All you need is love. I’m sure we’ve all heard that and probably thought it at some point during our relationships. I’m here to tell you that that is a bunch of bull, in my opinion.

My husband Curt and I loved each other very much before we had Cole (and after of course). We were together for eight years before having our first child and felt we knew one another and understood each other well. During the years we entertained the idea of starting a family and the two years it took us to get pregnant, we had several discussions about how we wanted to raise our children. You know what I mean: how we plan to discipline, who will be responsible for diaper changes, etc. We felt quite prepared to take on the roles of Mommy and Daddy and still be husband and wife.

Dear Cole,

Right now, most of Mommy's communication with you sounds like this, "Sit in your chair" or "Keep that out of your mouth" and of course, "Don't hit Mommy." I hope that on day you will learn that Mommy is best able to share her feelings by writing them down. As I began writing the thank you letters to family for all of the birthday gifts they gave you, I decided to write a letter thanking you for all the gifts you've given me.

When I was researching an article on postpartum depression, I spoke to a mom who had suffered from the disease. One of the things she mentioned that made life so paralyzing for her was her daughter’s severe acid reflux. All the things that go along with that made it even harder for her to take care of her daughter and even leave the house. I totally empathize with her.

The only thing worse than having such trouble trying to breastfeed your son is having no one around who understands what you were going through. Of course I had friends who breastfed their little ones and there was the support group at Hilton Head Hospital – which was great (and whether you‘re breastfeeding or not, I highly recommend it). But the ones around me 24/7 such as my husband, mother and mother-in-law had no idea of the emotions that went along with this struggle.

February is the month for lovers. However, it’s no surprise that Valentine’s Day has been less than a fantasy since my husband and I added a third person to our relationship, our son.

I call it a victory if I get a card on Valentine’s Day (an actual Valentine’s Day card, not the eight of diamonds). Due to this thing called life, my husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day last year the night before we celebrated Cole’s first birthday (which was in April). I know the day is just a day and you should show your significant other how much you love and appreciate them all year long, but sometimes we need to take a day to remind ourselves and each other how great it is to have one another. Since time and money are tight, we get more creative.

When I was beating on the concrete wall in the waiting area of Beaufort Memorial Hospital, neither Curt nor I had any idea of how our lives would change 11 hours into the future. We had read all the books, attended all the classes we were instructed to attend, but that in no way prepared us what it took to be real parents. I will start this blog by saying I’m not here to tell you how to be a GOOD parent or the RIGHT things to do. I’m here to share my experiences of being a REAL mom. I’ve entitled this blog Dirty Diapers because this will be the place that I‘ll be airing my dirty diapers, instead of dirty laundry. I plan to share my experiences as a busy, working mom in hopes that I’m not the only one going through these things.

As a new mother, taking time to develop a workout routine might seem impossible. But building up an exercise regimen before and after baby will get you looking like your pre-pregnancy self and help you feel like the person you were before swollen ankles and lower back pain took over.

Always check with your doctor before working out, but most say it is safe to continue working out while you’re pregnant if it’s already part of your routine and to get back into a workout routine at least six weeks post-partum. Here are some tips to help you get started.