I became a mom in April 2020. In those early, surreal days of the Covid pandemic, we were still wiping down our groceries and wondering if our doula could be there to support my birth (she offered virtual services, but I didn’t want to have to worry about Facetiming while in labor.)
After a scary emergency C-section, my daughter Simone arrived healthy and screaming her little lungs out. I felt incredibly lucky to have our little family, together and well.
I also felt lonely. The village that everyone talked about consisted of people isolating in their own homes. That spring, our Zoom Passover Seder was a sad substitute for our annual tradition of family catching up, laughing, singing badly, and feasting together.
They say when you have a baby, you are birthing two people: a baby, and a mother. I was a new person trying to navigate a new world, with a little creature who was constantly hungry and didn’t want to sleep except for in my very tired arms.
Sometimes parenting feels impossible to talk or write about; I think that’s why we so often resort to cliches. One of those cliches that feels very true to me: the days are long, but the years are short.
Four years later, my own world is barely recognizable. I have a fierce, funny little girl and a curious, sweet toddler boy, Julius. The world is full of challenges and tragedies (and miracles), but it is back. My family moved from New York City to a tiny town in New Jersey. I’ve worked hard to cultivate a little, wonderful circle of parent friends.
And I have a dream job as the editor-in-chief of ParentCo., where I get to share real stories from parents in the trenches every day. Our small but mighty team lives all over the USA, from New Jersey to Houston to Arkansas, and we work with freelancers around the world. We are connecting a global village of parents, and we usually do it from our laptops.
At the end of last year, we travelled to Atlanta for our first Prego Expo, the nation’s largest event series for new and expectant parents. ParentCo. shared a booth with our sibling company Baby Einstein. I was excited but didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a total whirlwind. There was a palpably buzzy energy in the air. We spent all day talking with parents to be and their spouses, friends, and families. We celebrated, we commiserated, we shared, and we bonded. It was thrilling and heart-filling.
One thing we know about parenting is that it’s about a million times better when we’re together. At Prego Expo, the community that we work so hard to nurture online came together irl—and it was remarkable.
We loved it so much we signed up for more. Earlier this month, I got to meet incredible expecting parents, entrepreneurs, pediatricians, sleep consultants, doulas, lactation specialists, photographers, creators, designers, and more in New York City, the city I called home for 15 years. Right now, we’re gearing up for our second Atlanta Prego Expo on April 6. Atlanta is the headquarters of our parent company, Kids2. It’s extra meaningful and fun to meet new parents in our hometown. If you live nearby, we hope you come see us!
After Atlanta, we’re cooking up plans to represent ParentCo. at more Prego Expos around the country this year and beyond.
We think of it as being able to bring ParentCo. to life, in person.
There’s nothing we love more.
We can’t wait to see you in Atlanta, or at a Prego Expo near you.
Hannah Howard
Author