thedrifter
06-17-07, 07:14 AM
Military moms enjoy Father's Day baby shower
By: ELIZABETH IRELAND - For the North County Times
OCEANSIDE ---- Thirteen expecting or brand-new mothers, all wives of overseas Marines, celebrated Father's Day with a baby shower Saturday at Oceanside Marina Suites.
The "Red, White & Baby" shower was hosted by Operation Special Delivery, a national nonprofit that helps the pregnant wives of military servicemen stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and by Garden Grove toy manufacturer Tiny Love Inc.
The three-hour shower included a brunch and games. It kicked off with a question-and-answer session led by Stella Reid, "Nanny Stella" from the television show "Nanny 911."
Reid addressed questions such as "How do I adjust when my husband comes back from Iraq?" and "What can I do about a whiny teenager?"
Reid was a big hit.
Julie Jones, a 26-year-old from Oceanside said, "I wasn't expecting Nanny Stella!" A first-time mom due in August with her husband away in Iraq, Jones said, "The Q&A session gave me some great advice, and so did the moms here already with kids."
"It was nice to come to something for the people at home who need our support," said Reid about her involvement with the shower.
Naomi Wilson, stationed at Twentynine Palms, said she couldn't believe how calm everyone was when the nanny was introduced. "Don't you guys know who that is?" she said.
Holding her infant daughter Elanor Shandy, Wilson said she's "taking it a lot better than most moms with husbands away," and that she was thrilled with the shower and Operation Special Delivery because of "the network and the people that you meet."
"They set you up with doulas, lactation consultants, and parenting classes."
"There is no better way to say thank you for the sacrifices these women make than holding their hands during birth," said the state coordinator for the program, Angela Burshteyn.
The program provides trained volunteer doulas for pregnant women whose husbands or partners are deployed, severely injured, or have lost their lives. A doula is trained to give informational, emotional, and physical support to women before, during and after childbirth.
Prizes such as diaper bags, car-seat covers, and booties were awarded to winners of the baby shower games. The grand prize was a Baby Bling Design Co. stroller given to the lucky person who guessed how many candy pacifiers were in a large bottle.
Jose Lucero, a 22-year-old Marine from Camp Pendleton was the only dad who came to the shower with his wife, Adriene, and their 2-year-old daughter Mia.
Lucero said he enjoys every chance he gets to spend time with his family because he leaves in about a month for Iraq.
"We don't have any family or relatives out here so this is the best thing we could have done," he said. "Wives are well taken care of, almost better than we (Marines) are. That makes it easier to go away not having to worry about that."
Tiny Love Inc. President Tali Ben-ezer said they decided to host a shower because, "We believe these women need our support and the baby shower is our way of giving back to the military families, who make major sacrifices on a daily basis for our country."
Each shower guest left with a large gift basket full of Tiny Love products, including items such as Gyminis (infant pajamas), stroller toys, and mobiles.
Ellie
By: ELIZABETH IRELAND - For the North County Times
OCEANSIDE ---- Thirteen expecting or brand-new mothers, all wives of overseas Marines, celebrated Father's Day with a baby shower Saturday at Oceanside Marina Suites.
The "Red, White & Baby" shower was hosted by Operation Special Delivery, a national nonprofit that helps the pregnant wives of military servicemen stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and by Garden Grove toy manufacturer Tiny Love Inc.
The three-hour shower included a brunch and games. It kicked off with a question-and-answer session led by Stella Reid, "Nanny Stella" from the television show "Nanny 911."
Reid addressed questions such as "How do I adjust when my husband comes back from Iraq?" and "What can I do about a whiny teenager?"
Reid was a big hit.
Julie Jones, a 26-year-old from Oceanside said, "I wasn't expecting Nanny Stella!" A first-time mom due in August with her husband away in Iraq, Jones said, "The Q&A session gave me some great advice, and so did the moms here already with kids."
"It was nice to come to something for the people at home who need our support," said Reid about her involvement with the shower.
Naomi Wilson, stationed at Twentynine Palms, said she couldn't believe how calm everyone was when the nanny was introduced. "Don't you guys know who that is?" she said.
Holding her infant daughter Elanor Shandy, Wilson said she's "taking it a lot better than most moms with husbands away," and that she was thrilled with the shower and Operation Special Delivery because of "the network and the people that you meet."
"They set you up with doulas, lactation consultants, and parenting classes."
"There is no better way to say thank you for the sacrifices these women make than holding their hands during birth," said the state coordinator for the program, Angela Burshteyn.
The program provides trained volunteer doulas for pregnant women whose husbands or partners are deployed, severely injured, or have lost their lives. A doula is trained to give informational, emotional, and physical support to women before, during and after childbirth.
Prizes such as diaper bags, car-seat covers, and booties were awarded to winners of the baby shower games. The grand prize was a Baby Bling Design Co. stroller given to the lucky person who guessed how many candy pacifiers were in a large bottle.
Jose Lucero, a 22-year-old Marine from Camp Pendleton was the only dad who came to the shower with his wife, Adriene, and their 2-year-old daughter Mia.
Lucero said he enjoys every chance he gets to spend time with his family because he leaves in about a month for Iraq.
"We don't have any family or relatives out here so this is the best thing we could have done," he said. "Wives are well taken care of, almost better than we (Marines) are. That makes it easier to go away not having to worry about that."
Tiny Love Inc. President Tali Ben-ezer said they decided to host a shower because, "We believe these women need our support and the baby shower is our way of giving back to the military families, who make major sacrifices on a daily basis for our country."
Each shower guest left with a large gift basket full of Tiny Love products, including items such as Gyminis (infant pajamas), stroller toys, and mobiles.
Ellie