I recently joined a "moms" group at my church because, well, I'm now a mom.
 It's official.   I am now part of a secret club that involves googoogaagaa.  I swivel my head when I'm at the mall to watch that little girl toddling into a toy store. It's like I have a radar on my head that searches through the environment for wet diapers and drool. I am becoming fluent in "googoogaga".

Last night at Dunkin' Donuts to the Indian cashier girl:

Me: I haven't seen you in a while (I get decaf everynight at this particular DD).
Dunkin Donuts Girl: I couldn't be here at night last week.
Me: I understand, I have to take my class at night because of my baby.
Dunkin Donuts Girl: Me too.I had to take care of my baby so I changed my schedule.
Me: YOU have a baby? Oh my gosh! ME TOO!
DD Girl:  I have a baby that is a one year old.
Me: Boy or Girl?
DD Girl: Girl.
Me: Oh my goodness! I have a girl too. She is three months old.
DD Girl: Where is she right now?
Me: My husband is taking care of her...I have to pump while I'm at class.
DD Girl: I didn't have enough milk....so I couldn't do that.
Me: You had to use formula? It all works out in the end anyways.


We talked for the next twenty minutes about our babies and compared notes until I left with a decaf caramel latte and a "talk to you later." I felt like I had met a kindred spirit. Whenever I meet anyone (literally anyone) who has had a child, I want to be their best friend. Since this is 50% of the strangers out there, I freak a lot of strangers out with my exuberance. "YOU have a CHILD?..... I LOVE YOU!"

Without sparing you the details, for the couple hours that I am away from my daughter during class, all I think about is...my daughter. I also have to curb my constant rambling about how chubby she is getting. I have to stop talking about the way she is now "razzing" by rubbing her lips together and producing the most incredible giant spit bubbles.
Oh, and did I mention that "razzing" usually happens at the end of four months and she is only at the end of her third?
Seriously, if I kept going you would probably give up reading this blog.
   
I do find it interesting.  I can connect with any other woman I have met who has a child. For some reason, it has propelled me more into the adult word than any other life event. (Whether or not my maturity level has caught up is a different subject).
I had no idea how much women talked about children, until I had one. It's like you filter all this "baby talk" until the time where it becomes incredibly meaningful and interesting. I want to soak up every single sentence that has the word "baby" or "child" in it.

Though I am now part of this club, I also feel a little bit sad. I am sad because I feel myself growing apart from most of my friends without kids--which is, let's face it, 95.5% of my friends. I think that they also feel like they are "growing apart" from me. I get less calls, and I call them less. When we do talk, I have to avoid spouting on and on about Zoe's poop, Zoe's toes, Zoe's lips...well, you get the picture.

When I reread this post, I'll probably realize that it's incredibly cliche. Basically, I'm just saying that I love babies. Does that really surprise you? I'm no longer this pseudo-intellectual, Christian, young-married girl. I've just descended into the ranks of....yeah, the baby-lovers.

You know exactly what I mean. I am unashamedly, crazily, one of those.

(And for all those of my friends who read this and think "Wow. That is so sad." Just you wait....)