Motherhood changes us. Celebrate the ups and downs with these honest, insightful essays about becoming—and being—a mom.

To the one who is always giving me more reasons to fall in love with him, again and again.

A whole new friendship circle awaits. Promise.

FertileGirl’s founder opens up about the challenges of breastfeeding her babies.

As the mother of a nursing toddler, what I hear the most is, “You need to stop.” But, why?

You don’t realize it, but trust me, you are doing amazing.

I’m so grateful I get to do this with you.

Stimulating, caring and ultimately teaching my children at home all day is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Love me and I’ll be grateful for your friendship; love my babies, too, and I will do anything in the world for you.

I put myself out there, I love hard, lead to the best of my ability, and am never afraid to try anything once.

At every turn, you find new limits to test, places to explore, and journeys to be discovered. There is never a dull moment with you in the family.

Piccolini’s founder shares her personal feeding journey.

My daughter is growing right before my eyes, and I don’t want to be teaching her that matching clothes is what life is about.

I see you because I was you.

When we see the good things in our lives and just acknowledge them for what they are, we can fully feel happiness and joy more frequently.

My role as your mother is an honor and a privilege.

But this stage doesn’t last forever mama. Promise.

2. Kindness. Catch your kids being kind, thoughtful or compassionate and reward them with your attention and praise.

The truth is, he needs the sleep and so do I. So why wage a paci war?

You were *just* my baby. And I’m stopping to remember what these last few years have meant—to both of us.