Parents Place

Moving to a new place is always a little daunting. New house, new job, new people, the list goes on. Add "new baby" to the list and it can be downright overwhelming!

Hubs and I were so lucky to have my mom and little brother spend our first ten days in California with us to help get settled in our new house and help me with the baby. They were such a godsend, and no matter how many times I tell you they were amazing, I don't think I can do justice to just how much help they were!

Fast forward six weeks from when they left. We're into a routine, I'm learning my way around, working out again, Bunkey's sleeping through the night, and we're generally happy.

Except that I still haven't met many people here. The weather is cooler here than it was at home, so Bunkey isn't really outside much, and he's not big enough to really play like toddlers and older children can. I know a few ladies who were stationed in the same area as we were before. But one has a full time job and one is days away from delivering her first baby. The third has sadly moved and we were only able to get together once!

I thought about attending some of the exercise classes offered at the rec center near our house (we're living on post in base housing...yes, on post rather than on base since the housing is run by the Army vice the Navy) but the classes that included childcare services are right during Bunkey's mid-morning bottle, and his schedule works so well I'm loathe to make such a change and alter our entire day based on that one bottle. There's a Wives Club that I'm excited to join, as they have several special interest subgroups that I'd love to get involved with. But the first function is at the end of the month.

In the meantime, I wanted to meet some other new moms, with babies about the same age as Bunkey! I wasn't sure how to accomplish this, other than go knocking door-to-door and asking the person who answered if they had a two-month old baby at home. But as I was perusing the MWR magazine published by Naval Post-Graduate School, I came across an advertisement for Parents Place. I checked out their website and was intrigued.

Parents Place is an organization that offers age-related classes for parents and their children from birth to three years old. Classes meet weekly for two hours. The first and last 30 minutes are to visit with other moms as well as the teacher, while the middle hour is reserved for circle time. There is a topic for discussion each week, but the class format follows a question and answer format, so class can certainly divert in order to fit the needs of the students. Tummy time, singing, infant massage, play time, snacks (for older kids), and more are all included! The center is close to where I live, but I still needed more information before I made a commitment (each class session runs for three months and costs $120; I wasn't ready to register without knowing I'd love the program).

After asking some Facebook friends about Parents Place (everyone raved!), I called and left a message with the coordinator. She called me Monday morning, described the program, answered my questions, and offered me the opportunity to try one class before formally registering and paying the tuition, which would be prorated since I was joining mid-way through the summer session. The best part? There is no penalty for arriving late, since Parents Place understands that babies and children make getting out the door quite a bit more difficult. And they understand that baby comes first, so they are advocates for feeding, changing, cuddling, rocking, and whatever other comfort measures your baby might need during class. I was placed in a class with about a dozen other moms and babies, ranging from two weeks to five months old.

Bunkey and I attended our first class on Tuesday! I arrived right on time, despite getting a late start, and Bunkey was fast asleep after his car ride. But so were some of the other babies! I was given a handbook with lots of information about resources in the area, ideas for things to do with babies of all ages, and more! I met some wonderful ladies, and it was nice to get some adult interaction without neglecting my son. And it was so reassuring that no one judged when bottles or boobs were whipped out for feeding, burp cloths for cleaning up the occasional spit up, diapers were changed, and more. It was ok for the babies to cry, and we all just ignored it while the mama took care of her wee one. In short, I was hooked. I went back to the office right after class and paid for the remainder of the summer session. At the end of September, I'll reevaluate its usefulness and see if this is something I'd like to continue, but as of right now I'm super excited to be a part of Parents Place!!