Camaraderie

"Loneliness is the first thing which God's eye named not good." -John Milton

Being a parent is one of the hardest undertakings around, and no one knows that like other parents.  People that have not had babies, kind and compassionate as they may be, can never understand the sweet insanity of waking up once an hour every night  to hold a screaming infant that you love and yet somehow wish had never left the soundproof confines of your (or your wife's) uterus.  That's why camaraderie is so important.

Back in the day, young parents had a close network of other parents to get help and guidance from: family.  No one lived minutes, let alone miles, from their cousins, aunts and uncles, parents, or grandparents.  But these days, we're lucky to have family living in the same state as us.  My parents live in England and my in-laws live 45 minutes away, and most of my friends have not hit the having kids stage of life yet.

Thank God for the internet!  I joined a forum for expecting moms when I found out I was pregnant, and it did me a world of good.  I swapped stories and asked advice from the other mommies-to-be, some of whom had older kids, too, so I knew what to expect a little better when morningsickness, cravings, and finally labor came along.  Now we constantly compare notes on diapering, baby food, car seats, and most importantly, sleep.     

I was going to say I don't know where I'd be without the girls from my forum, but in truth, I know exactly where I'd be: constantly worried that no one else ever feels like this and that Maeve just isn't right compared to other babies.  But thanks to the ladies from the board, I am more confident and trust myself more, which is a major accomplishment for a new parent.

Maeve meets one of the other babies from the April board!