My Village: Part 3

It's so difficult to sit down and write these posts because words don't do a justice as to how much all of these people mean in our lives so I hope it's coming across well!

My non-mommy friends.
I don't have too many of them left but the ones I do have are amazing. Specifically Tiffany, Tammie and Nicole. I only have named these three because they are the ones that either a.) see Lily on a weekly basis and/or b.) talk to me on the phone several times a week and listen to me brag/bitch/babble about baby stuff that they have never experienced.

I'll start with Tiffany.
Tiffany and I met through Dustin's friend Derek. They started dating almost three years ago and the second I met her, I loved her. She has become one of my very best friends and is genuinely like a sister to me. She reminds me so much of myself in certain ways and the bond her and I have is so wonderful.
Since Lily was born, Tiffany has been such an active part of her life. Lily recognizes her and loves her already. Tiff is a natural mom, even though I know having a child scares the shit out of her, and is so comfortable with her. She has made Lily a part of her extended family and brings her a gift almost every.single.time we get together (which is obviously unnecessary).
Tiff listens to my every detail of Lily's adventures. If she is sick of hearing about it, it's hard to tell! She is amazing at supporting me and listening to things that she hasn't experienced yet. She's just amazing and I am so lucky to have her...and so is Lily. I know Tiff will always be a staple in Lily's life, which is so comforting.

Tiff, Lily and . July '09

Tammie.
Tammie is one of my far away friends (even though she just lives in the east coast of Florida) but she is such a wonderful person and a cherished friend.
Her and I met in 2003 when Dustin and I lived in Boca Raton. Her and I worked together waiting on tables. The funny thing about her and I back then is that we actually didn't spend that much time together when I lived there. We built most of our friendship after I moved home, through telephone.
We've seen each other through so much, and even though our lives are so different, she is such a great friend with a beautiful spirit. She was one of my bridesmaids and is one of the best listeners I know. Her first question during our weekly telephone conversations is always, "How's Lily??", with such genuine enthusiasm. I just love her.

The day of my baby shower, March '09.

Nicole.
Nicole is one of my newer friends, who happens to be about 7 months pregnant. Nicole and I met through Tiffany, actually. I've known Nicole's husband for years but we all connected through friends and all spend a lot of weekends together.
Nicole share the obvious bond of her impending child but she is one of the sweetest, most honest, genuine women I have ever met. We've actually only have been friends for about 8-9 months but it seems like a lifetime. She is so wonderful with Lily (as is her husband, who has actually been known to get Lily to sleep when Dustin and I have not) and she listens to my endless unsolicited advice about motherhood. Somehow, I have not scared this girl away from me! She is incredibly supportive and has such positive energy.

Me, Tiff and Nicole at Nicole's baby shower. November '09

One of the most amazing things about all three of these women are that our friendships have actually gotten stronger since Lily has come into the world, which is a tough thing to accomplish since having a new baby makes nurturing friendships more difficult. These women do not shy away from the baby conversations and actually love to hear about boring things, like sleeping through the night, teething, eating pureed food, etc.

I have been so fortunate to find women like these in my life. I know each of them will be amazing parents someday (Nicole, in only 6 weeks or so!) and I hope to return the support they gave given me.