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: nanny share - babysitters
In this area, nannies for twins are about $18/hr (more for triplets.) Babysitters are $12-$15/hr (we paid more when the boys were babies and required a lot more work.) Singletons are about $15/hr for a nanny and $10-$12 for a sitter. The difference is that a nanny is a professional with experience and have made their career doing childcare - a babysitter is someone who does it for extra income (at least that is how I think of it!)
If you nanny share with another family, you are going to want to find someone with multiples experience. Having 3 babies and 1 adult isn't for the faint of heart!
IVF Oct/Nov 2012
Beta #1 = 77, Beta #2 = 190, Beta #3 = 1044
Cautiously optimistic.
ahh makes sense. The thing with our girls is they are on a TIGHT schedule. They are for the most part great GREAT nappers every 3 hours for about 2 hrs - So there is not much to do with them I mean feed and then play. Our friends son is kinda on a open schedule and does what he wants I think ( i'll find out tomorrow as he will be here)
I get the difference between a nanny and a babysitter what I guess I meant was the difference between a nanny and nanny sharing? Maybe because we already have 2 we dont see what the big deal is with one extra child.. But that's just me. Obviously we would make sure whom ever we choose is capable and qualified to care for tres babies...
We are in NV so the rate is not that high I don?t think. Babysitters make about 12$ per hour which is GOOD. For singletons it seems cheaper. If we have a nanny and she works at our house and we are home does that warrant less pay as we would be doing more and she would be helping us rather than her doing it full time ( does that make sense)
Ack .. Maybe I dont know what i am trying to say or ask ... crud!
our Blog -http://dosbabies.wordpress.com/
I have a close friend who nanny shares, and we talked about it a lot while she was figuring it all out. The situation is somewhat different - all four parents work full-time, and the nanny takes care of both boys full-time. She alternates houses so they are at one house for a month, then at the other house for a month. This cuts down on wear and tear, and splits the food costs since whoever is "hosting" that month pays for the solid food (the boys are just over a year old). They have a contract that lays out all the specifics. They used a sample nanny share contract they found online and modified it to suit. (All four of them are lawyers, and others may not find this totally necessary, but I do think it's a good idea to resolve possible issues about duties, time off, what happens if she gets sick, how early you notify each other of vacations, etc. up front.)
If you want a nanny, I'm assuming you'll have to pay whatever the going rate is for nannies in your area - because she could be earning full wage at someone else's house. If you want a mother's helper, since you'll be around to take on some of the responsibility, that would be cheaper.
yea, if you all are going to be around and just need an extra pair of hands, than a Mothers Helper is what you are looking for. But if you all are going to be working and unavailable except in an emergency or out of the house, you will want a nanny or babysitter. I do think that if you are getting someone consistently, you will want to have a contract (even if you don't nanny share) just to spell everything out and to protect you and the nanny. There are a ton of samples online. And if you pay over $2500ish a year (can't remember the exact figure) you have to pay taxes.
While we didn't do a nanny share, we did have a nanny for 3y. Good luck!
I use to be a nanny and that is how the nanny share typically works. The parents split the cost.
Sometimes families pay a nanny a full-time rate together and the nanny provides part-time services to each family. This works really well for stay at home parents or parents who work part-time.
I am a nanny in Colorado and I was doing a nanny share up until the 2nd family moved. How we did it is I would split my time between houses (every other day since they lived a block away from each other) and they would split the cost.
While doing this, I made $250/week from each family for 2 children (one was 8 months one was 2 months when I started) I'm sure you would be able to find a reasonably priced nanny willing to work with you on what you can afford. I agree with 2brides, You would have to pay 2/3 of the cost. A lot of nannies will price it with how many children will be there, and some just have a set rate. I'm sure it has to do with the area as well but in Denver, for 3 children, i'd charge $13 to $14 an hour. It is much easier to pay a set weekly rate though. I'd definitely talk about that instead of counting hours.
Also, I have about 6 years of experience so it depends on that as well.