When I was preparing for motherhood I learned so many new and fascinating things. For instance, I needed to monitor the number of times my son peed and pooped. I also had to figure out the right amount of time between diaper changes. If it is a little wet, do I change him? Or do I wait?

While preparing for my son's birth, I carefully researched sleeping arrangements for newborns. I knew that I was having a C-section and that I'd be nursing, so I needed him fairly close. I thought that co-sleeping might be the best option, but I was concerned about the softness of my bed and looked into options that keep him close but in his own "bed." I didn't care for the in-bed sleepers -- that might have been an option with a king-sized bed, but my bed was too small for that.

"A mother's love is so special It's something you can't describe Until the day you die" - The Intruders

While my son and I are visiting my mother for the holidays we are co-sleeping. This is not usual, we frequently co-sleep when we are home, especially when he is sick and wants to be close to Mommy. Co-sleeping in a place that is not home means that I have to go to bed with my son and this necessitates getting ready for bed, even if I plan on getting up once he falls to sleep. I get undressed in front of my son without reservation, we occasionally take baths and showers together and if he ever has questions about body parts we always tell him the appropriate names.

Fit momma. That is what I want my nickname to be. At the moment I am about 40 pounds away from that moniker but I am working on it. Avidly. Right now a more appropriate name for me is Fat Mommy. Not Phat or any other cutesy way of defining it but fat. Obese actually. My body mass index is in the obese range and has been there since my pregnancy. I had my son 2.5 years ago and I have done very little to rectify the situation.