9781523511471

Mom records her baby’s milestones, but what about her own? Where is the celebration of mom’s transformation?

Beginning with one-day-old mom, who may feel like she is learning a new language, Mom Milestones is a love letter to the myriad ways moms grow and adapt to motherhood. Here are significant firsts: First sleepless night. First walk with baby. First mom friend. Skills learned—how to soothe baby (sometimes); how to coax a preschooler into taking medicine. Mom’s likes (adapting pop songs to lullaby format; gathering intelligence from other moms) and dislikes (emptying the lunch box with mystery smells; requests for video games). There’s Bedtime: The Board Game; crafts mom enjoys (no glitter or glue, thanks!); and the ABCs of motherhood (E for ennui).

While there might not be a road map for motherhood, Mom Milestones tracks both the memorable and slightly forgettable guideposts along the way—sunrises, snack plates, cuddles, laughter, and astonishment—because, as the saying goes, the days are long, but the years are short.

• ​​​“Critically-acclaimed by some of the most beloved names in the motherhood literary community, Grace Farris’s illustrated journey through the first seven years of motherhood is a must-read delight.” —WhatToExpect.com
  
  “An ode to the toughest job in town.” —Martha Stewart Living
  
  “A clever illustrated take on first-time motherhood. . . . Farris successfully upends the idea of a baby milestone tracker by turning it into an often amusing but sincere and affirming take on motherhood. This is a no-brainer for parents of all experience levels.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review 
  
  ​“With humor and been-there understanding, author and illustrator Farris flips the script on babyrearing guides with this spot-on account of the birth and development of a mom. . . . Farris has your back, mom. Readers will cozy up to calming, knowing comics-style illustrations and lap up the milk of compassion and solidarity in each mom milestone.” —Booklist 
  
  “An absolute delight from first page to last, Mom Milestones is the parenting book every mom needs! Grace Farris tells it like it is while making us laugh and reminding us to savor the small moments on the journey of motherhood. A beautifully written and charmingly illustrated ode to motherhood.” —Madi Sinha, author of The White Coat Diaries and At Least You Have Your Health 
  
  “*Shouting from the rooftops*: This hilarious book should be required reading for every parent. Early motherhood often feels isolating, but this book will make new parents feel SEEN, as well as encouraged, charmed, and loved. Grace Farris covers parenthood’s magical highs and ridiculous lows, from sleepless nights and toddler meltdowns to bedtime kisses and reclaiming your identity. Simply put, Grace Farris gets it, and we’re somehow lucky enough to have her as our guide and cheerleader. I could not love this wonderful book more. She deserves our deepest gratitude—and a small bowl of nuts.” —Joanna Goddard, founder of Cup of Jo
  
  “Hilarious, tender, and honest. Those who have been in the motherhood trenches will feel seen in these pages over and over again. Just brilliant.” —Kate Baer, New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman
  
  “Grace Farris has a talent for capturing motherhood in a way that’s relatable, honest, and funny. I was captivated from the first pages and wished I had this gem during my first months navigating new motherhood. Reading Grace’s book is like having lunch with your wittiest and most creative friend. Told with a rare blend of insight and inspiration, Mom Milestones is sure to be a source of comfort for parents everywhere!” —Saumya Dave, psychiatrist and author of What a Happy Family
  
  “I really wish I had this book when I became a mom the first time around. This delightful and humorous collection shares motherhood experiences in a light and relatable way. The illustrations are fun, and I especially appreciate the representation of different moms. I’m definitely gifting this book to my mom friends.” —Andrea Pippins, illustrator and author of Who Will You Be?
  
  “Grace Farris’s cartoons are funny, smart, and get brilliantly to the heart of things. They’re also deeply sweet. I recommend this book emphatically to anyone who has or is thinking about having kids.” —Liana Finck, cartoonist and author of Excuse Me and Passing for Human
  
  “Grace Farris is one of my favorite cartoonists, and her collection does not stint on pinprick specificity and warm wisdom. This wonderful book deserves pride of place in every nursery library, and it will probably be the only volume that actually gets read.” —Lauren Mechling, author of How Could She
  
  “As a first-time toddler mom, reading Mom Milestones has made me feel less alone in my experiences. Farris approaches motherhood and child development with wit, silliness, honesty, and compassion.” —Whit Taylor, cartoonist and editor at The Nib
  
  “This book will make every new mother feel truly seen—the good moments and the bad ones, the ugly feelings and the transcendent. You’re going to make it, and Grace will show you how—with a bag big enough for string cheese and clementines and literally everything else anyone could possibly need for the next several hours. You’re doing great.” —Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of All Adults Here
  
  “Grace Farris’s debut book is so funny, wise, and tender, and so startling in its accuracy. Every page had me chuckling and nodding in recognition, feeling by turns wistful and moved by Farris’s keen observations and pleasing drawings. I can’t wait to give this book to every mother and mother-to-be in my life!” —Edan Lepucki, author of Mothers Before
  
  “Grace Farris is the Roz Chast of the mom world—witty, incisive, hilarious, and real. If you know a new mom, deliver this book to her doorstep ASAP along with a tray of lasagna and a pallet of diapers.” —Sabrina Moyle, cofounder of Hello!Lucky and Nautilus Award–winning author of I Believe in You
  
  “Being a new mom, it’s easy to lose track of yourself. I enjoyed how this book refocuses the experience from the mom’s perspective. Not only have you birthed a new human, you’re also getting to know a new you!” —Sharee Miller, author/illustrator of Michelle’s Garden, Don’t Touch My Hair, and Princess Hair
• "I've never felt so SEEN by a book than I have with Mom Milestones... It’s truly a love letter to the myriad of ways moms grow and adapt to motherhood"
  Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard