Before we get to today’s post… Guess what?! It’s almost time for the BIG reveal. Get ready for makeover Monday next week as Out and About Mom gets a brand new look. As we’re puttin’ on the ritz Monday morning, you may notice a few glitches here and there around the site. But make sure you check back later to see the new site design. We’d love to know what you think!
Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging…
Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
Do you have a new baby at home? Are you looking for a great way to get out of the house, have fun with your little munchkin, meet other new moms, and just generally revel in the opportunity to rejoin the human race for an hour every week? Then this is the post for you! Today, I am going to tell you all about the fantastic (and frugal!) Little Bundles class at My Gym in Glastonbury.
But first of all, it’s confession time. After almost 6 months, I still can’t come up with a decent blog name for my new little guy. This is a lot harder than I thought! When he weighed in at 17 lbs at his 4-month check-up I lamented that we already have a “Bruiser” on the OAAM team because that nickname would certainly apply!
I thought about other names we use for him at home to refer to some of his funny baby habits (i.e. “Screech” for his high pitched baby sounds). But while those seem somewhat endearing when mommy and daddy say them, they aren’t really the most flattering of pseudonyms, right?
And all of my mushy terms of endearment–snugglebug, cuddlebug, lovebug, (meanwhile why do so many baby nicknames have the word “bug” in them? Bugs are not cute. Just sayin’)–seem like they have an expiration date of one year. And then I’d be right back to square one 
So anyway, that was just my long-winded explanation for why today, when I am finally devoting an entire blog post to an activity with my little guy, I do not have anything to call him other than “my little guy.” For now, that will have to do 
But I digress…
Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we? And by that I mean the little guy’s birth. There I was, so excited to have this new little baby because, among many other reasons, I was going to be able to explore all those infant activities that I was too timid (okay, terrified) to try with Boo. After all, Boo would be in preschool three days a week, leaving plenty of mommy and me time for baby brother.
Of course, then I remembered how wonderfully portable a little baby is in his click-and-go car seat. How easy (relative to wrangling a toddler) it is to go to the grocery store, the mall, the bank, the dry cleaners, the coffee shop on the corner so I could actually sit still for more than two minutes and maybe read enough of the newspaper to feel like I am still a citizen of the world. And well, before I knew it, I’d spent a third of his first year running errands during what I had fondly imagined would be our special together time. Oops.
On the plus side, I had clearly gotten over the baby-outing-o-phobia I suffered with my first child, when a trip to the store to pick up milk set off an entire morning of preparation (not to mention trepidation). But still, I was determined to find some activities for baby and me that didn’t involve shopping carts.
And so it was that I decided to try out the Little Bundles class at My Gym that several of our readers had recommended to me. The age range for this class is 6 weeks to 6 months (actually, it’s through 6 months; so up until they turn 7 months), and we made the cut at 5 1/2 months.
If you’ve read my previous posts about My Gym Glastonbury’s Open Play and Gymsters class, you know that it is located on New London Turnpike in the Buck’s Corner plaza. It’s set back a little from the road, so just keep an eye out for the sign. Plenty of convenient parking.
Some rules to know before you go. First, no sick kids at My Gym (duh). Second, parents must wear socks and no shoes when participating at My Gym (kids generally go barefoot; but the rules for babies are a bit more flexible). I’m always wearing mismatched, old, or ridiculous (bright pink dotted with chili peppers) socks in the winter because who sees them? I’ve always got boots on! So I like to know when I am going to have to take my shoes off. I spend an extra few seconds fishing out a presentable pair And of course, no food or drinks in the gym area.
For the current My Gym Glastonbury schedule, the Little Bundles class is offered once a week on Wednesdays at 12:45. This posed a little bit of a challenge for me because I pick Boo up from preschool at 12:30. So I drafted Boo’s “DeeDee” to come with us so she could look after him and make sure he didn’t tear the place apart (thanks, Mom!). If you have an older child who is able to be pretty self-sufficient, play quietly, etc., you can definitely bring him or her with. There are benches to sit on, a few toys to play with (you can always bring some of your own too) or your older child can simply be amused watching you act like a goofball with his/her baby sibling
Of course, if your older child, like mine, does not always entertain himself so well, don’t bring him unless you also bring someone to supervise him (or her). You will want to devote 100% of your attention to your “little bundle” to get the most out of this class for the both of you.
As I mentioned above, the Little Bundles class is for babies ages 6 weeks through 6 months (up until they turn 7 months). The class is 45 minutes long, and it’s a drop-in class, which means you do not need to register in advance. You do not even need to be a My Gym member to take this class! And it’s just $5 per class. $5! I’ve had lattés that cost more than that.
I always love when baby classes are drop-in because with a kiddo that little, you never know from week to week what their schedule or temperament is going to be like on class day, and the last thing you need to be doing when you are dealing with the assorted stresses of having a newborn is worrying about whether or not you will make it to a class you have already paid for. If it’s a good day, you go. If it’s a not-so-good day, you don’t have to.
When you arrive, you can shed your gear on the benches at the front of the gym (and don’t worry, everyone there knows traveling anywhere with a newborn requires lots and lots of gear; you will be in good company).
Next, pay your fee (cash is preferred) and then unbundle your little bundle and head toward the center of the gym where you will see blankets set out in a circle. Go right ahead and lay your little guy or gal down on the blanket and sneak in some play or cuddle time while you wait for class to begin
There may be this fun blanket in the middle with different textures, etc. to check out as well.
Right now, My Gym co-owner “Miss Amy” is teaching this class using her own little bundle (born just one day earlier than my little guy!) as her “demo baby.” Here she is with her daddy (the other co-owner of this My Gym). Is she a cutie or what?!
