Child 5

Charlie’s Birth Story*

*Novel is more like it. Make sure water is nearby, get comfortable, and read on. Charlie, born on January 3rd at 9:16 AM, 7 pounds 3 ounces, 20 inches I love birth stories. I’m one of those weird people who has no qualms talking about my labor experiences or hearing all the nitty-gritty details ofRead the whole post >>

I’m a wife, mom of five kids, writer, speaker, storyteller, bibliophile, runner, eating disorder survivor, and perfectionist in recovery. I'm the author of Getting Past Perfect: Finding Joy & Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood and Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body.

I’ve tried a lot of things in my life – anorexia, bulimia, law school, teaching aerobics, extended breastfeeding, vegetarianism, trying to be perfect and failing miserably at it – and through it all I’ve been writing. And learning to embrace the messiness of life instead of covering it up, making excuses for it, or being ashamed of my brokenness or my home’s sticky counters.

Nowadays I’m striving every single, imperfect day to strike a balance between keeping it real and keeping it joyful.