Carrie Saum

My BFF has been trying to go easy on the grains lately.

I didn't have even an ounce of energy to spare to process my own feelings. Everything I had went to my son.

I can't do this on my own. This life thing, this parenting thing, this figuring out how to make it all work thing? Yeah, those things. I can't. And what's more is I don't think any of us are meant to. It's time to shed the taboo around asking and receiving help.

In February, you gave me that soul-punching gaze again and told me it's okay to eat bread while we obtain Our Best Bodies. You lost 26(!) pounds and you eat bread every damn day! I feel how miraculous this is for you because you've probably made bread evil, along with All The Carbs and fat on your body.

Motherhood didn’t pan out the way I anticipated, not even a little bit. It was so much more electrifying and terrifying and amazing than I ever imagined.

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Lately, we have been struggling to feed ourselves good, healthful meals.

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Stuffing things is the best. I mean it. Can you think of ONE THING that is stuffed that you hate?

I didn’t realize I was a polarizing person until my late 20s. I was raised in a tradition where being liked was extremely important — pivotal, even.