After years away from The Little Gym, I recently returned to sign my toddler up for the Birds class. It was like a wonderful homecoming.   Here is the back story. The Little Gym was my first foray into the sometimes-scary world of playgroups, movement classes and the baby band hour at local coffee houses. I was a bit nervous as a new mother to go to these events solo. Yes…I now see how absurd my fears were, but at the time the thought of walking into a room full of strangers, who would clearly be better mothers than I was, seemed very overwhelming.

Apprehension aside, I needed to do something social with my new bundle of joy. I desperately wanted to get out of the house after my first daughter was born. I was lonely. All of my friends were still working and didn’t have kids. I was a fish out of water. I wanted to find an activity that had a small fixed group of people that met weekly. I wasn’t ready to start rocking at Jammin Java. Call me crazy but I don’t think your infant should have to wear earplugs in order for you to meet people. Don’t get me wrong; I came to love kiddie rock in later years. I might have joined a local playgroup but, at the time, my idea of play was a night out in Arlington or Adams Morgan. I truly had NO IDEA that mommy playgroups existed. If it wasn't listed in a local parent's magazine, it was invisible to me. Hey, why do you think I started the website…for people like me!

TOP TEN BABY ESSENTIALS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) - by Kim From Nursery Know It all

1) CAR SEAT(S): Obviously, one must have a car seat purchased and properly installed prior to leaving the hospital with your new bundle of joy. You will most likely purchase an infant, bucket type seat, which you will use from birth until your baby is about 5-7 months old (depending on your baby's size). You will then need a convertible type car seat that can face backwards (until at least one year old and/or 20 pounds) and then forwards.

2) STROLLER(S): Again, you probably won't get by with purchasing only one stroller. The strollers out on the market are limitless. You should choose a stroller based on your lifestyle and budget. I recommend a snap-n-go type stroller frame in which the infant seat easily fits right in. Once your baby outgrows the infant seat, this combo will be obsolete! You will then need another stroller whether it's a jogger, umbrella or hybrid-type model. I recommend taking them out of the store to push on the sidewalks, practice folding and unfolding and placing in and out of the trunk if applicable to see how cumbersome it might be. When you have a wriggling, crying baby the last thing you need is a 40 pound stroller to collapse and try to shove in your trunk.

Let’s face it preschool is a big step for most parents and children. This is the first “official” school setting that your young child will be experiencing. Despite the fact that this is one of the first “Big” developmental milestones for your little one, it will be you that is obsessing and stressing over the decision and process surrounding preschool selection.

I went into the process with the faint memory of my years in preschool. Your parent signs you up and off you go. Now have fun and listen to the teacher…right? Wrong! First you need to select from an insane number of preschool options in our area. There is curriculum, class size, hours, religion, price, teacher tenure, security and more to consider when choosing where Junior will spend his days coloring. Of course today’s preschools offer much more than finger painting and snacks. Some higher end schools have these kids learning Russian and dissecting frogs (I kid you not!).

I implore you, have a glass of wine, sit down and chill out. Your munchkin is not destined for a life of crime if she doesn’t get into “The Best” preschool in town. Hey…a few of us who didn’t attend Harvard actually got jobs after graduating. My point being, don’t get lost in the death spiral of stress surrounding this process. In my humble opinion, I would recommend the following: