Nothing has impacted me more profoundly than the years since the birth of my first child in 2016. When I look at who I am today, so much of what I'm most proud of and thankful for is rooted in my experience of giving birth and wading into the waters of what kind of parent my children deserve. Over the last 9 years, thanks to that baby and two more, I've stretched myself, become sturdier, become softer, and found a sense of self-certainty and clarity I didn't know I had access to.