As respite caregivers babysitting for children of foster parents, Erin Corder and her husband Ryan knew that adoption would be part of their family plan most likely after they had biological babies. Assuming that when the time came, the process would be a protracted one, the Corders were as surprised as they were overjoyed when in March 2023, they received a phone call from a family member who explained to them that his acquaintance was just two months away from giving birth and the adoption plan had fallen through: would the Corders consider becoming the parents of the baby?
Answering with a resounding yes, the Corders scrambled to complete the adoption paperwork, while also readying their house to bring a baby home with only eight weeks to spare. Since the vision for their parenting journey had been thrown into reverse, the Corders found themselves starting from scratch and with no immediate family in town, the soon-to-be first-time parents relayed their circumstances to a small group of friends, who immediately went to work planning a baby shower.
By April, the Corders had decided to name the baby Eden, whose name lent the concept for the garden-themed shower. The party, which was thrown at a friend’s house in Mount Pleasant, was decorated with bouquets, potted plants and ivy. There, the Corders were treated by their co-ed circle of friends to a brunch buffet, mimosas and a latte machine with spiked coffees. Nobody was actually pregnant, so a good time was had by all. Erin added that it was an unusual feeling, celebrating motherhood when she wasn’t pregnant.
As a new mom adjusting to three-month-old Eden’s bottle-feeding schedule and changing nap times, Erin started having wild dreams and night sweats that prevented her from sleeping. That’s when she discovered that she was expecting a baby.
Exhausted from the fog of pregnancy and parenting a newborn, Erin acknowledged, “The only way this has been possible has been by accepting help from our support network. Both Ryan’s and my mom came into town to help, my aunt moved here to help, our friends contribute and when I need to rest for an hour or two, I drop Eden off with our neighbors. It’s okay to ask for help. Because as mothers, it’s important to prioritize our own mental health. Take a break and get off your feet so that you can come back as a better mom and give quality instead of quantity time to your children.”
Since the Corders hadn’t had a chance to have a gender reveal party for Eden, they decided to have one for baby number two. When their guests came over for a chili dinner, Erin said they were all taking bets on if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. Already aware of the gender, Erin had baked cupcakes with all different colors of funfetti on the outside and pink icing on the inside, indicating that another daughter was on the way.
Thanks to the recent baby shower, the Corders had just about everything they needed to welcome baby number two into their home. Still, friends wanted to support them the best way they could. And that’s when the idea of a meal prep party came to life.
“It was the perfect concept,” said Erin, “because we didn’t need anything new and the thought of being sleep deprived while trying to plan a menu, go grocery shopping, do the prepping and cooking, was beyond exhausting.”
This time, 10 of Erin’s girlfriends gathered in the atrium at the Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Mount Pleasant, where everyone came prepared with ingredients to make three batches of meals that could be frozen. One batch of each meal went in the cooler for Erin, another everyone kept for themselves and a third batch was placed on a swap table. Between prepping, friends enjoyed charcuterie, cake, mimosas and mocktails.
“Everyone had so much fun,” said Erin, “that we’re going to do this once a quarter.”
By Sarah Rose
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