This season of motherhood can be daunting. The days are long. Patience runs thin. Free time is rare, and the effort to connect with friends is sometimes more energy than what is left in the tank at the end of the day.

Our City Moms Blog Network team is at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas the week to bring you the latest and greatest in baby gear, toddler gadgets and kids toys! Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #CMBNAtABCKids16 to see products before they even hit the shelves!

The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa is THE one-stop destination for families, business, and leisure. Win a 2-Night Stay!

Are you in the midst of a life change? Maybe you’re adding a sibling to your family. Or you or your significant other recently had a job change. Or a job loss. Or you’re going through a move. Do you feel like you’re in the midst of mayhem? Like you have no idea how to keep yourself sane, let alone your family, in all of the chaos?

One of the first things I learned when I had my daughter is that nothing can prepare you for those first few weeks postpartum. No one tells you how much of a sleep-deprived, hormonal mess you are. You ride the waves and manage to keep swimming, but it isn’t until you get through it that you realize you weren’t fully functioning as a human being.

The truth is that once you lose a baby, you are not the same. Each of your children, whether they make it to babyhood, childhood or adulthood, changes you. And while you have been rocked, changed, rearranged and never to be the same again, by their loss, something you never wanted, the change that happens in you doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Third child gets all the hand-me-downs, right? Baby girl's crib currently has all the teeth marks from when her brother used it. Her future big-girl car-seat currently has a Mickey Mouse pin lodged into the cup holder and will not budge.

On the day you were born, I knew immediately that you had Down syndrome. It was hard to not be selfish with my feelings – to not immediately question how this would affect your two sisters, your dad, and me.

I always used to wonder how people could “not know” if they were pregnant. It seems so obvious. But then it happened to me. I remained in a strange denial for a few weeks before I even took that pregnancy test, even when the symptoms were all pointing in the direction of Baby Land.

We are proud to partner with our friends at Apricot Lane, the leading fashion boutique retail franchise. Not only does Apricot Lane provide the latest fashion trends for women at affordable prices, but with 23 years of franchise experience they are committed to supporting and helping each franchisee reach success! Today we share with you a mother and daughter duo that have turned their passion of shopping and fashion into a family run business by opening their Apricot Lane store in Omaha, Nebraska. Now the can share their passion with others!