Motherhood

I dreaded my six week postpartum appointment. I was barely sleeping, my body looked like a deflated Halloween costume, and I cried at the most randomest things. How did I not look like the women splashed all over the...

I walked into her room to find her sitting up happily. With poop in each hand, she smiled a big toothy grin at me. Considering that I could have caught her "decorating" her crib or walls, I feel I...

A struggling first-time mom and her quarrels with adjusting to a life that is not her own anymore … sound familiar? Many of us can relate to the painful transition of becoming a first-time mom; the agonizing exhaustion and the...

The perfect mother: a title bestowed upon the best moms and coveted by many. This woman can balance everything. Her children are carefully dressed and well-behaved. She can manage a career and be present at home and for all...

Raise your hand if you’ve ever needed a babysitter. Raise your hand if you’ve ever needed a babysitter and didn’t know a single person you could call or trust. Raise your hand if you’ve ever canceled your plans and avoided doing...

This is part of a series of perspectives from our contributors on a subject that no one quite has the answer to: when is your family complete? Read an earlier article from another mother here, and comment below to...

According to the ever popular and always factually correct Wikipedia, "Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many...

There's nothing like a job search to make me feel underqualified and undervalued. As a military spouse who has moved five times in the six years since getting married, I don't really have a career. I have hobbies, I...

Imagine this: you are offered the chance to travel the world for 9 months. You can work remotely, thus providing an income during your travel. You can visit anywhere and in any order. You are limited only by funds...

Empty. What a strange word. It has multiple meanings. You might have an empty bank account, an empty stomach, or an empty bucket. Dictionary.com lists its meaning as “containing nothing.” What a punch in the gut. You see, we’re about to be...

I remember the day like it was yesterday: we were stationed in Italy, my husband was working another 16-hour day, and I was running on empty. Again. My first baby (around 2 months old at the time) just finished...

Dear Meredith,  You’ve made it. You are now officially halfway done with this latest deployment. You are surviving, your kids are striving, and your husband is doing well on the other side of the world. Sure, some of that time...