The Perfect Gated Community

If you share our situation - a small apartment and a very mobile baby (translate: crawling everywhere) - then you will definitely appreciate what I am about to tell you about.

As new parents, we were overjoyed and amazed by how fast our baby was able to crawl. It was really cute, that is, until it got to the point where we spent all our time chasing after our son and telling him "no" and "careful" and other words of caution. Initially, we were morally opposed to the idea of a playpen. After all, our baby is not an animal! Well, we got rid of that way of thinking very quickly! That said, we still weren't blown away by most playpens that are on the market. They were really too small and they seemed really wobbly.

Just when we were about to give up our search, we came across the l'il playzone at onestepahead.com. It's great! You can buy attachments to make it as large as you want; you can dismantle it and store it under a bed; you can bring it to the park and set it up as a confined, members-only playground; etc... Our son loves it, especially when we join him in the "playzone."

So, if you are looking for something to keep your tot contained and content, then you really should check out the playzone. And if you are worried about the idea of cooping your kid up in a pen, then you should know that the playzone is more like a "gated community" than an animal cage.

Big Event this Weekend!

Hey NYC Moms!
Rumor has it that there is going to be a big shindig for moms and tots this weekend (Sat April 8th) in Sydney’s Playground (66 White St between Broadway and Church St). It's being hosted by Big City Moms and TONY Kids. You can RSVP through the Big City Moms website. I am not sure if you can purchase tickets at the door - but it may be a possibility. The cost is $15 per family.

I sounds like it could be a lot of fun and it sounds like a perfect initiation into parenthood!

Welcome New Moms!

It’s been a long time since our new moms groups have ended. I am sure that things have really changed for all of us as we adjust to our new lives as “moms.” I was thinking about my new identity as a “mom” the other night and how my day-to-day routine has changed. For the first couple months, my job as a new mother was to make sure that my baby’s basic needs were met – if he was hungry, I fed him; if he was tired, I rocked him to sleep; if he was wet, I changed his diaper…and so on. I don’t know about you, but life with my baby is much more enjoyable now that he is a little older and a lot more interactive. But while I may be able to change a diaper with my eyes closed and recite nursery rhymes in my sleep, I have a ton of new questions about motherhood and babyhood. If nothing else, the reality (and permanence) of being a mom is really sinking in.

So, after spending some time thinking about the reality (and permanence) of being a mom, I decided to embark on a new project…a group for semi-new moms. Since some of us have returned to work (or will be returning soon), I thought it would be best if the group were an online forum. This format will allow you to participate whenever you have time whether it be from your desk at work or from home while your baby is sleeping. Of course, you can also use the forum to post an invitation for a real-life outing for other moms. The idea is that we stay in touch, even if it is virtually.

Here are some issues that may be interesting to explore/discuss in the semi-new moms group:
- Is your baby sleeping through the night? If so, how did you do it?
- Are you still breastfeeding? If so, when do you plan to start weaning?
- Have you introduced solids yet?
- Have solids made your baby constipated? If so, what are you doing about it?
- Is your hair falling out?
- Are you using contraception?
- What about the pill and breastfeeding?
- What are you doing for Halloween?
- Rating the mom and baby classes around town (e.g., yoga, gymboree, new mothers luncheons, Kidville, etc.)
- …you get the point…

And since we live in the “Big City,” I thought that it would be appropriate to title this forum “Moms in the City.” If you are interested in participating in the group, then start posting!

Also, if you are both a semi-new mom and an expectant mother (or know of an expectant mother), make sure to send your partner to www.thefunkystork.com In case you haven't heard, www.thefunkystork.com is a website dedicated entirely to the modern expectant father. It has plenty of articles on pregnancy as well as lots of information for new dads.