Babies are great . . .
if they can hold their milk

Robyn’s Hood
By Robyn McCloskey

I’ve long admired people who are passionate about a dream they have in life and actually follow through with it. My friend Liz is such a person.
Liz started out as a neighbor but quickly graduated to friend status when her youngest daughter and my youngest daughter became the best of buddies. After much swapping of each other’s kid, we realized we had an easy rapport and began lingering in each other’s home with every subsequent drop-off and pick-up.
Liz and her husband Rip are not only the parents of two young girls, but three other kids as well, which brings their brood to five. Four of whom dwell with them here on earth, and one whom they’ll someday be blissfully reunited with in heaven.
Liz is what you might call a "baby person." Meaning she is one of those women who can’t help themselves when they see a little pink newborn. Tired moms are always happy to see Liz coming because they know she will pick up, carry around and fuss over their little one as if the child were her own, giving the mommy a much-needed break.
I’m more from the non-baby-person mold. Whenever I am placed in the position of having to fuss over someone else’s baby, I tire quickly and wonder just how long I’ll have to keep fussing so as not to offend the little pooping machine’s mother. I’m also hoping all the while that the little cutie won’t spit up on me, but it always seems to happen.
That’s when the mom typically jumps in to make me feel better by saying, "Oh, it’s just baby spit-up." True. But it’s still spit-up. It’s oozing down my arm. And it smells.
Liz has managed to take her love for all things "baby," not to mention her extensive background as a highly trained nurse, and follow her dream of opening a maternity boutique. She has spent years envisioning this endeavor, and months bringing it to fruition. This week marks the opening of Mother of Five in Newtown Borough, a stress-free shopping experience for mommies-to-be, mommies and their little ones, mommies and their not-so-little ones, and all non-mommies as well.
Liz has spent countless hours scouring the world for personal, unique and practical items that mommies and their babies need. When she first told me about her plans, she hinted that should I be interested in employment, she’d be happy to help me out. She also told me about her plans for a sign in front of the store: Your children delight us.
Great idea, I assured her, but I also gently told her that I could work in the store only if she got me a T-shirt that said Your children annoy me.
Maybe me working at Mother of Five isn’t such a great idea. But watching Liz pursue this passion has been a blast. She often likes to show me new inventory. My favorite is the maternity T-shirt that on the front asks Epidural? Why yes, please! On the back is a printed target to pinpoint exactly where the needle should go.
I wish I had that shirt when I was pregnant.
When I happen to be in Liz’s store, I’ll do my best to fuss over the babies that moms bring along for the trip. I just hope they won’t be offended if I quickly pass the little one on to Liz.
Especially if it looks like the joyous bundle is about to spit up. ••
Robyn McCloskey’s column appears each week in the Northeast Times. She can be reached at crmccloskey@verizon.net