NCT bake-off

So having had my initial scepticism about joining an NCT group appeased by meeting a group of seemingly nice and 'normal' couples, all equally nervous and unknowing about the perils of what might lie ahead along the path of parenthood, I think I may have encountered an early setback.

A few days ago I popped over to one lovely new mum's house to meet with a few of my new grown up friends. I, perhaps to compensate for my lack of maternal skills, baked some cookies in the morning a la Bree Van de Camp to take along. Bound to be impressed with that little display of domesticity I thought, clever way to delay the discovery of my inevitable future inadequacies in this scary new world. Tupperware in one hand, nearly-40 week bump in the other, I made my way in the sunshine, all suddenly right in the world.

"I brought cookies!" I proudly exclaimed and made my way through to the kitchen. The cookies were not the star of the kitchen nor the afternoon, needless to say. Another lovely lady had whipped up some Belgian chocolate mousse in little individual containers; the hostess had prepared fresh berries to accompany the luxury goods she had bought (ok, not home-made but they were 'Taste the Difference', and it was her house!); and to top it all, the most recent new mum arrived bearing her 6 day old daughter, a very small stomach and a home-made treacle tart!

OK so not exactly a tortuous afternoon all in all, however it did make me realise, as I politely turned down the opportunity to hold tiny babies or eat any of the goodies on offer, that perhaps being Bree wasn't going to be so easy after all. Perhaps I'm more of a dippy Susan, or frazzled Lynette. There was I thinking that I'd left the world of competition behind me for a few months, and in reality I think I have instead entered an even more combative one. I think to qualify for a good end of year maternity report, not to mention in-year bonus, I'm going to have to be a lot more resourceful. Hmm, food for thought while we await the arrival of Bump.

On the plus side, I still had some cookies left to offer my hubbie as he came home early for the long weekend. At least he appreciates my new-found domestic prowess. Or was that just the sugar-rush?