My little guy was ready for some playtime. Forgive the fact that I didn’t even bother to take him out of his fuzzy jammies that day. It was sooooo cold out, and he looked so nice and warm and cuddly in them.
Okay, now to get started with Miss Amy.
In retrospect, I should have written down the order in which we did these activities knowing that my residual “mommy brain” would cause me to forget right away. So I may have these a little out of sequence. You’ll still get the idea
First we started with the My Gym hello song, of course. Then we went around the circle and introduced ourselves and our babies. Even though it’s a drop-in class, it seems like many of the moms have become regulars, which is so nice. Especially if you are a new mom. A friendly face can go a long way toward making that new baby adjustment period easier to weather.
We sang a little song, which is one that was learned at the end of the previous class (you learn a new song at the end of each class, then start the following class off with it), then we did some baby stretches. That’s me on the right there, next to Miss Amy. Notice how I completely inadvertently dressed myself in the colors of the My Gym uniform. Whoops!
We did some circle dancing.
Next, out came the fun toys for the babies so that the mommies could have some time to
commiserate
discuss today’s newborn-related topic: sleep.
Don’t worry, the toys get a good cleaning after each class, so you can let your little one chew on them (like you could stop them anyway, right?!)
The mommies get a little handout about the topic du jour, which I mentioned was “sleep” for today. It had some helpful tips for trying to make the most of the little time you have for sleep when there’s a newborn in the house.
But really, this was a chance for us to share our own trials and triumphs as related to this topic. The wonderful, magical thing about being in a room full of new mommies, is that even if it’s the first time you’ve ever met, you feel like you’re chatting with your best friends. Everyone is going through the same overwhelming experience (whether it’s your first time or your fourth time, that beginning stretch is always rocky), so everyone can relate, at least in part, to what you are going through.
So we dished. One mommy shared that she finally got her little one to sleep for more than three hours at a time (yay!). I shared that I was so tired the day before that I had used my face wash in place of shampoo (yikes!).
After our
group therapy session
discussion, it was time for some open play, with lots to explore in the gym. We could take our babies on anything–the slide, the trampoline, the ball tub, the bouncy balls, etc.
The swings and bouncers came out as well.
During this open play, there were also structured activities assisted by My Gym staffers. These were fun exercises to help baby strengthen different muscle groups. You learned how here, and then you could do them at home too.
BTW- turns out footie pajamas are not the best choice of apparel since sometimes it is helpful to be able to get a good grip on those little tootsies
After open play time is where my memory really gets fuzzy (I blame lack of sleep). I know we played a little musical game. How crazy is this picture where everything is blurry except me and baby boy? Kind of a nice metaphor for my life right now
Back in the circle, the kiddos enjoyed Miss Amy’s puppet show, with each one getting a front row seat.
Then it was time to learn the new song (lyrics included on the discussion topic handout).
And finally, the My Gym good-bye song.
It was so nice to be in a social and supportive environment with lots of fun things to try with our babies, that it was definitely with some reluctance that we all packed up to go. I’m more than a little bummed that I waited so long to give this class a try (in just a few weeks, my little guy won’t make the cut-off anymore). So don’t delay, head over to the Little Bundles class with your new bundle of joy. For new moms (and dads!), not only does this class give you an opportunity to bond with your new little buddy, it just might save your sanity too
THE MOMSENSE:
My Gym Glastonbury
2249 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, Connecticut
ph. 860-633-8700
email. mygymglastonbury@gmail.com
Hours & Admission
Currently, the Little Bundles class at My Gym Glastonbury meets from 12:45-1:30 on Wednesdays. Click here to see the most up-to-date schedule.
The Little Bundles class costs $5/class (cash preferred). No registration or membership fee required. This is a drop-in class for ages 6 weeks through 6 months (up until they turn 7 months).
Tips & Things to Bring
Remember your socks! Only kids go barefoot at My Gym
Just bring baby! Blankets and toys provided.
The class is very casual. If your little one is not into the current activity, no worries! Do what works until he/she seems ready to join back in (even if that means taking a few minutes to nurse or give a bottle).
Wear clothes that you feel comfortable moving around in (stand, sit, bend over, jump, lie down, hold baby up high, etc.)
Dress baby in anything comfortable, but you may want to skip the footie pants or PJs because some of the exercises may work better when you can grip those itty bitty little feet.
This class tends to be attended by a lot of first-time moms, so this is a great opportunity to meet other people making the adjustment to parenthood and to make some new friends (for you and baby!)
If you have been consistently taking the Little Bundles class with your new baby, when it’s time to upgrade to a registered class, My Gym Glastonbury will waive the one-time membership fee when you sign up for the next level of classes.
There are two family-style bathrooms at the back of the gym. The yellow bathroom has a diaper changing station in it.
NEW: you can now book trial classes, sign up for classes, and schedule birthday parties on the My Gym website!
Meet Our Sponsors!
NEW - 4D Vision Gym
The Annie Fisher Montessori Magnet School - AFM offers children ages three to twelve years old a free, public Montessori education implemented to the highest standards set by Association Montessori Internationale.
NEW – Bright Horizons at Village Place
The Independent Day School - Located on a rural campus in Middlefield, CT is a private pre-school, elementary and middle school, serving families from over 20 communities.
Kathryn Deane Photography – Kathryn is a natural light photographer specializing in maternity, newborn, child, family, and senior portrait photography.
Are you interested in becoming an Out and About Mom sponsor? Click here for more info.
Want to keep up with all our Out and About Mom adventures?
Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we dish up more Momsense for getting out and about with your little ones. Don’t have time to check back in? Let us send you an automatic notification of new posts straight to your email inbox by signing up here. Also, you can like us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest posts and get some extra tidbits we share only through those sites.