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.
Telly21182
member
Re: Jaxon - thoughts
Heavens to Murgatroyd Blog
Unofficial Baby Names Sticky Note: New and Old| Local Bumpie Website
I love the name Jackson though but I don't think I will ever be able to get on board of the whole "x" trend.
Hehe! Like I said, DH came up with it and I honestly didn't know if I'm just blinded by my weird love of the letter x (like a woman wanting to get engaged being blinded by diamonds!)
And please god, I hope no one would ever spell it Jaxxin... that's too much younique, even for DH!
PS - I should emphasize DHs complete disregard for how a name actually works... he really loves the name Maximus Meridius like in Gladiator. He thinks that will automatically make a son the coolest thing ever and a complete bada$$.
Jackson is okay, but not as great as just Jack.
Jaxon is a horrible attempt to be trendy and different. The name is pronounced the same as Jackson so I don't get the need to put a random "x" in there to be unique. It just makes his name hard to spell for everyone for the rest of his life.
Jackson=
Jaxon =
If you like names with an X how about Felix or Xander?
A co-worker recently named his son Knox, nms but it has an X.
My Awesome Craft Blog
My other blog
<a href="http://lilypie.com/"><img src="http://lb2f.lilypie.com/4uvTm4.png" width="400" height="80" border="0" alt="Lilypie Second Birthday tickers" /></a>
All around, way too trendy for me
Jack is very popular, -son names are very popular, the LN as FN trend is very popular, and top it off with an X =
Plus, it's always looked like someone can't spell Jason to me.
Here's a list of other X names: https://www.babynamewizard.com/?q=namipedia/advanced-name-finder/results&sequence=x
Felix just is NMS, but I do like Xander - DH doesn't. I've also got Xavier on my list, and Dexter is in the top 3!
Really really really dislike it for a bevy of reasons.
If you like X, how about Dexter?
Go with a name that really has an X:
Dexter
Baxter
Alexander
Xander
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
Dexter is towards the very top of the list! DH doesn't like Xander or Alexander and Baxter is BFFs dogs name so that's out.
I am so glad I posted this though because I really do think I just liked the x... I much prefer Jackson. In fact, that used to be our number 1 until it became waaay too popular (in one month DH had 3 coworkers name kids Jackson) and we scrapped it. I still love Jackson but it's just a matter if we're comfortable with the popularity of it.
Married since 06/19/2004|Anna born 11/19/2006|Charles born 11/1/11
Double undergrad graduation May 2011| Me: Psychology, DH: Communication| A long journey!
<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/gussiebutt/?action=view
Ah yes...soft spots for names. I love some odd ones myself...but I have some ideas for the X. I do think your husband went a bit overboard, and I hate to see a perfectly good name like Maximus go ridiculous because of a middle name like that, but paired with a more classic choice, it could really work. And then there's all the ways you can use Max. Here are a few posts I think might help.
https://nameberry.com/blog/2010/11/15/baby-names-2011-14-hottest-trends-to-track-now/
https://nameberry.com/blog/2009/11/02/hot-baby-name-max-in-the-spotlight/
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/41429813.aspx
.
Heavens to Murgatroyd Blog
Unofficial Baby Names Sticky Note: New and Old| Local Bumpie Website
My hubby really loves Xavier - which is actually a family name from the 17th century - after George Xavier, the first in the line of people with our last name.
BTW, I like Jackson best. I really, really love Jack! No matter if you choose Jaxon or Jackson, your son will still have that same name and he'll be Jackson R./Jaxon R. (or whatever your initial is) in his classroom. Spelling it with an X doesn't fix a problem, it just creates more problems - like, How do you spell your name again???
Married since 06/19/2004|Anna born 11/19/2006|Charles born 11/1/11
Double undergrad graduation May 2011| Me: Psychology, DH: Communication| A long journey!
<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/gussiebutt/?action=view
OMG, such a good point. I totally used to have a little mental list I went through when thinking of names and "could this name fit with all sorts of professions"... I haven't been thinking about that ever since actually getting BFP - yikes, where did my choosiness go?!?!
Off to rethink all recent names we've discussed.
Love Jackson
Hate Jaxon
Javier is also spelled with X in Mexico--- Xavier
I like Jaxon... but it also depends on if you are using a nickname. If you are going to call your son by his full name... I would spell it Jackson (because Jaxon and Jackson sound the same and Jackson looks nicer).
However... if you are going to use a nickname... then "Jax" and "Jack" are different. I personally like the nickname Jax and would name my son Jaxon.... just depends on what you are going for.
bfp 1 - m/c 1.31.11 @ 10 weeks
bfp 2 - baby born via c-section on 5.4.12 @ 37 weeks
bfp 3 - blighted ovum/d&c on 4.13.13 @ 8 weeks
bfp 4 - 3rd IUI, very late BFN with super low P, c/p
bfp 5 - natural bfp while on lupron, baby born via RCS on 4.27.15 @ 39 weeks
bfp 6 - surprise! baby born via RCS on 11.13.16 @ 38 weeks