My life, IRL...

For those of you "hip" to the internet "lingo", that means "in real life".

One of the things that I have discovered about having a baby is just how different your interests and daily life change from that of your non-children-having friends. It's not a BAD thing, it's just, well, different.

As a mom who works full time, volunteers part time and is go-go-go ALL THE TIME, I have precious little time for a social life. Enter BabyCenter. A world of wired women who, on the surface, are nothing more than a screen name and a picture (or an avatar of fictitious feet...or a 40 year-old-man with a fetish for pregnant women) But delving further into this mass of virtual mommies wields an entire new group of friends. My imaginary friends, as Brad calls them.

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this resource early in my pregnancy and have relied on these anonymous women for support, advice and input. From this mass of mothers has emerged a handful of women whom I have formed very strong bonds with. We've been through a lot- pregnancy pains, hard and easy labors, disappointment that mommyhood isn't quite what we expected and excitement at all of the great things about mommyhood we didn't even know existed (like the first smile of the morning....priceless).

While I LOVE LOVE LOVE my friends "IRL", words can't begin to express how much my "imaginary friends" have done for me as a support system.

So to the "Cheesers" and "SSMs" (and middle age men with a penchant for preggos), you rock. Thanks for being there for me.

PS- Here is proof they are, in fact, real people..

Me and Norah with Kelli and Blake


Norah & Kierstyn


Norah and Blake playing (and being admired by shoppers at Plaza Frontenac)