
When my husband lost his job and then finally found a new one after three long months, he sat on our coffee table with our kids and cried.

When my kids receive a gift from their grandparent, it's the grandparents I watch, not my kids. When the presents produce squeals from the kids' mouths, I can't escape the glint in my parents' eyes. Who am I to stop that?

Our arrangement goes beyond that of roommates. We're genuinely leaning on each other; when one of us has more capacity than the other, she tags in.

Mamas, the time is now. We have to stop waiting to create the life we desire and so deserve. We have to speak up and ask for what we want and need.

The truth is, your definition of "myself" will change during this time.

Inspired by my nurse, this is my motherhood mantra: To care for others, I must care for myself.

6. Little victories are worth celebrating.

It was like putting on glasses for the first time—everything made sense.

You didn't know how much the living room clock would be your closest companion, watching it always and praying for it to be the right time: the time when you can finally feed your baby again, because you don't know how else to stop her from crying.

If I never lose a pound I can still hug my kids, I can jump in the water, I can wear a red dress.

Because it's okay to say you need a break, mama.

When you become a mama, your definition of a smooth morning undergoes…

He said to me the words I say to him in the moments when HE needs to hear it the most. It felt serendipitous, yet completely logical, and I immediately started to feel better. The clouds began to lift. And I realized that he has been listening (whether it be subconsciously or consciously or BOTH), the whole time.

These long stretches of solitude help recalibrate my body and mind.

It's all about replacing one word with another.

"My stomach has lumps and bumps that didn't used to be there," shares Fedotowsky.

Is this the key to a great night's rest? 😴

Half of my hair is dry shampoo, my body still feels unsteady and foreign after nearly 10 months of relentless changes during pregnancy, my contacts may have permanently fused to my eyes and I'm so deliriously tired at times that I'm unsure if I'm awake or asleep.