Nursing Party

One thing I love about motherhood is how it gives me an instant connection to and community with other moms.  Moms who have babies, moms with middle schoolers, and moms with kids who are grown.  They've all "been there" in this phase of babies and toddlers that I am currently in.

At church the other day, per the usual, I ended up in the cry room feeding Jonah.  I joined a friend who was nursing her little guy who was born in June, and we were soon joined by two other mamas who gave birth to boys in May and July.  We had quite the nursing party going on.  There was easy conversation as we asked how things were going with the newborn, how older brother was adjusting, funny things older siblings were saying these days, and how much sleep we are (more like aren't) getting.  There was also laughter at the baby sounds of burps, gurgles, and toots.

In general I'm a shy and quiet person, not very confident in striking up conversations or talking to strangers. Once I found out I was pregnant with Noelle, I felt an instant connection to other pregnant women I knew.  I remember meeting up with a friend for lunch whose due date was the day before mine and we talked about what it was like finding out the gender, if a name had been picked yet, and how we were decorating the nursery.  After Noelle was born, I suddenly found myself able to talk to moms with babies in the grocery store, asking how old there little one was, or telling them how adorable he looked in his outfit.

I was also on the receiving end of it- people love babies and love fawning over them.  I was approached by moms of all ages at church who graciously shared advice and memories of their babies, as well as by complete strangers when out and about who would coo and talk to my baby girl.  I even had one woman offer to hold a crying Noelle while I was out shoe shopping, and, as I hesitantly handed her over, the woman's middle school aged daughter said "my mom loves babies!"

It still amazes me how these little blessings from the Lord play a part in our lives, bringing together families, and even bringing together friendships that might not otherwise have begun.  I'm sure as my kids get older, I'll be the one reaching out to new moms telling them how I miss the snuggly newborns and the funny toddler moments.  But for now, I'm so thankful for this time in my life and the connection I share with other new moms.

a newborn Jonah