This Thanksgiving, we hope you find that feeling.

Sitting here as my baby naps, surrounded by mushed up bananas and yogurt splattered around my kitchen (and likely in my hair), I feel hopeful.

Thanksgiving is a time for friends and family to gather and give thanks for the blessings we have in life. Some would look at the state of my kitchen and wonder why I’m sitting here typing instead of cleaning. But I’m thankful for the mess. I’m thankful for the chance to sit here and write.

You, our readers, are who inspire us to provide a tool that will bring you closer to your friends and family. We think about Christmas, when the app is live, and your loved ones can ask you informed questions about your pregnancy because they’ve been following your journey. We picture you sitting next to your expecting cousin, with your baby in your lap, sharing your experience and resources of what helped you during your pregnancy, or what you packed in your hospital bag. We envision you continuing to stay in touch about the many other pieces of advice you seek from those closest to you during these special times in your life. Companionship is our goal.

Thanksgiving might be the first time in a long time that many of us have seen our family members.

The black hole of the pandemic imparted a heavy hesitancy to gather for the holidays. It has now been 2 years of waiting for this glimmer of normalcy, when the doors finally open and we can safely reunite. It’s like the pandemic was a time warp where relatives never even saw us pregnant, and now all of a sudden we have a baby…sometimes I question if I was ever even pregnant at all.

Now, during the little fleeting moments I spend with a friend or family member cautiously doing something we did “pre-pandemic”, I find myself saying out loud, “this really helped me feel normal!”. Allowing them to hold my 7-month baby and bond with him, spending time with their children and asking about their experiences, this is as close to normal as I’ve felt. We need this sense of friendship and belonging. We need to find that same excitement in small moments that we did before the pandemic.

This Thanksgiving, we hope you find that feeling.

This year, as your cousin’s wife tells you the date of her upcoming anatomy scan over turkey and mashed potatoes, it’s okay to let the tryptophan-induced coma you’re about to fall into prevent you from remembering the exact date she said. Because you can find it on her Bumpdate Profile. Because you can remember to check in.

Thank you for being on this journey with us! We can’t wait to help you stay connected and be the friend who remembers.

Grateful for you all. Happy Thanksgiving.