baby birthday extravaganza

Before Lucy was born, Shaggy and I signed up for all manner of classes to prepare for her arrival: there was prenatal yoga, the ABCs of childcare, breastfeeding basics, birth preparation workshop, and a childbirth class held at the hospital.

For six weeks we ate sandwiches in the car as we drove over to Good Sam to sit in a big room with nine other couples who were all expecting their first babies in the summer of 2009. At first it was kind of awkward, a bunch of pregnant bellies in a room where the only thing you seemed to have in common was the obvious: So, you're pregnant? Me too. Yep.

But the nurse midwife who taught the class was wise: she said food bonded classmates, and so every week somebody brought snacks--watermelon, hummus, crackers, cheese--and in the last week of class we set a date for mid-September to meet again,  this time with babies and beer to celebrate.

The next three months went by in that fast-slow time warp that is waiting out the last weeks of pregnancy and then trying to hold your head above the choppy water of new parenting, but most of us made it to that first reunion. With our babies in tow there was no shortage of things to talk about--pregnancy may have been only one thing in common, but an actual baby was suddenly a lot of things.

Fast forward to almost one year later: the class has stayed in touch, and last weekend we had a baby first birthday party reunion at Colonel Summers park.  It was awesome. The babies were mostly blond and completely adorable, there was clapping, walking, chatter and peekaboo. There was an amazing hand-made train cake, and in one case there was even a baby tackle when Parker surprised Lucy from behind.

Parker is getting friendly. Thanks, Maggie! (For more pictures, go here.)

Lucy getting crazy with a fork. Thanks, Brooke! (For more pictures, go here.)

It has been so fun getting together every few months to watch the babies grow; trade tips for eating, napping, teething, childcare; mostly just remember that other people are doing this too, doing it well, having fun, raising people your little person will be proud to know.

Somebody is going to get somebody real soon.