a backseat to being a Mummy of Two. Now two months have passed, & the gifts that were finished have surely been outgrown. Because they all arrived in the midst of Cold & Flu season there was no big meet-up, no introductions, no giant play-date. And here the presents sat, getting smaller & smaller for growing babies.

Which brings us to the present. The Here & Now. A new beginning.

I started back up last night with a gift for our 'Birthday Buddy'. After several months off, I got back on the needle (yikes, that sounds worse than 'Mother Box'!!).

I whipped up a sweet, soft white hat. And while 'J' ate lunch today I decided to make her Big Sister something as well, a matching headband.

Round Two is going to be different. I won't sit around this time waiting for a gathering or invitation, this time I will do the inviting. I may even decide to leave a surprise gift on the doorstep :)

A hat for our sweet 'Birthday Buddy'

Little Sister/Big Sister Set- Done

Only 3 boy gifts left to make & 2 for the members still on the way