PEPS: Program for Early Parent Support is a volunteer organization uniting parents with parents to survive parenthood. PEPS has been operating in King County (in Washington State) for 21 years. I can personally recommend their New Parents program. It's been great to spend time with other first-time parents whose children are about the same age as ours, as a sanity check, as a forum for swapping stories and advice, and simply as a group of people that don't flinch when the baby cries.

The Chicago Tribune recently did a story on PEPS, which is a little weird because it's currently a Seattle-only program. I recall they're interested in starting up programs in other cities, but I forget if there are active plans. (I've heard there are similar programs in other areas, unrelated to PEPS.)

One of the many fliers that get distributed at PEPS meetings is a small photocopied collection of lyrics to simple baby songs. As a fundraiser, PEPS distributes a CD of these songs as performed by Chris Ballew, lead singer and songwriter for The Presidents of the United States of America, Jen Wood of the Jen Wood Trio, Maria Elena Gomez, and Brit Speakman. (If anyone has information on Maria or Brit, please post.) You can buy the album via Amazon.com, proceeds will go to PEPS. Keep in mind these are songs to be sung for babies ("If You're Happy and You Know It," "Skin-a-ma-rink," "Where is Thumbkin?"), not exactly indy rock radio fare— though Ballew's original "Close Your Eyes Little Sister" has all of his style, and should appeal to fans.