FAIR OAKS NATIVE
Twenty-five year old Heather calls the Greater Sacramento area home, but she’s currently at Camp Pendleton, where her husband, Jason, is stationed in the School of Infantry. (“He likes to play with the big guns,” she quips.)

FORMER MARINE
A self-described "cloth-diapering, organic food fanatic," Heather was an unlikely candidate for military service. “My parents were less than pleased,” she says of her decision to join the Marine Corps when she graduated high school, “my friends and family were incredulous, and in the end I think I did it just to prove I could.”

CRAFTY MOMMA
After five years of service, including seven “really, really hot, not very fun, and pretty exhausting” months stationed in Iraq, Heather was ready to report for mom duty. Now, in addition to caring for her six-month-old son, Lucas, she makes cloth diapers, bibs and wipes, and is preparing to start nursing school next January.

The best part of being a mom is
Watching Lucas laugh and learn how to grab onto things (except when it’s my hair).

The worst part is
Waking up in the middle of the night, only to find that Lucas doesn’t really want to eat, he just thinks it’s time to play – which is cute and all, but not at 1 o’clock in the morning.

The best parenting advice I ever got was
You can’t spoil a baby!

When I need to relieve stress, I head straight for
The wine bottle? I mean… a hot bath.

My proudest parenting moment (so far) was
When Lucas mimicked me sticking out my tongue. Should I be proud of that? It was amazing and hilarious.

What’s your favorite “me-time” activity?
Reading and pedicures. Preferably at the same time.

I couldn’t live without
Chocolate and books.

The best part of working for the military
There was a best part?! Um… Not having to pick my clothes out in the morning.

The worst part
Was waking up knowing I had to do whatever the guy with the shiny stuff on his collar told me to do. Even if he was younger than me and had no idea what my job was, much less how to do it.

I adore my husband because
He makes me laugh and rubs my back. And because he’s 100% supportive of me staying home with Lucas.

Describe yourself in three words:
Audacious. Recalcitrant. Loquacious.

The best decision I ever made was
To have a homebirth!

My motto is
Um. I don’t really have one. But my Nonna always told me, “If you can’t be good, be careful.” I think that’s as good a motto as any.