Julie with her son and daughter.
When given the opportunity to volunteer as a newborn PEPS Group leader, Julie Schaar felt that it was her duty to give back to other new moms and give them the same support that she enjoyed in her newborn PEPS Group. So even though she just had her second baby, she volunteered to lead with her newborn! “That gave me a different perspective and allowed me to lead and participate at the same time. I am currently leading my second Newborn Group with moms in the Sammamish/Issaquah area.”
Julie first signed up to participate in PEPS after her first son was a month old – she was nervous about being in a group of people she didn’t know. “I am shy in new situations so was that mom sitting in her car before my first PEPS meeting thinking I would just bail and not go in. I am not sure what made me go but I am so glad I did. Being part of a PEPS group helped me so much those first few months and the friendships I made in my group are my village as our kids grow up.”
Julie and her son, Casey.
Julie also joined a Little Peppers Group after having her second baby. Moms attend Little Peppers with two (or more) kids under age 4, so she was able to bring both her son and daughter to the group. “It ended 5 months ago but my 2.5 year old still talks about PEPS every time we drive past Swedish Hospital (where we met) and if we go in for an appointment he thinks we are going to PEPS. He calls Kix ‘PEPS cereal’ from having it at snack time. I have to be careful not to talk about my new group as PEPS since he thinks he should be going.”
When not volunteering for PEPS and chasing her little ones around, Julie likes to cook, read whatever books are at the choice reads section of the library and quilt. In the fall she roots for the Husky football team as a season ticket holder.
Thank you, Julie, for all you do for PEPS!!!