<i>Lost</i>'s Elizabeth Mitchell Talks Motherhood

On kids being a source of inspiration: "Having a baby has absolutely increased what I am capable of doing creatively. When you have a baby, you are so tired, but your heart grows. His whole world becomes magic. As a parent, you realize you are a maker of that magic. That's one of your jobs besides all of the practical stuff: whether or not your child loves all these things, like singing and music, has a lot to do with the way you present them."

On sleep deprivation: "I cannot be someone who is not there at all hours. If CJ wakes up in the middle of the night, then I am going to be there, and we are going to figure out how to go back to sleep. For the first year, he just did not sleep, and now he sleeps like a rock. I think this is because I put so much time in with him back then. You stop worrying about dumb things, and you really just start doing the things that are most essential."

On the importance of family: "Chris and I have different parenting styles. I never lose my patience. I understand that CJ is 3 years old. And Chris is unbelievably high energy and fun. There are giggles that come from CJ when he is with Chris that I have just never heard. They are the most beautiful things ever. I will come downstairs and Chris will have invented this fantastic, crazy running-around game. And then there are the grandparents, who are also very different. They have their own way of doing things. CJ is a funny, interactive, sweet kid, and I feel that's because he has been exposed to so many different points of view."

On fresh air being the cure for tantrums: "We have almost an acre of land, so we go out and walk. CJ plays in the stream and in the pond - any little kid can find a world of adventure. We have apple trees, and he likes to help me do some of the gardening, the cleanup, and the pruning. He has never had a tantrum outside. He's 3, so he certainly has his fair share, but I find that once he's outside, he's really happy."

On her baby journal: "I also keep a baby journal of highlights, although I am not remotely religious about it. I keep a little thing next to my bed and try to write in it at the end of the day. I'd like to write a little letter to CJ for when he is, like, 16. It's really fun for me, too, because I can look back and see the funny entries when I wasn't sleeping the first year. Some of it is very flowery, which is not usually me: 'I love you like the moonbeams.' But I am reading it now and going, 'Wow.'"

Photo: Bauer Griffin