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: Question about solids & reflux
Have you spoken to your Dr? Are they happy with her weight gain?
DS will be 7 months on Saturday (He was born 30w 5d). He currently has 4 bottles a day and solids 2x day. He had bad reflux for a while but it has gotten much beeter, we are even off zantac. Don't get me wrong-he still spits up and will continue to do so for a while but it's nothing like it was before and he is a happy spitter. The most he will eat in a day is 28oz and the pedi is fine with that. In fact, she told me that at 6 months he should not be having more than four bottles a day (I should add the he is FF ans sttn 11 hours straight thru). After his 6 month appt we dropped the 5 and smallest bottle and redistributed into the other 4. He LOVES solids we started 2x a about a week after trying for the first time. He takes oatmeal with fruit in the AM, and a veggies in the PM.
I was constantly worrying about his weight, but the Dr's are very happy with him and he is a very happy baby. Its hard not to worry especially all that you go through with preemies, but I just keep telling myself "he is happy, the Dr is happy, and he is doing great developmentally" He is weighed once a month now because of synagis so we can keep track and watch it.
DD eats two jars of baby food a day and takes 15-17oz of formula. I noticed a massive change in her reflux after introducing solids twice a day, breakfast and dinner time. She is also on half a tablet of Prevacid a day. The only fruit I have really noticed her steering clear of is bananas. Veggies it would be peas. I've tasted both and "Ew." I don't think it's a reflux thing for E.
I have no advice on oatmeal because I skipped that step. My pedi said it had zero nutritional value so if DD was fine with normal baby food then to go that route. GL!
So, is your DD on the prevacid solutabs? They told me those were on back order and we couldn't get them. Are you having any trouble with getting them?
Also how much does she eat of the vegetables? A 4 ounce jar? On the day DD only ate 16 ounces, I had given her oatmeal mixed with formula and pears. She threw that up. So, then I tried just plain oatmeal with formula and she ate it like a champ. Probably 2-3 tablespoons. So, they may have been why she ate less for that day. She eats Sweet potatoes fine and she likes peas ok. The weird thing is...she throws up after the initial bite but then if I try again...she eats the whole jar.
She didn't qualify for the Synagis because she was 6 days too old at the start of the season and she's not in day care. (ticks me off) so, she doesn't go for monthly weight checks. According to my way of weighing her at home, she's almost 13 pounds. So, she's gaining but slowly.
Either it was coincidence or because of the solids, but when we started solids we had to up DD's prevacid dose.
My pharmacy was also on BO of the solutabs in the 15mg dose, we got the 30mg and use a pill cutter to split them.
My non-reflux DD is my small appetite baby. She has 16-18 ox of formula (2oz mixed with oatmeal) and eats about 10ox of solids a day, (3 breakfast, 4 lunch, 3 dinner). She eats this much because for 2 of those solids meals we feed her the solids right after she's done with the bottle. I thought that since she was barely taking a 4oz bottle there was no way she'd eat more, but surprisingly for lunch and dinner she will have a 4oz botttle, a 10 minute break while i make lunch/dinner and then 3-4oz of solids.
And interestingly I have one gag baby too. If I just give her a teeny tiny bit of solids (like a pea size) as the first bite she's fine from then on out, but if the first bite is big, she gags and spits it up.
And our girls are only 15 and 16lbs so I know your weight gain concerns! Maybe consider trying avocado since it's such a high fat starter food?
At some point they do start taking a little less especially with solids.
I would talk with your Pedi and I'd also try adding just a little bit of plain Rice Cereal to her bottled to thicken it a little and help keep it down. You'll have to play with the consistancey to see what works and you might have to go up in nipple size, we do 7 or 8 ounces of formula to a tablespoon of Rice cereal.
E is on the tabs. I just refilled her prescription Monday and picked it up same day. I had no idea there were supply issues.
She is only eating the 2.5oz jars. We stay in the Stage 1 zone so the jars are smaller. As far as the throwing up a little and then eating the whole thing, maybe she has a gas bubble in there? Or swallows wrong? E does that sometimes too and it is such a small amount I figure she needed to burp and some came up with it.
We found out at her synagis appointment that E's weight gain has actually plateaued (14lbs 15oz). She only gained an ounce in a month. We actually have weekly weight checks now to make sure everything is alright. She is crazy more active now and hardly naps and I think that is affecting her weight gain.
What weight was she when she started the tabs? They said R was too small...she's right around 13 pounds.
Ahhh... She's been on them so long now. But she was definitely less than 13lbs. This is the fourth prescription refill, if that gives any reference.
Andrew had reflux and his reflux got worse when he was teethign. Elliott doesn't really have reflux (minor) and he's more spitty when he is teething. both kids eat less when teething from the teething pain and that is also normal. Andrew when teething would take down to 10-12 oz because it hurts.
If she'll take solids 2/day, go for it!