Hi, my name is “Mommy”, “Babe”, “Sette”, “Squirt”, “Sis”…

This is Lissette and I last fall. She is an amazing person and I am beyond blessed to call her a friend. I've asked her to share her experience with starting up a MOMS Club. Adult interaction and mommy friends are sanity savers- big time! So, without further ado, here's Sette!

…also known as, Lissette, stay-at-home-mom, wife, friend, daughter, sister.  Some of the many names and hats I wear in my life, and I answer to all of the names above for the various titles given.  I am a 29 year old woman who holds a degree in Psychology and Sociology with a background in Social Work.  I also have a degree in butt-wiping, puke cleaning, baby bathing, cooking, “boo-boo” kissing, and hugs and kisses distributor.  I feel I am currently more defined by the latter.

                I try to be active in the community, but sometimes feel I overwhelm myself with what I want to do and what can actually be done.  I have two children who are 2 years old and almost 7 months old.  Both boys.  They keep me busy enough throughout the day I cannot remember what I was about to do, let alone what I need to do that day or week.  Funny how children make things a bit more interesting at all times.  I currently volunteer with March of Dimes in organizing their annual March for Babies event in our local area and fundraise for our family team as well.  In addition to this, I founded a MOMS Club chapter in our town and it is growing quickly. 

Growing up I always thought I would have a job where I go into an office, or the like, and work my whole life at something I only half enjoyed.  Never in my imagination did I think I would be able to stay home with my children at such a young age for myself and them.  Thanks to my husband, I have been a SAHM since my oldest son was born, and although it has challenges I would not want it any different.  I have not ever worked in an office while raising children, but I feel this “job” as their mother is the most difficult one I have held.  The most difficult, for me, is trying to stay connected to adults and other mothers like myself as being an at-home mother can be isolating.  There is only so much conversation you can have with a toddler.  When we moved to our town my oldest son was only 4 months old.  I had lived here before when attending college, but let’s face it, living somewhere as an undergrad is completely different than living in that same place as a mother!  Completely.  Different.  I did not know a soul and it’s a town where the main focus is on the college and not much in the community.  I searched and searched for a “mom group” where I could get connected and make some new friends.  I found a MOPS group which was already formed, but they were not meeting until September and it was May.  I had to wait out the entire summer to make any friends.  It sucked.  So, September came and I attended the meeting.  Only to find this group met twice a month and they were thinking of going to only once a month.  I don’t know about you, but how are you supposed to get to know people you only see once a month!?!  A month later, the group disbanded.  I came up short in the “friends making” department.

In the previous city we lived in I heard about MOMS Club at my son’s pediatrician’s office.  I thought it would be so neat to join and get to know other SAHM’s, but did not get a chance to as we moved shortly after this.  After the MOPS group was over I was at a loss.  We’re looking at about November after we had moved in May.  After I waited the whole summer to finally meet some other moms!  Coincidentally, I ran into an old college friend while grocery shopping who introduced me to a group of women who met once a week for a Bible study.  I was kind of desperate, so I joined.  All the while, in the back of my head I could not get over how much our community needed a “mom group”.  It desperately needed a group where the women had one thing in common, being a mom.  To me, it did not matter about anything else, such as, religion, politics, etc.  I needed mommy bonding.  Apparently, I was not the only one.  I talked to some other women I had met and pitched the idea to see if there was any interest in such a group before I got in over my head.  It seemed every mother I talked to was ecstatic about it, and my energy soon followed with the same excitement.  After several months of deliberating, I decided to go for it.  In March 2012, I registered our local chapter with the International organization MOMS Club.  On March 27, 2012, we officially became MOMS Club of Stillwater, OK and we had 1 member, myself.  Starting from scratch with so many ideas and having no idea what to do with them.  My oldest son was 14 months old.  Two days later, I found out I was pregnant.  Crap. 

Stay tuned for more from Lissette when "Part 2" hits the blog soon!