Fredericksburg Parent

6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • September 2022 parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA EMAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guaran- tee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2022 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET twitter.com/fredpar- ent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES editor's note editor's note Photo by Corey Miller Photography Firsts Firsts PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR & WEBMASTER Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle & Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter: Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Caroline Murray: Nate and Brendan's mom EDUCATION & INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan's mom SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR Jessica Trask: Cye, Asher and Ragan's mom SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Mira Dover MARKETING & EVENT INTERN Ragan Trask Two weeks ago, a friend and her fiancée welcomed the birth of their new baby boy. I witnessed the progression of her pregnancy from her first announcement to the tired look of satisfaction on her face as she cuddled her newborn from her hospital bed. What really resonated with me was the excitement on the face of her fiancée—he was "over the moon" as I observed and commented onto her social media post. Shortly after, I thumbed through some photos of my children in their infancy and throughout various stages of their young lives. Seeing new birth has that sort of effect. I think it's the same of anything new or transitional. Think of the times you go to a graduation, a wedding, or see a teenager in a photo with their first car, these moments always seem to take us back. I even chalk up the start of every school year with the same regard. It's as if I can smell my old elementary school classrooms again when I help my children pack their supplies for the first day. In this issue, we look at some of these fresh starts. Whether adding a new pet (p. 24), a new baby (p.12) or adjusting to a new body (p. 14) we have you covered. And here's a little fact to take to your next trivia night: If you feel like everyone's birthday is in September, you're probably right. According to a study in Reader's Digest, "the week and a half between September 9 and September 20 contains nine of the top 10 birthdays in America, with the top three being 9/9, 9/19, and 9/12, respectively." Crazy, right? With that I hope you enjoy the issue, soak up the freshness of the start of fall—another new begin- ning—and take a stroll down mem- ory lane as you encounter events and things that remind your favorite firsts. I'm sure there are plenty. My daughter's fi rst-ever trip to Busch Gardens and her most recent trip.

• Cover