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: Are there any toys you won't let DC get?
Hand held gaming devices - even the educational ones.
That time will come for us but our oldest gets VERY fixated on that kinda thing (ie: his tag reader) so we're holding off as long as possible. My youngest could handle it well and stay balanced but if my oldest had one we'd never see the whites of his eyes again, his imaginary play would decrease dramatically and our lives would turn into negotiations about limiting gaming time. The cons just out weigh the pros for us at this point.
The other things he (oldest) REALLY wants but won't get are certain movies. Many of his class mates have seen Transformers, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc but we just don't think the oldest is ready yet. Ironically the younger one would probably handle some of them just fine but the oldest one gets really freaked out by high anxiety scenes in movies.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
For now, I'm avoiding anything too princess-y and Barbies, I try to avoid electronics as much as possible too.
I just kinda think simple stuff is better.
I'm not a fan of toy guns that look like real guns. We own real guns and I don't want him to have toys that look like the real thing. Something like a marshmellow shooter would be ok, but nothing that looks like a gun. That and age inappropriate toys are about the only thing I wouldn't allow him to have.
I do PREFER things that don't require batteries.
ETA: I honestly can't think of a single thing this child needs. He adores the toys he has (most came from consignment, yard sales or hand-me-downs). The only thing he's asked for is a toy UPS truck.
The only ones I really put my foot down about are things like craft beads because of DS. Beyond that, I figured I'll cross the bridge when I get to it. DD's interests at this point are benign as are DS's.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
tiny legos.
i'm pretty open to most stuff.
How to tell my boys apart
The different types of twins and triplets
Jack, Sydney and Carynne, Annaleigh, JW, Eden...forever in our hearts.
My blog * We made the national news!
On a side note, the reason I asked this is because my MIL asked for x-mas ideas and I told her "please don't buy her xyz". Does anyone else do this or do you just return/ hide toys you don't want them to have?
haha I do that, and thankfully everyone that asks for suggestions is really receptive to my ideas. DD has so many toys right now, that is the only way I can really control what comes in to the house. Everything is in our living room and I dont want it to turn into a playroom.
Btw, add Squinkies to the list of stuff that wont come into my house. I really try to avoid stuff with super small pieces (like the Polly Pockets w/all of those tiny shoes and gloves) but she just got a set and she's been ok with not losing anything so far.
I do the same exact thing, but luckily both sets of parents will ask us around the holidays & birthdays what we want for him before they run out and buy stuff. For example, DS is a Thomas fanatic. We have a ton of the wooden railway cars & tracks. Well my mom says to me the other day that she was thinking of getting him the geotrax thomas set for christmas since it is remote control. really? he needs another train set? I am trying to keep the train chaos to a minimum (and to one kind of set). LOL This year I'm telling them no more trains or cars because he has waaaay too many.
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