MAG SCANS/EXCERPTS: NICOLE ARI PARKER IN HEART & SOUL MAGAZINE.

Actress and married mother of two, Nicole Ari Parker covers the February/March 2008 issue of Heart & Soul magazine. Parker dished on her health and fitness regimen, her recent movie projects, her beautiful babies and of course that handsome, hunk-of-a-hubby of hers, Boris Kodjoe. The last time we saw Parker grace the big-screen was back in 2005 when she starred in King's Ransom. Three years, one marriage and 2 babies later, she graces the big-screen again in the new side-splitting comedy, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, which she stars alongside Martin Lawrence. Despite advancements for women in Hollywood, few actresses get the opportunity to make a stellar comeback after starting a family. Parker's acting career easily could have easily fallen off the radar when she and Soul Food co-star Boris Kodjoe celebrated the birth of daughter, Sophie, in 2005, just three months before they tied the knot. Then came son, Nicholas, in 2006. "There were people saying, 'Why would you pull yourself out of the game, get married and have kids at the height of everything?' Because I met Boris and realized what kind of partner he would be, I knew I wasn't alone. We were in this together. The minute you say 'I do' and mean it, your heart just opens. The minute you have a baby, the extra love you need is downloaded. You have space for all these people and the power and energy to do it. That also goes with weight loss,' Paker says.

PARKER ON HER HEALTH & FITNESS REGIMEN: Parker says she gained 70 pounds during her pregnancy with her son, and loosing the weight was a challenge greater than she imagined. She says she drew on her inner strength to get through those 'lazy days' when she didn't care to exercise. She also read Jackie Keller's book, Body After the Baby: A Simple, Healthy Way to Loose Your Baby Weight Fast. And she focused on 'goal-less' exercise, a concept she says should be as mindless as 'washing your butt. We have it programed we're supposed to exercise to loose 10 pounds for a reunion or a wedding or when we meet a new guy. We have to erase those tapes. If you incorporate exercise into your day, like you do taking a shower, you wake up two months later and you're the bomb.' Parker now weighs between 122-125 pounds. "I've lost 65 pounds and no one can believe it because they know me as a slim person. Boris thinks I'm too skinny. I'm going to have to round back out because I don't believe too skinny is cute. I think we need to have a little flesh on us as women."

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AFTER THE JUMP, FIND OUT HOW PARKER JUGGLES MOTHERHOOD, HER ACTING CAREER AND HER MARRIAGE TO BORIS KODJOE + MORE PICS.

PARKER ON HER LIFE WITH BORIS: "My husband is German and African, and sometimes the African king comes out. He's totally the king of his castle. When he says it's time for bed now, he wants everyone in the house to go to bed, and I'm like, 'I'm grown! It's not necessarily a pet peeve, but it did take some getting used to. People think we've been together for a really long time, but we've only been married two and a half years. It's still fresh and new. We're still learning how to be married." As for how Boris feels about his wife, the actor chimes from their home in Atlanta, 'What do I love about my wife? Oh, my God. Do you have two weeks. I love that she finds happiness in everything. I love that about her. She finds the positive in everything."

PARKER ON JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD, MARRIAGE AND HER CAREER: When she felt overwhelmed with everything, she turned to a higher power. "God has a funny way of doing things. there are days I'm just tired. That's when I pray to God, 'God, you know what I'm trying to do. Help me find 10 minutes." Parker also says having a hired professional to help with house cleaning and caring for her children gave her time for herself. Just a few days a week, she says, can give a new mother a chance to breathe. "It sounds like a luxury, but a new mom need help. When your baby is born and you have another little one, you can not take a shower. A woman needs to find her equilibrium. It's a time when you're just giving and giving. If you have a little help, it changes everything."

It sounds cliche, but Parker says her life has changed dramatically since having children. Life is less about trivial things and more about important lessons on love and happiness. "My children just backspaced and deleted a whole lot of nonsense for me. I've thought about how I'll tell them about love. Right now, I just talk to them about vegetables!"