Hello, let me introduce myself first..
For the first 30 years of my life, everything was smooth and worry-free. I was my parents’ most beloved child, found my true love in college, and happily married him after graduation.
At work, I was my boss’s most valued employee. Whenever I was in charge of a project, colleagues would inevitably say, “Oh, then I’m totally at ease.” I was constantly named “Employee of the Year,” with generous bonuses every year.
Later, I started my own business. Within just three months, I had broken into the market and started making money. By the fifth month, I was earning twice my previous salary. Growth was steady month after month. Right when the business needed more hands, I serendipitously met an amazing partner, and the company reached a whole new level.
Really, it seemed like at every step, whatever I needed, a pair of hands would always place it right in front of me, just in time.
My Two Girls: Ellie & Mia
Meet Ellie, My Firstborn
In 2020, my husband and I decided to have a child. After trying for over a year, we finally got the news in 2021 that a little one was on the way. In 2022, we welcomed our first child, Ellie. She made me a mother.
She is utterly adorable—big eyes, rosy skin, chubby little hands. Every time I look at her, I can’t help but give her a kiss. She is pure joy, and I love her more each day.
But as a first-time mom, I faced unprecedented difficulties. The postpartum tearing wouldn’t heal, and the pain was excruciating. Clogged milk ducts made my breasts hard as rocks. The severe sleep deprivation… And what was even more crushing was that, with zero parenting experience, I was clueless when faced with her unexplained wailing, night terrors, refusal to nurse, constipation, diarrhea, fevers… I desperately searched online, longing for one accurate, truly useful answer!
It was during this time that I thought, once I make it through this “dark” path, I must leave a light on for other new moms.
And Then Came Mia
Ellie had just turned one when I got pregnant again. In 2024, we welcomed our second daughter, Mia.
Completely different from Ellie, Mia is a great eater and sleeper. Although she had her fussy moments in the first two months, starting almost from month three, she became super easygoing. She feeds on schedule, gradually sleeps through the night, loves her solid foods, and adapted quickly when I had to stop breastfeeding due to mastitis.
This made me realize just how vastly different babies can be! It made me even more determined to write about my experiences.
Why I Had to Start This Blog
The Catalyst: A Life Pivoted
After Mia was born, my business also began to decline sharply. I had no choice but to close it and become a full-time mom. My work no longer involves Excel and Word, but instead revolves around changing diapers, washing bottles, making baby food, and managing household chores…
This has been a monumental challenge for me. All my past achievements seem irrelevant now. Managing two young children has brought me a sense of frustration I’ve never known before.
The Daily Reality
They are always fighting over things. When one is in my arms, the other immediately demands to be held too. When I try to cook, Ellie wants me to read her a book. When I attempt to load the washing machine, Mia has a diaper blowout, and I must drop everything to change her…
By the time I finish all that, I see the cup of hot coffee on the table has gone cold again. And it’s not until evening that I remember, “Oh my goodness, the clothes are still in the hamper, unwashed!”
Of course, being a mom is filled with happiness, but that doesn’t negate how hard it is.
My Promise to You
Because I’ve walked this path myself, I won’t just tell you how joyful motherhood is, like many websites do. I want to share my real, unfiltered experiences so every new mom can find a “companion” here.
I want to tell you: you are not alone. What you’re going through, I’ve been there too. Your breakdowns, your helplessness, your moments of losing control—I’ve had them all. You don’t need to feel guilty. This is just a small, necessary stretch of the journey for every mom.
My Hope for This Space
I really want to share my parenting experiences—not just the warm, glowing moments, but to honestly document the pitfalls I’ve stumbled into, the tears I’ve shed, and the “survival wisdom” I’ve scraped together in utter exhaustion.
The Goal: A Mom’s Toolkit
I hope this blog becomes a “mom’s toolkit,” filled not with vague theories, but with:
- Practical Tips: Like how to quickly figure out why a baby is crying, tried-and-true methods for dealing with clogged ducts, or how to efficiently manage the daily grind with twins (or two under two) solo.
- Pitfall Avoidance Guides: Sharing the baby products I regret buying the most, and those “game-changer” parenting hacks. Letting you know which parenting anxieties you can let go of, and which principles are worth holding onto.
- A Community for Moms: I hope my stories connect me with more moms like you. We can cheer each other on in the comments, share our own tricks, turning the storms we face alone into a journey we walk together.
The Bigger Vision
My previous career taught me to analyze data, solve problems, and optimize processes. Now, I’m applying all those skills to this new “position” of Mom. I want to prove that a mom’s value is absolutely not confined to the home. The mindset, resilience, and creativity we built in our careers can shine just as brightly—perhaps even brighter—in this more complex, long-term “project” of raising humans, and can even be transformed into a force that helps others.
