I know it seems like I'm just jumping on the Big Forum Bandwagon, but I hope this forum will be different from all the other forums out there.

I am not going to link to this forum from my journal. I will simply be inviting certain people to join in the discussion and hopefully it will grow slowly and naturually from there.

I want this forum to be a place where the lot of us can talk about Baby stuff without having to worry about someone, somewhere getting offended or tired of it or what not. This is, hopefully, going to be a place where we're all in the same boat. All wanting to babble endlessly about our babbling babes.

So, without further ado, I'll introduce myself and hope that this becomes a great place to hang. (= WELCOME!

-- Jolene (jolene@lanset.com), June 15, 2000

Answers

I'm Jolene and I write the journal that is housed at www.cremerinseandtobac cosmoke.com. (It is currently called "Take to the SKy", but I'm thinking of defaulting to my domain name, but we'll see.)

I am a new mom to Jessica Ember Margaux. She is 12 weeks old and the light of my life. I never really wanted kids, but I couldn't imagine life without her now.

I hope to have some really great discussion with the rest of you! Thanks for joining in!

-- Jolene (jolene@lanset.com), June 15, 2000.

I think this is a great idea, especially since i've recently learned that newborn baby+upkeeping a journal=disaster. With a forum, I can keep up with everyone and all the latest baby gossip without feeling too overwhelmed.

Anyway, I'm "stasi" to the OLJ world...real name Joanna. I have a three-week old daughter named Daisy, and she's awesome! Every day it gets a tiny bit easier, but parenting is definitely harder than anything else I've ever done in my life.

I have a career in social work, and while I was pregnant I worked with pregnant and parenting teenagers. I definitely want to follow this path in life. I've always liked teenagers (and children), but now that I am a mom I have a new respect for teen moms. And I have a whole new insight into why teens do NOT want to become parents (it's hard. heh) It just amazes me that a 14 year old girl could raise a child. I'm 28 and a college graduate and I'm amazed that I'm doing it.

Anyway, hope this forum takes off. :)

-- stasi (stasi@sweetpeas.org), June 15, 2000.

I keep a journal, Blissful Moments, under the secret undercover identity of Bliss (BM just celebrated its 1 year anniversary with not much fanfare...in fact none - just passed by and didn't know it).

My daughter, Emma is a preemie - she was born 2.5 months early, is 3 months actual and 2 weeks adjusted in age now. The time she spent in the hospital helped prepare us to care for her at home so my husband and I don't feel as overwhelmed as other first-time parents may feel. She's pretty much a mellow child, but there are times, like last night, when we can't figure her out for the life of us. Sometimes, my husband and I can't believe how lucky we are to have her in our lives, though. We keep giving each other goofy looks and saying, "We're parents now! She's ours!"

I think this forum is a great idea too - thank you for the invitation!

-- Bliss (blissful1@cheerful.com), June 15, 2000.

Hi everyone.

I'm Krista who had the journal Femme FATale before I had a crappy day and pulled it all down. I'm considering bringing it back and maybe giving it a new name but nothing it set in stone yet. I do miss writing but as all of you know, it's very hard. Things are getting better though and Evan will hang out with my husband for a bit so I can have a few moments to myself.

Oh and speaking of Evan, the reason why I'm here. He's a little over four months now and is a happy, healthy boy. I feel very lucky to have him in my life.

-- Krista (eyetalic@yahoo.com), June 15, 2000.

Hello. Geez, I'm 32 and feel like the elder statesman around here because my kids are of the ripe old ages of 4 and 2. :)

I also keep a journal, "And If I Die Before I Wake...". The journal began out of a fear of dying while they are still young...I know that sounds morbid, but true.

I guess it should be mentioned that it also stems from having such a horrible relationship with my dad...but that's for another forum.

I think this forum is a terrific idea, and thank Joanna for the invite. I know my wife and I would have loved to have such an outlet when the magoos were born.

I do have a request. Will those of you still keeping journals (sad glance towards Joanna) please include the url to them. I'd love to discover new sites.

Take care...looking forward to this.

Bob http://www.geocities.com/and_if_I_die/index.html

-- Bob (and_if_I_die@hotmail.com), June 16, 2000.

Welcome to everyone! YAY people!

Just a couple of notes: Spouses are VERY welcome here! As are friends that have babies too, but don't keep journals. I really kind of hate to be so discriminatory and say it's for parents (or those trying) only, but hey, that's totally why I created this place. Parents (and hopefuls) UNITE! (=

I'm so glad folks have stopped by. Welcome, again, to everyone and I'm going to go spew some questions out. Feel free to start your own as well!

-- Jolene (opticchic@lanset.com), June 16, 2000.

hi everyone...

thanks for the invite jolene :o)

well, i'm peta and i have been keeping a journal (see.saw) for nearly a year. i'm the proud mummy of jakob, who is nearly two and has to be the most wonderful little person i have ever known. he just amazes me in every way.

in addition to that, we are expecting another bebe, in less than a week actually. so things are going to get a little chaotic!

anyhow... this forum is a fantastic idea and i look forward to chatting to you all.

peta.

-- peta (peta@popsicle.org), June 16, 2000.

hi there... i'm lara. i'm the proud mommy of savannah, who was born on tuesday, 30 march 1999, just about three months early. she was 1lb. 6 oz. and 12 inches long when she was born. she was in the hospital until 4 days after her due date.

currently, she is _almost_ 15 months old, and right about a year corrected. she's probably around 17-18lbs, and 29 to 30 inches tall. she's crawling, pulling herself up and walking assisted. and, she seems to have no long-term difficulties because of her extremely low birthweight or prematurity.

i'm a stay at home mom, and i also have an online journal called, 1 + 1 = 3.

i know a few of you, and i hope to get to know those of you i don't know already. take care!

-- lara (everything.else@mindspring.com), June 16, 2000.

I'm Wendy and I have two kids, Russell (8/30/93) and Genevieve (5/3/2000).

I got diagnosed with diabetes 3 weeks before I got pregnant with Genevieve, so I had an adventurous pregnancy, which I wrote about. I am continuing the journal, though I don't know for how long because I'm going back to work half-time soon and there's only so many hours in a day.

-- wendy (baewe@geocities.com), June 21, 2000.

I'm Allison and I've been keeping an OLJ since February of 2000. It's called Milestones. http://ourmilestones.homestead.com/journal.html {and I am an HTML dummy, so if anyone would like to tell me how to do links withink this box, that would be great - I think I might know, but I want to make sure}

Anyway, I'm a 26 yr old stay-at-home mother to Grayson, who was born on his due date - May 14, 1999. The day that changed our lives for the better.

-- Allison (allison@nccoast.net), June 21, 2000.

Allison! I am such a lamer! I knew I was going to forget Someone. I'm sorry darling.

Forgive me? (=

-- Jolene (jolene@lanset.com), June 22, 2000.

No problem, Jolene :~)

I was going to ask you for the link, but Bliss sent it to me, so here I am. Thanks!

-- Allison (allison@nccoast.net), June 22, 2000.

Hello everyone I'm a 26 yr old mother to William who is 9 1/2 months old. I do not have a journal although I do have a website for William http://www3.sympatico.ca/wemartin/baby1999 I think I read the journals of everyone who has posted to this question so far

-- Lynn-Ann (lynna_martin@yahoo.com), June 28, 2000.