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: evap line or positive? came up in 3 min! first response EPT
This does seem awfully coincidental on the heels of that other HPT post....
OP - it sounds like you're pregnant, try testing with a digital.
Well then you have your answer. Go get a digital test.
IVF #1 with ICSI - ER 1/20 (16R, 12M, 10F), ET 1/23 (1-10 cell and 1-8cell transferred), BFP on 1/31 Beta #1 on 2/3 = 68, Beta #2 on 2/6 = 261 EDD 10/12/12
9/2010: First visit to RE = CD3 b/w (normal); CD7 ultrasound (normal); DH's SA (normal but morph wasn't analyzed, so doc ordered a 2nd SA); Prog. supplements starting 3dpo for all future cycles
10/2010: SHG to check tubes (normal!) & DH's 2nd SA (normal)
2/2011: Start first Clomid + Ovidrel + IUI cycle = BFN
3/2011: IUI # 2 (Clomid + 50iu Follistim + Estradiol + IUI) = BFP!!!
Beta #1 (14 dpo)= 161
Beta #2 (17 dpo)= 518
Beta #3 (24 dpo)= 7,728
BFP Chart
Ryder arrived a month early on November 28, 2011!
BFP Chart 2.0 - First cycle trying without RE intervention!
Um, really?? IF you are pg, it is the size of a poppy seed, and you can feel fluttering? I'm going with MUD.
*PGAL/PAL Welcome*
My Ovulation Chart
What is MUD?
Trying to attach a pic here. Not sure how well it will show up on the computer.
Does it matter of the pee was sitting in a cup for 2 hrs? I didn't think that mattered at all. I didn't have the FR test when I woke up.
Testing tomorrow for sure- just going a bit batty!
I think these childish insults are uncalled for.
To the other ladies, thank you for your input.
As for fluttering- your uterus is going through changes, and the embryo is implanting. I didn't say I felt a kick!
I'm a graphic designer.... I already had it in photoshop to crop and resize it.
Again, whatever Mud means. I assume it's an insult.
Do you have any other pics of the other tests? This one looks like something pulled off the internet and it hard to judge.
sounds like a gas bubble
no, the camera won't focus well close up, so i took it far away and cropped. i took the test apart too... sorry! looking at this on the computer, the line seems darker in real life. I can hold it at arms length and see it.
Like I said my biggest question is can an evap even happen in 3 mins? With the dollar tree ones, this was happening an hour later. With FR, 3 mins!
P/SAIF Welcome
Invisible Finish Line
3T's Traveling Ovary Blog
7DPO Progesterone: low. CD3 BW: normal, HSG: clear
DX: severe MFI (low all 3) and low T. Undergoing replacement therapy.
So in other words...you are aware that you are KU. Congrats and have fun on 1st tri.
MUD - Made up Drama (Glossary at the bottom left hand corner of the page)
An evaporation line generally shows up after the time limit as the test is drying and has no color to it.
The line you see is pink. Congrats your pregnant. Have fun on first tri
My friend had similar symptoms, as in things were happening like it did with her first. I thought it was all in her head bc she said that stuff the cycle before. But this time she was right. She kept peeing and eventually got a line.
There is really nothing you can do but wait and pee again tomorrow morning and hopefully get a much more clear test but it looks like you are KU. Congrats!
thats what i was thinking! the box says nothing about the evap line. I have read SOOO much online about evaps my eyeballs are going to fall out.
meanwhile i need to finish up my taxes and i am hoping i got my little tax deduction for this year! LOL (Hey- that's a big perk!)
No. Evap lines are very rare and almost never happen. It's like a urban legend because it happened a handful of time. If a line shows up within the 3 min time limit you are pregnant.
An evap line would be a neg test and then HOURS later you happen to see it and it has a line. But again that is very very very rare.
OMG this is the best video cut of her EVER. BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Ha- I can't find this glossery! KU?
MUD- got it. I don't see why this is MUD.
From having been pregnant before, I do think the symptoms are every so slightly different than PMS. Like boobs- not just tender, but really feel heavier.
Ohhh I am so excited! I hope I get darker line tomorrow! Tempted to go buy a digital test.
Tempted??? Why the hell wouldn't you?? Please don't tell me it is too expensive...
IVF #1 with ICSI - ER 1/20 (16R, 12M, 10F), ET 1/23 (1-10 cell and 1-8cell transferred), BFP on 1/31 Beta #1 on 2/3 = 68, Beta #2 on 2/6 = 261 EDD 10/12/12
Please, go buy a digital test. Then, when it confirms your pregnancy, please go to 1st Tri.
Haha...exactly what I was thinking.
OP- go get a digi and call it a day.
Wow- there are really a lot of people here with nothing better to do than insult people with valid questions. It's sad.
Again- to everyone else with a helpful response- THANK YOU! This is my first time going through this crazy testing (DD just kind of happened. I did not test till 2 days late... though I did have a gut feeling based on how I felt... )
It's not an evap line anyway. If you got a line in 3 minutes and it's pink, you're pregnant. Move on.
P/SAIF Welcome
Invisible Finish Line
3T's Traveling Ovary Blog
7DPO Progesterone: low. CD3 BW: normal, HSG: clear
DX: severe MFI (low all 3) and low T. Undergoing replacement therapy.
Please stop talking.
That is probably why she wants the tax deduction uk! DUH!
If you are being serious, there are still many things wrong with your post. If you got a pink line within the time limit, it is positive. Congrats. Why are you taking apart tests, and why are you looking at them an hour later? Again, congrats and enjoy 1st Tri.
Well I do have the cup of pee still! (This morning- DD, " EWE is that pee pee in there ???" Gotta make sure she never sees me doing this.. she is nearly 5 and would SO be trying it at school. LOL)
Well, I have a 2nd FR test and one last New Choice so I think I'll just use those tomorrow....
Perplexathon 2000 - the "what to do" Robot
Move along little lady....
If that's the first thing you excited about you have a problem!
PLEASE STOP TALKING???
Look- I am serious here. Sorry I have questions. If you don't like what I'm asking, if you think I am stupid, if you think I got pregnant to get a tax deduction (because you know the deduction is so much more money than the cost of having a baby- duh) then just leave the thread and MOVE ON.
Again- to the other posters, thank you.
And then please update us and let us know the results!!
Oh boy
P/SAIF Welcome
Invisible Finish Line
3T's Traveling Ovary Blog
7DPO Progesterone: low. CD3 BW: normal, HSG: clear
DX: severe MFI (low all 3) and low T. Undergoing replacement therapy.
I was kidding