My hope is simple: that every mom who opens this blog can let out a sigh of relief and say, “So it’s not just me.” Then, she can find a bit of practical info, a dose of comforting solidarity, and return to her sweet, chaotic mom-life with a little more confidence and a little less weight on her shoulders.
This road? Let’s walk it together.
Re: would you leave a detailed schedule?
You know your Mom best, how would she take this information? I know that she is from out of town so the numbers are good but I wouldn't go over board. As long as you can be reached at work then the list should be short... My cell, Ped's office, maybe a neighbor
If you like keeping Ethan on a schedule and you think having someone watch him would throw him off then I would include a nap and feeding schedule.
As far as a what to feed him list...I don't think I would go into too much detail. Maybe just say as you are leaving that he loves x for a snack and it has been a while since he had y for lunch and it would be a treat.
I would. He will react better to someone new watching him if they follow his current routine. And it will be good for your mom to know when to expect him to be hungry/tired, etc.
I always leave detailed instructions, though I can tell they are rarely followed. All you can do is ask, I guess.
I did with my DD and the family friend watching her (neither of us have parents around).
I did everything - emergency numbers, wake time, nap time, bed time, all meals, snacks and snack time, and then a list of other info (like where to find things, what things are off limits, etc).
Of course even with my list, the person went way past nap time but it wasn't the end of the world...
Nest Bio ~ ~ Baby Food Blog
The most time that we have been gone has been a few hours for date nights, so I usually just give my Mom or MIL the general schedule verbally, and let them go from there. Evan does not really follow a strict schedule, so I give them round about times that he would need something. They have been around him enough to know his cues, for the most part. If we leave him for a whole day in the future, or with someone other than our Moms, I will most likely write a few things down.
The first time we left Jack with my ILs, I wrote EVERYTHING down. Maybe I got the nervous Mommy out of me with the puppy and now I am a little more relaxed about it.
We are always available by phone too, when we are not with him.
Yes, I would leave a detailed schedule. I always have one on hand when we leave DD with someone. I also have a laminated emergency contact list with all of our phone numbers,cell #'s,grandma and grandpas #'s, police direct line, poison control, local fire #, pedis #, insurance information, our next door neighbors #, and our home address with directions into our subdivision. Its very thorough. I'm sure your mom doesn't need all that, but its nice to have on hand.
You know, I left very detailed instructions when my parents watched Abby before the baby was born, and all I have left for Elizabeth was a sticky note with the times she needs to be fed. haha. But my parents have watched her a lot, like once a week or so ever since she was born either while I am working or just for a couple hours because my mom calls and "needs an elizabeth-fix". And she can always get me on my cell. And I do have the poison control number and the pedi's number on a 3x5 inside the bag I use for her bottles and milk.
But if anyone else were to watch her I would leave detailed instructions.
i'll be honest. I worry. Both days I am at work she will be with him for 10 hours, that is a long time to be with him. I know I am tired when it's my day off and we are stuck in the house all day. i know he isn't going to sleep b/c my mom won't just lay him down b/c she doesn't want to hear him cry
Some things won't change though just because you have it on a list. At least for my mom they won't. My mom thinks the reason she was falling asleep nursing at 6:30 tonight is because she played hard all day with her (I worked today). Uh, no, it is because when I asked you how the naps went, you said she "cat-napped". She also thinks she is doing me a favor by "saving my breast milk". Even though I would rather her just be fed on schedule. But then again, there isn't really a schedule if the child is cat-napping! So I have a few extra ounces in the freezer tonight and a child that went to sleep 1 1/2 hours earlier than the normal bedtime. We shall see what tonight holds.
But the way I look at it - she was well loved and safe. And ultimately that is all that matters. Her schedule's thrown off, so tonight's sleep may suck, or tomorrow may be rougher than normal. But it may also go fine. For now it works for us and I want my mom and dad to enjoy her and do the small things their own way as long as they are following my and DH's wishes on the big things (like they follow my wishes on no blankets when she is sleeping, to not use the free car seat they found at a garage sale, they don't sneak her food to see how she likes it).
My MIL watched Lorenzo last weekend and I left his schedule and a list of "how to trouble shoot"..she thought I was nuts but she hadn't watched a baby in 10 years..
I also left phone numbers, everything out that he could possibly want or need all laid out for her- so she didnt have to look for anything..
I should also add that a lot has changed over time, for example....
I left instructions on how to play the music in his room....it is a docked ipod. My dad and step mom had no clue how to turn it on!
R sleeps in a sleep sack, neither of them had seen one before (my sisters kids never used them). I had to show them how to put him in and zip it down, not rocket science but they didn't know how it worked.