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.
C.squared
member
Re: If you kept your DC rear facing past two...
If I were in your situation, I would personally wait until December and switch her FF when you buy a new seat (probably a convertible booster with a 5 pt).
I wanted to wait until 35 but if DD continues on her current growth curve, she'll be 6. lol I switched her a few weeks before she turned 3 because we were going on a road trip and I'm so glad because it is so much easier to manage. My car is small so getting her in and out is so much easier, plus if I have to hand stuff back to her I dont have to break my arm doing it.
We turned my DD around a month after turning 3. I would have left her there until she outgrew it, but I wanted her seat for the baby. In your shoes, I wouldn't buy another RFing seat since I think the highest RFing seat is only 5 more pounds anyway.
5 lbs can buy you a long time at that age. My daughter gained 3 lbs in a year between ages 3 and 4 and has been stuck at 39 lbs for 4-5 months now.
And since some seats go to 45 lbs, I am considering buying another convertible that will rear face longer. I have a huge SUV with her seat in the middle, so it's easy to fit the seat. Any recommendations for higher weight limit seats? I want to like the Sunshine Radian, but a friend had one and the recline was ridiculous and I don't think she'd be comfortable in it.
We're a radian family here! I know what your friend is talking about regarding the steep recline. Luckily any day now Diono (formerly Sunshine Kids) will be releasing an angle adjuster to get a more upright angle for older kids. I'm watching and buying one ASAP. Otherwise you can get a more upright angle, but it's difficult to do. You have to kind of push the seat up while tightening it (I'm an expert at this as DD2 is RF still and our only car is a beetle!). It's easiest if you come at it from behind and throw your weight into it. I can easily access that since my front seats are designed to bend forward and let people in. In 4 door cars I move the seat all the way forward and "recline" it forward to get enough space to work. Then I use my body weight to force the seat up while tightening the latch strap. Not easy, but it works well and I get the radian reasonably upright that way. Can't wait for the angle adjuster (which was supposed to be released in mid-October and is showing on their website, but not for sale yet). But otherwise we *love* these seats. Our older daughter already outgrew the harness heightwise (she's off the charts tall with a very long torso) but she luckily is also incredibly mature (seriously is 4 going on 40) so we were able to graduate to a booster.
penguingrrl, thanks for the info!!! I have 4 lbs to go in our current seat, so maybe the angle adjuster on the Radian will be available by then. DD is also pretty tall with a long torso, but for some reason, the straps are still below her shoulders on the second from the bottom slot on the Recaro but above on the third (so they're still set on the second). The Recaro has a tall shell, so I think we have a ways to go height wise. I have a Jeep Commander, so it's hard to get a tight install rear facing because it has stadium seating (the second row of seats is a little higher than the front and the third row is higher than the second). For the Recaro, I have to put both front seats forward the whole way and recline them forward and literally squeeze myself between the top of the seat and the roof in order to get it tight. A total PITA, but it works. If I can't get it tight, I take it to the fire department and they're awesome with it. Thanks again for the info!