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.
ArcticFox
member
Re: Gift poll - the good & the bad!
The gift from Santa that my daughter loves the most is her V-Tech Innotab. I downloaded some free games from the website that she enjoys playing and she also likes to draw and create pictures. Clearly, it was a homerun choice! We haven't opened all of her gifts yet but she also received a V-Tech e-Reader from my aunt (her great aunt) that she's been dying to crack open as well. I'm sure by the time she returns to school we will have gone through everything.
The worst gift came from my husband's mom. It's a knock-off Baby Phat jacket that I'd never buy but is clearly her taste. Anything denim and bedazzled can be found in her closet but the worst is that it reeks of cigarette smoke. Luckily, it's too big for her to wear now and by the time it would ever be fashionable, it'll be out of style. I'll do one of those nice "hide it in the back of the closet" moves until the Goodwill truck comes through.
DS liked everything he got so far. Santa got him Cars coloring pages with crayons and a toy chest that were a hit.
For the past 2 days, he said "Crayons, where are you?" And the toy chest has kept his room clean but he has not taken his toys out of it to play.
Santa's other gifts were a flop. A baby dinosaur that makes noises from playskool and his dump truck and fire truck bath toys that are for the tub don't go in the tub because he doesn't want them to go in there.
#1 was the Innotab. DS loves it to the point that I catch him having conversations with it when he plays with it. He's even shared it willingly with his cousins who are so jealous that he got an "iPad".
#2 is probably the cheapo Doctor kit I got him. He takes my temperature at least once an hour. "Normal!"
No duds so far, though we haven't actually unboxed everything, since we left town for a couple of days after Christmas and didn't drag anything with us.
DD asked santa (and us) for Green Gloves, lala loopsy crazy hair (even though I told her it was silly hair! LOL) and a polka dot dress.
She loves her green gloves and polka dot dress but doesn't really play w/ her lala loopsy.
She has been playing with her little brothers thomas the train toys every day though and the $5 tea set I got her from kmart. She has about 3 or 4 tea parties a day w/ her little brother, she even makes him wear her princess dress up shoes LOL! I can't resist taking pics, I'm sure he'll appreciate them when he's a teenager ha!
Dislikes: I got DD a Cabbage Patch Doll (I think every girl should have one). She has an American Girl doll and really likes her, so I thought she would like it. She unwrapped it and claimed "Mommy, I told you I didn't like these" (which, according to my mom, she saw one on tv the week prior to Christmas and said she wanted one). I put it away in her closet and figure I will try to get it out again when she's a little older.
Gifts that I wasn't happy she got: A Hess Truck from DH's grandmom. Apparently DH told her to get DD one for Christmas every year so she can have her own collection. I think they are ridiculous and especially pointless for a girl. DD unwrapped it and exclaimed "This toy is for BOYS", and threw it on the floor. lol
Gift that I think is a flop: Cookie My Playful Pup. I thought it did more than just sit there and move it's head and grumble a little bit. It doesn't even seem to work that well, dont know if it already needs new batteries or the sensors are duds? Glad I didn't spend my money on it, our dog attacks it way more than DD plays with it.
She pretty much likes everything else and plays with everything daily. Barbie stuff, M&D wooden Pizza play set, the Pinkie Pie My Little Pony thing that you teach to walk (she really likes this thing, you can feed it and it talks to you and makes eating sounds).
My DD liked her Ariel The Little Mermaid doll the best. That was the only thing she asked for. My parents also got her a V-tech mobi-go, which she loves.
Worst was a Sing-a-ma-jig. It is down right scary. We got it from a family member. Other gift was a set of percussion instruments (drums, loud things) My daughter loves it. It gives me a headache. Thank you mom.