my dear friends

cen-ter-ing: n. a wooden framework on which an arch, vault or dome is supported during construction.

last fall i began attending a "centering clinic" that my doctor organized. a more holistic approach to prenatal care that is generally used by midwives, a centering group brings together a number of women that are due within about 4 weeks of one another. from about 15 weeks until the baby arrives, the care of each woman is attended to in a group setting, during which each of us would be taken away for individual check ups. during the group part of the appointment we would discuss lots of different topics, from the woes of pregnancy to labour to care of a newborn.

i'll be honest, in the beginning i was pretty nervous about spending so much time and sharing my pregnancy with these nine other women that started out as strangers. however, each of them was so sweet and open and honest that it didn't take me long for these women to become my dear friends and, like the name suggests, they became some of my greatest supports during my pregnancy. we've kept in touch and try to get together with our babies once a month. it's so great to have friends whose babies are so close to the same age (they all ended up being a bit further than a month apart, as some decided to come really early and thought it best to stay inside a little longer). we are all often going through the same things at the same time, and it's nice to have the support and a sounding board for some of our worries. our monthly get togethers are always so fun and getting crazier every time! we always take a group picture. it's getting a little harder these days, what with mobility and hair pulling and swatting at each other and stealing one anothers soothers, but all that action makes a good picture, right?

back in the summer, when we could just wedge them all together on a couch.

halloween party; this is when it started getting a little crazy.

as you can see, it's getting a little harder to get them all to stay still/be nice to eachother/look at the camera.

 aren't they the cutest in their Christmas outfits?

ollie & miriam were born 23 hours and 1 minute apart. cuties!

there may have been a little bit of hair pulling...

and ollie looks a little nervous sitting there between two pretty girls...

 but it was a great day with friends!

(as you can see, not everyone can make it to every get together, and we miss those who aren't there!)

i doubt anything but the centering group would have brought us together. all different women, with different ways to mother and different views on life, but we all love our babies and each other. i'm so grateful to know all of them!