KRISTEN MORALES
NEWS FROM THE JUICE BOX SET
One of the best things about babies is how easy it is to tote
them around. Forget the image of the frazzled parent with the
overloaded diaper bag and jumbo stroller. Before they become
toddlers—wreaking havoc wherever their little feet roam—they
are tiny, totally portable little creatures that are easily placed
in a sling and taken places.
And, luckily, we here in Athens have some really great
places to tote them, many sprouting up in the past few years.
First of all, any discussion about places to take your baby,
whether still too young to sit or experimenting with crawling,
has to start with Full Bloom (220 N. Milledge Ave; fullbloom-
parent.com). It's a resource center for new parents that does
double duty as a store selling all sorts of nursing and cloth
diapering supplies; upstairs is ReBlossom, a separate consign
ment shop with lots of used baby gear. Pat Nielsen, a regis
tered nurse, has decades of experience working with babies,
children and expectant moms, and after years working in hos
pitals and public health care, she decided to take her wealth of
knowledge and apply it to a one-stop shop for new parents.
The result is a space constantly buzzing with babies, new
parents and activities for them. There are group play times for
babies at various stages (actually, more like times for moms
to chat while the babies nurse, drool or just do baby stuff).
If you want to get active, there are weekly mama/baby yoga
classes. And you can get your little one off to a bright start
with educational activities, such as story times or music times.
(Note that classes and groups come with various prices, usually
between $5 and $20.)
One of the things that always baffled Nielsen, she says, was
when new parents left the hospital. You're left on your own,
for the most part, with no place to get an independent opin
ion (aside from all that unsolicited advice from your mom). "I
wanted to build a community of women; they learn from each
other... They get to hear different viewpoints, and they ask
questions, and that's good," Nielsen says. "It's wonderful to
see people become empowered, and it affects (a new mother's)
family life."
Full Bloom is just one of many places where parents can
find support and activities to enjoy with their new babies.
The Athens Mothers' Center (3195 Barnett Shoals Rd. at St.
Gregory's Episcopal Church; athensga.motherscenter.org) is
a gathering place for new moms (and dads!) for the past 30
years. The group meets 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday and Friday;
dads are welcome on Fridays, and there is childcare avail
able for toddlers and preschool-aged siblings. The center also
hosts nights out for moms and dads, and hosts holiday events
throughout the year.
Arrow (393 N. Finley St.; ourarrow.blogspot.com) is another
option for new parents looking for a place to drop in and hang
with like-minded parents. It's a little space next door to Big
City Bread that has organized activities each week along with
open play times. Parents can drop in for a small fee or get a
monthly membership.
The weekly Toddle Time group at St. Mary's Hospital (1230
Baxter St.) gives moms a chance to focus on their newborn
while their toddler plays. The group meets 10 a.m.-noon on
Fridays and provides toys and activities for siblings so moms
can feed and weigh their babies in peace. St. Mary's also offers
a support group for new moms, 1-3 p.m. on Mondays, where
moms can feed, weigh and track their baby's growth from week
to week (more info: 706-389-3389).
There also is the Athens Mommies group on Meetup.com
(www.meetup.com/Athens-Mommies), which organizes play-
dates for both at-home and working moms, and even some
child-free events.
All those options are great for making new friends and com
miserating, but for the multitaskers (and those who believe it's
never too early to start developing those brain cells), there are
several places to start.
Along with the weekly readings at Full Bloom, the Athens-
Clarke County Library has a sweet program at 10:30 a.m.
every Monday, where parents
interact with their babies
through songs, move
ment and stories. Older
babies (ages 1-3) also can
take part in parent-child
workshops 10-11 a.m.
Thursdays, plus other spe
cial events (check www.
clarke.public.lib.ga.us/
events/accevents.html for
details). The Oconee Public
Library's Book Babies pro
gram includes 15 minutes of
songs, rhymes and stories
that finishes with time
for parents and babies to
mingle.
Babies that are a little
more mobile can take part
in the Family Dancing
classes at Floorspace (160
Tracy St.) Classes are 10
a.m. Wednesdays and are
$6 for first-timers, $12
per drop-in afterward. The
Play 'n' Lunch Bunch at
Whole: Mind. Body. Art.
(127 N. Jackson St.) is a
good way to incorporate
your baby into an activ
ity that an older toddler
sibling can enjoy, too. It's a mixture of puppets, playtime and
bring-your-own lunches from 11:30 a.m.-l p.m. every Monday.
Trying to get back to pre-baby shape? Take in a Mama Baby
Crawlers class at Athens Regional Medical Center. It's at 12:30
p.m. every Wednesday at the Mind Body Institute ($60 for 10
classes; 706-475-7329), and it's a time for moms to tone and
stretch while babies (around ages 8 to 18 months) play around
them.
There are songs incorporated into library storytimes, but
parents can also get into the groove at a Kindermusik or
Musikgarten class. Both are 12-week classes that incorporate
instruments, rhythm and lessons specifically for babies. Fall
sessions have already started, but you can get a jump on a
winter or spring session by calling 706-543-8560 (Kindermusik,
at the YMCA) or 706-542-2894 (Musikgarten, at the UGA
Community Music School).
The options start to open up once babies reach 18 months.
(I'd argue that's a toddler, actually.) But for parents navigating
the waters for the first time, it's really the first year that usu
ally has you feeling a bit shellshocked. Who knew: before you
could even babble, you'd have a full schedule?
Kristen Morales
Christy Fricks and her son Lucas. 14 months, take part in a mama/baby yoga class at Full Bloom in Athens. New
parents are lucky they not only have a cute baby, but they have some great options for activities to share with
them: five pacifiers out of five.
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