I love being a mom because I am still me. Before I had kids I always thought that you had to lose yourself in raising your children (probably thanks to all those super helpful comments people made when I was pregnant, like, ‘enjoy your freedom now because once that baby comes it’s all over’). Yes, being a mom is a full-time job but it is hardly the only thing I do—or the only thing that defines me. I am still a wife, a friend, a writer, a wine drinker, and, hopefully someday soon, a person who exercises. — Erin Zammett Ruddy, forums.parenting.com