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: Step-Grandparents?
Kelly Monaghan's 5K - 5/15/11 - 3rd Place in AG
Walk the Talk 5K - 5/18/11 - 31:12 PR
Ridley Run 3.1 - 4/14/12 - 1st race of the year, 32:45
We called my grandma's new husband Grandpa Martin (his first name).
You could just wait until your son starts calling him something and go with whatever it is. That's how my dad came to be Papa.
Or Mr. Firstname?
I'd call him by his name.
My step dad has been in my life since we were little but I've never called him dad, I've always called him by his first name. We don't have the issue of other grandparents though. My DD has always called him "Grandpa Sasha" which is his first name.
My DD has a group of grandparents. My DHs parents are divorced and my MIL is re-married and my FIL has a girlfriend (whom he has had for over 20 years now). It is a little different since these people have been in our lives for longer. And then there are my parents. So DD has a different name for all of them. My dad is her Papa, FIL is Jaja (Polish for grandpa), and the step grandpa is Grandpa Bill. She has 3 different names for the grandma's too. Now FIL gf is not really "grandma" since she isn't even married to FIL, but she is still "busia" (Polish for grandma). I envision as DD gets older she will start to call her by her first name. So far this has not been confusing for DD at all (she is almost 4). She probably thinks everyone has 3 sets of grandparents.
In light of how you feel about the step-grandpa, just come up with some nickname that is his own, but isn't grandpa. Sorry I don't know what name, though (Papa? Pop?).
My dad's parents divorced when my dad was 15 so I have step-grandparents.
I had older cousins and so my sisters and I called my dad's mom and stepdad what my older cousins called them.
I called my dad's dad and stepmom "Grandpa Firstname" and "First name".
I have a much younger cousin who calls my dad's mom and stepdad "MiMi" and "PawPaw" which is NOT what we call them but my aunt refused to let him call them what the rest of us call them.
Not sure if you're still checking this thread, and I also did not read the other replies, but just wanted to give you my experience.
It is my FIL that is remarried, not my MIL. From the time I started dating my husband (and obviously before), the relationship between MIL, FIL, and SMIL has been - not pretty. They could barely tolerate being in the same room together for any reason. (Grandkids have improved this to a degree.)
I had had issues with SMIL while I was pregnant with DD#1. I was incredibly unhappy with her. We weren't sure what to do about what our child(ren) would call her, not just for that reason though. MIL would have a coronary if she heard any of her now 4 grandkids call the "other woman" grandma. SIL had a son 9 months after our first daughter was born, and we discussed it some with her. She wasn't planning on "grandma" for her dad's wife either.
She is a good woman though, things have changed considerably since the kids were born. She loves them so very much and treats them wonderfully. They came up with the kids calling her "Oma". I think it's German, for grandmother. Not sure about the spelling. So we all settled on that. Not that it's probably not obvious to MIL, but whatever.
At this point, I'm not sure I'd care if the girls just decided to call her grandma though.
Here's hoping things change for you guys too, but in the meantime, it's really YOUR choice (and your husband's) what he is referred to as. In the future??? your child will choose on his own.