I am writing this with a squirmy, happy baby on my lap. When my son, Riley, was born in March, I knew the times they were a-changing. That’s an understatement.

Life as a mom has been awesome, fun, painful, difficult and, well, the coolest thing I’ve ever done.

After my maternity leave, I returned to my job as associate editor of Taste of Home magazine. It’s pretty much a dream job, but I still have hard days when I just want to stay home and squeeze Riley’s cheeks all day. Most parents know what I’m talking about.

My time at the Catholic Herald was a great growing experience. I worked as a reporter and covered some really great stories, met great people, and was able to create and develop MyFaith into a publication that I thought someone like me would love to read. It was basically sparked by my own curiosity: What makes a young woman want to be a nun? Do Catholic online dating Web sites really work? (They do! Ask Amy Guckeen!)

It felt great to get in on the ground level of a publication that I truly felt young Catholics could relate to and would actually enjoy reading. I hope that’s been the outcome.

So while times really have changed since leaving the Herald, and especially since March, it’s refreshing to know that some things have stayed the same. I still get to see my friends, I still have time for my hobbies, and this past July, I completed my third triathlon. Except this time, a little bundle was waiting for me at the finish line, and that’s way better than any medal!

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