♥ Thanks to all who have left comments of encouragement and love over the past couple days month. I’ve been really busy with working on completing designs before baby gets here and house stuff that I haven’t had the time I’d like to dedicate to replying to comments. I will be back to replying soon after this bundle has arrived, but in the meantime, please know that i read each and every comment and am very grateful! I just hate that I’m not participating by replying right now. I hope you understand!! ♥

Before Carter was born I had all these fantastic ideas of what we we do while I was on Maternity Leave with him. I think I may have even had the entire year planned – in my head – with days filled to the brim with library visits, shopping, swimming, trips to the bookstore, window shopping downtown, walks by the lake…

When Carter arrived I found myself confined to my house for the first couple weeks watching television as Hurricane Katrina had just struck the southern US. TV coverage was rampant and I found myself obsessing over the devastation and grief stricken for the people.

The first four months I found myself home more often then out. All these great ideas I had faded into nothing as I watched television in the mornings and cleaned in the afternoons trying to sneak in a nap or two throughout the day.

It truly was a sad existence.

On a whim I decided that enough was enough and enrolled in a Mom & Baby Yoga class. We were going to get out of the house and meet people. Enough was enough.

Now, I’ve never taken yoga before (and I haven’t again since this class actually) so I was intimidated walking in there thinking I was going to face a bunch of svelte mama – so toned, tanned and just four months after giving birth while I felt like a complete frump. Thankfully the moms were just like me. NORMAL.

Many of us bonded quite well and spent the rest of our Maternity Leaves doing things together regularly. A number of us enrolled our children into swimming classes, had mommy/baby play dates every week and even took outings to parks and sometimes just mommy dates. In the evening. At a local pub. With no children!

It was exactly what I needed and more.

I never thought that I would be a part of a mom group of any kind. I just never pictured it as ‘my thing’ but it so was. It kept me sane, in touch and made me realize that there were people I could connect with in the same stage of life as myself. I’m just so disappointed that work and family life has kept us apart since. A few of us email and chat, but I just haven’t had the time to meet up with them again.

I’m hoping that a few of us can reconnect the time around, or I can find some new moms in the area to spend time with.

:::

This post is part of the Parent Bloggers Network Blog Blast! asking you to tell us what baby-friendly outings worked for you during your rookie year as a mom? This Blog Blast! is a part of The Rookie Mom’s Handbook review brought to you by Rookie Moms.

One of two fantastic gift bags filled with more than $250 worth of goodies for moms, including the brand new BABYBJÖRN^®Baby Carrier Synergy, a child’s gardening kit from Smith & Hawken, a baby t-shirt from Scout Organic Baby, and of course, a copy of The Rookie Mom’s Handbook can be won if you participate!