FIRST FRIENDS

ELLEN, ANNABELLE, BRADFORD

I mentioned in a previous post that meeting new moms is a lot like dating.  You meet, you click, you ask for the their digits and call to arrange a second meeting.  Easier said than done.  I am happy to report however I have ventured beyond the meet, click and ask for the digits stages and have actually met some fellow new moms which I now hang with.  Being that I will be on maternity leave for six months (with sadly less than 4 months left), I knew I needed to meet some mommy friends in the city so that both Annabelle and I could have social interaction throughout the week, whether it was through classes, play dates, or afternoons in the park.  My post-natal yoga class was canceled due to lack of interest, so I began to research other avenues. 

I discovered that my pediatrician's office was offering a brand new 5 week series for new moms looking to connect with other moms, and have discussions facilitated by a childcare professional which would cover "the emotional, physical, and logistical differences you’ll experience as a mother."  Sounded right up my ally.  Unfortunately the class was not free, so I struggled with whether I should pay the price to meet new moms.  Somehow it felt very sorority - pay your dues, be placed in group, and potentially meet friends.  After discussing with Nathan and Ade, I decided to take the leap and do it.  Classes with professional instruction most likely come with a price attached and the other women in the group would be in the same situation as me - looking to meet other moms.  I clicked "purchase" on the enrollment page of the website and kept my fingers crossed.

On the day of our first class, I arrived to find that there were only two other new moms in the class.  Disappointed, I seriously considered whether the class was worth my investment.  The instructor said typically they cancel classes with less than five attendees, however given this was the first time they were offering the series they would go for it.  Hmmm...  Only two potential new mommy friends - what if we didn't click and I ended up dreading the class.  Fortunately that was not the case.  The class ended up being quite good with lots of sharing and good advice from the instructor.  I really liked the two other mommies and both of their babies shared Annabelle's June 4th B-Day, such a coincidence! All three of us moms come from really different backgrounds, however we all share the common mommy bond.  I found myself really looking forward to getting to know the new mommies more at our next class.  Sure enough, the second class was even better than the first and as we left the building we had exchanged cell numbers and emails.  Now that the class is over, the three of us plan to still meet weekly.  It has been so fun to see our three little cubs grow together since they have been hanging on a regular basis since they were 4 weeks old.  Here is a pic of Annabelle with her first friends, Ellen and Bradford.