Yoga mamas.

Yoga Mamas.

Wee Ollie and I have playgroups available to us almost every day. Most of these are natural family/attachment parenting playgroups. Every day! I know, it's insane. It's like AA. You can always find a playgroup when you need it. However, I have another independent playgroup that started kind of organically out of prenatal yoga classes at Ginseng Yoga in South Park/Golden Hill. One day, 39-weeks-pregnant-Eve asked everyone in the class if they have mom's groups already, and there was an awkward silence. Then I said "um, we could start one" all sheepishly. But we did!

I have a special fondness for this playgroup. We had planned to meet for coffee before our babies were born, and when only two of us (Claudia and me) showed up, things didn't look that promising for the future of the Yoga Mamas Playgroup. Well, it turns out that three mamas were actually giving birth right then and there. It's going to be pretty great to watch these babies grow into little people, knowing exactly what I was doing and drinking (Krakatoa decaf latte) (oh baby jesus, I'm so glad I don't have to drink decaf anymore) (sorry Nelwyn, who still drinks decaf) when everyone was born. And then, a Yoga Mamas playgroup was the first thing Oliver and I did on our own, even though Erik was still off work for paternity leave.

Naturally, because all types of people take prenatal yoga, it's not like the AP playgroups where you can pretty much guarantee that everyone has the same values and parenting styles as you. Granted, several of us hit it off instantly, as we noticed that we rolled the same way, which is really nice. But we have a fairly wide array. This is enriching and challenging at the same time. It's really hard to hear certain things discussed, but then I have to remind myself that they probably think it's really hard to watch me put Ollie on my back in the wrap every so often. They're all like, "OMG would you just get a stroller?"

There's something so powerful and binding about the transition into motherhood - marking those final weeks of pregnancy, birth, and the early stages of life with a newborn - that really sets aside differences and other obstacles. We gave birth together (ish). That's huge! When I think about the adults in my life who knew my parents when I was in the womb, I get all weepy and warm and fuzzy. They were there! They witnessed how much my parents loved me before I was even born.

One day, I can't wait to hang out with Teenage Lucca or Zac and watch them get all embarrassed as I tousle their hair and tell all their friends stories about their infancy or how their mama always asked Arati for an easy, I mean, "mellow" yoga class. Now that makes me weepy and warm and fuzzy (Teenage Lucca, not mellow yoga) (mellow yoga makes me bored, I mean "meditative.") (I really need to make this post stop, like, now.)