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: Planning ahead -- what to do about preschool?
For starters, I'm not a preschool expert, as DS is not even in one yet.
I do know that there are several local programs with a 2 year old program. Is anything like that available near you?
Also...knowing letters, shapes, numbers will not make your LO bored of preschool. DS knows of all of those things as well, but I know he still has a ton to learn when it comes to social interactions. Not to mention that he has started loving to play pretend, and I think he would have more fun doing it with peers rather than his little sister and his mom. Just learning how to be away from me, be in a group of kids, follow directions, etc. are all things he can learn at preschool.
I don't know. How would I find out?
Seriously, and sorry, there is no sentence in the world that grates on my nerves like this one.
I was listening to a director of a great preschool talk the other day, and she said it best - I wanted to stand and applaud. I will pass it on - her words not mine, although I whole heartedly agree.
She said (to parents of preschoolers - 2, 3, and 4 y/os) "If you come to me and tell me your child is bored, I will tell you that I am sorry your child isn't very bright. Bright kids do not get bored in play based learning programs. They figure out how to create more, do more, and challenge themselves."
MDO? City recreation center programs? Your sweet (undoubtably bright) child just needs to play right now. Really not trying to be sassy, but i just don't think your ideas/thoughts/beliefs are quite right on this issue.
GL, I truly hope you find a play based program that he can enjoy.
DD is in the same position, as are at least half thr children in her class. She is not bored. Very little of her school is focused on academics...more on social learning, social studies, skills, and music.
We have no options here for free preschool. We just budget the cost.
Ditto PP's. I think you're making an assumption here that may well not be true.
Pre-school is MUCH more about learning how to be in school than it is about the academics. I think he'll enjoy learning the ropes of how to handle a structured day, stand in line, interact with peers, learn songs, hear books, etc.
It's not a race and he's not so far out in front of the pack that he won't be able to relate to them or enjoy a class room with them.
His main job at this age is to explore his world.
We purposely didn't start pre-school until age 4. We spent the years before that encouraging them to be children. They will never again have a time in their lives where their #1 job is to play and explore. Once you start school it's going to be school or work on a regular basis for the rest of their lives.
I'd take that time and look at other forms of enrichment. If you don't work make it your goal to get him out into nature regularly. Take him to children's and science museums where he can explore and learn and see things that are only in books once he's in a class room.
Trust me when I tell you that he will learn WAY more from 1:1 time with you than he will from a pre-school class.
Foster his PASSION for learning instead of the actual learning itself at this age and you're going to give him the best leg up academically that any parent could ever hope for.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
I absolutely agree with this. Especially the bolded part.
DD had no interactions with other kids her age, and really wasn't left alone with anyone other than an immediate relative She adjusted to preschool beautifully, plays so well, truly adores her teachers. It's more than shapes and ABC's.
I also want to add that in DD's 3 year old preschool class there are 13 kids. By Christmas i'd say at least half of them had already turned 4 or were about to turn 4. The teacher said that you can definitely tell who was 4 and who wasn't, but mostly in their mannerisms and how they take direction, not in what they know or how/what they are learning. .