Jackie's Class

When I was about 6 weeks pregnant, I went to lunch with a close friend and told her the good news.  Her response?  You need to call Jackie and get on her list IMMEDIATELY!  One might think this list has something to do with pregnancy, or learning about having a baby.  But no, this is a mommy and me class that we wouldn't start until my baby (which was currently the size of a sesame seed) was three months old.  Such is the life of an LA mom.  So I made the call, got on the "list" and told Alex to put her number in his phone.  Because within a week of the baby being born Jackie was going to call us and confirm a spot, and if we missed the call or didn't return it fast enough we would lose our spot and it would go to one of the hundreds of moms on her waiting list.  This is the premiere mommy and me class of LA, and I wasn't going to miss that call!  All jokes aside, it turned out to be a wonderful experience for me and Baby Adam.  From 3months old to 17months old, once a week we went to class with 10 other moms and their babies.  All the babies were born within the same month, so when someone was going through feeding problems, first teeth, first time eating real food, first tantrums, the rest of the moms were going through it too.  Jackie would chat for about 45 minutes about a specific topic (she has a background in early childhood development) while the babies played, then we would all sing songs.  I can honestly say I learned something helpful each week.  If nothing else, it was just great to hear other people going through similar issues and having someone tell us what to do.  I didn't always listen to her advice, but often I did and I'm sure I will for many years to come.  Last week, Adam graduated.  It was so adorable.  All these little babies all grown up, toddling to the front of the room in their "gowns," accepting their certificates, and sliding down the slide with 20 parents taking photos and videos with tears in their eyes.