Gifts

Since Tommy's birth, we've received a lot of gifts--both material and otherwise. But the greatest gift I've received is the reminder of the wonderful friends in my life.

After Luke was born, I found myself in a hard place with friends. Many of my friends in the area either had no kids or older kids, and after Luke was born, I was suddenly persona non grata. They didn't understand why at a week post-partum, I didn't want to go out to a bar. Or any place that I couldn't take my new, nursing baby. They drifted away, leaving me still with amazing girlfriends like Leah and Kristin and Keely who would need more than a baby to chase them off, but yet no one in the area. It was hard because there were times when I needed friends, and I resented Shane his monthly poker games because I had nothing and no one.

Nine months ago, I found out I was pregnant. I also fell into a new group of friends, girls who I have grown to love and cherish, girls who I knew would be there before and after baby. And they were. Whether it was coming to the hospital to see us, visiting afterward, tweeting, blogging, and emailing their joy over his birth, they have been there. Friday night, we went out for our first post-Tommy dinner, and I almost wanted to pinch myself because it was so different from after Luke. I wasn't clinging desperately to old, empty friendships, and I wasn't wishing for more. Instead, I was right there, laughing, watching my friends hold Tommy, and just breathing it all in.

(Left-Right) Crooked Eyebrow, Beth, Steph & Ivy, Sarah, Arianne, Me. And I left Tommy in the car. KIDDING, he was off to the side in his carrier.

p.s. Since I just wrote a sappy post about my husband, I'll spare you another, but I can't post today without mentioning that nine years ago, we went on our first date. Do you know how we met? Read it, because it's almost as scandalous and shocking as the time I had a baby on my stairs.