It’s vacation time at Maryland Family and our guest blogger today is our calendar editor, Laura Barnhardt Cech. Laura’s second child is due Sept. 10 and last week she blogged about revealing names while pregnant:

I am thankful for all of my friends– they are source of strength, humor and love. But today, I’m especially grateful for my mommy friends. They understand my hormonal melt-downs in the final weeks of pregnancy. They accept my teary tirades, order pizza and let my son mess up their playrooms. They send me encouraging emails and call to check in.

They’ve shared the tips about nursing and baby equipment. (Who knew a Bumbo seat could cure constipation?) They’ve passed along kid-proof recipes and places to have birthday parties. And, they’ve modeled good parenting– talking when I would’ve yelled, being positive when I would’ve shouted, “No!”

Occasionally, though, a mommy friend will be so amazing in my presence that I will remain awed for months.

This summer, a friend brought her two boys over for a play date while we were both vacationing at Ocean Pines. It was rainy morning and we chatted while our 5-year-olds played fort on the bunk bed. (You know where this is going. I should’ve known better.)

Her son fell and hit his head. The cut was so deep that we called 911. The whole ordeal, naturally, was pretty traumatic. He was crying a lot and wasn’t soothed one bit by the “excitement” of riding in ambulance.

Things got better at the hospital, where he was given ice cream and several stitches.

Rather than let the bad experience with the paramedics and firefighters linger in his mind, my friend, Natalie, returned the next day to the fire house with her son. They gave the volunteers treats and thanked them. And her son posed for pictures in front of the ambulance that had scared him the day before. He was all smiles and thumbs-up.

I never would’ve thought to do that. But it was such a good idea to make sure he didn’t have a negative association with his rescuers.

Do you have examples of ways your mommy (or daddy) friends have inspired you?