Kelli Miller (34) and Esmé (10 months)
Photographed in Austin, TX
Kelli shares -
"I am amazed at both how strong and how weak my body is. I push myself to the brink every day, but I manage to get up each morning. The first few months postpartum I hated the way my body looks. But, with some dietary changes and my continued fast pace, I've lost all the 'baby weight' and am feeling attractive again.
I wanted to be a mother for so long, I am surprised at how poorly I'm adjusting to motherhood. I love my daughter more than I could ever hope to express, but I struggle to find joy in motherhood. Sleep deprivation and no time to care for myself has been a real challenge. I am lucky because my daughter sleeps through the night, has a happy temperament, rarely cries, and is very healthy. But even still, I never expected my life to become so different and so much more difficult.
Ask for and accept help. You cannot do it all alone and you will wear yourself out trying to.
As I age, I am losing the benefits of youth and attractiveness. Having my daughter at 33, my body has not bounced back as well as if I had been younger. I see and hear so much hate surrounding women's' bodies and I know aging and changes are inevitable. I think it's important for everyone to know and accept that physical attractiveness is not forever and that there are more important things about each individual than appearance.