Eighth annual Community Baby Shower held Tuesday, March 25
A special “Mommy and Daddy’s Night Out” was held Tuesday, March 25, as the eighth-annual Community Baby Shower event took place. The Baby Shower, for expectant parents – and parents of children ages 0-to-24 months – was held in the Mountain Lake Public School cafeteria.
The cafeteria was bustling with activity, which included informational booth displays from local and county agencies providing insights into their services for babies and young children, caricatures by former Mountain Lake Public School art teacher Nancy Nelson (a.k.a. Miss Art), neck and back massages by certified massage therapists Jada Stahl and Allison Nau and snacks prepared by Brenda Harder of One-Way Catering of Mountain Lake and served up by Loida Garcia.
Booths presentations were from Mountain Lake Public Library, Region 8 Help Me Grow, Child Care Aware of Minnesota, Discovery Preschool, Town & Country Daycare, MOFAS (Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), Western Community Action’s Community Transit, Head Start, ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education), Mountain Lake ECI (Early Childhood Initiative), Southwest Crisis Center, and Windom Area Hospital on lamaze and breastfeeding.
In the elementary library, Joan Raabe of Mountain Lake shared about SMART, a child development program that deals with the movement of infants and babies that helps them grow well both physically and cognitively.
The event was sponsored by the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) and coordinated by Sherry Pankratz and Jean Haberman, with funding for Shower gift bags from the Mountain Lake Foundation and ECI fund-raisers, along with additional prizes provided by presenting agencies.
Following are some photographs from the evening’s activities:
RACHEL POTTER, AT left, behind the display of the Mountain Lake Early Childhood Initiative, assists Alison and Valy Kounlabout of Mountain Lake, register at her booth. The Kounlabouts have a young son, Ronin.
HOLLY PENNER OF Mountain Lake put her cares away (her children Fairlane, Shelby, Galaxie and Maverick were under the watchful eye of Grandma Kathy Penner), while she savors a neck and back massage, courtesy of Jada Stahl. Also providing the service at the event was Allison Nau.
BONNIE Nielsen, coordinator of Western Community Action’s Community Transit for Jackson County and Cottonwood County, handed out literature promoting the service. Community Transit connects people and communities. This bus service is expanding into serving Cottonwood County, with rides available Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is a shared transit program, with trips coordinated with as many passengers as possible depending on pick-up and drop-off locations. Bus schedules are created to meet the travel needs of passengers who sign up for the service in advance. Buses pick up riders from the door of their pick-up location and drop off at the door of their destination location. The cost to ride is $2-$5, with children two years and under accompanied by an adult riding free. Children ages 3 to 12 pay $1 when accompanied by an adult. Those over age 13 pay the regular fare. Ride coupons, monthly unlimited ride coupons and group rates are available. To book a ride or for more information, call 1-507-847-2632 or 1-800-658-2480 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
HEAD START’S JANET Varilek, left, distributes an activity bag just right for preschool children to Rocio Tellez and her daughter, Genesis, right.
CARICATURE ART BY Miss Art (Nancy Nelson) had Brynlee James, daughter of Nicole (pictured) and Matt James of Mountain Lake, animatedly sharing stories. Brynlee is excited to add a baby brother or sister to the James family early this summer.
MISS ART WRAPS up the caricature drawing of Brynlee.
A HEALTHY SNACK spread was provided by Brenda Harder of One-Way Catering of Mountain Lake. Making their selections are Ashley Cowell, left and Jonathan Muller, right, both of Mountain Lake, along with their daughter, Aliyah. Assisting with the snacks was Loida Garcia.
FOSTER ANDERSON DECIDES to pluck the strawberry slice off his fruit pizza while his dad, Matt Anderson, eyes the pretzels. They are from Mountain Lake.
JOAN RAABE, TITLE I teacher at Mountain Lake Public Elementary School, shared information on SMART, a program addressing the positive influence of movement on the physical and cognitive development of infants and babies.
RAABE QUiZZED THE parents-to-be and young parents on brain development myths.
FOUR TABLES OF gift bags just like this were scattered throughout the library to be awarded to the young families. The gifts were purchased with funding from the Mountain Lake Foundation and fund-raisers by the Mountain Lake Early Childhood Initiative, along with prizes provided by presenting agencies.
