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: My baby will be coming home soon - advice?
So glad she's doing well!
On bottles--ask your NICU if you can bring in a few to try with her. We tried several brands and ended up using the Dr Browns with the preemie nipple.
Other things we loved at first have already been mentioned--baby carrier (we loved the Moby when she was tiny), rock n play, swaddling blankets (we used A+A), and sleeping gowns for easy night time changes. Oh and also a white noise machine--they get used to all the noises in the NICU so your house seems too quite to them at first.
There is a "discharge and life at home" tab on the blog as well-you might want to check that out when you have time.
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
Congrats!
We loved:
I think that is it. We didn't need much. He came home at 4lbs and didn't fit into his cloth diapers for awhile, so we just used pampers preemie and newborn.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
That's great news! Discharge time is so exciting!
We started using Dr. Brown's preemie bottles and nipples. The speech pathologist recommended them to all patients in the NICU, and they worked very well for us.
I LOVE my Medela steam sanitize bags. My primary nurse handed me a huge stack when we left (they are something ridiculous like $8 each). I'm still stocked eight months later! They are super easy to stuff full of bottles (which, if you use Dr. Browns, you will really appreciate with the 10,000 parts ha) and pacifiers, breast pump parts etc. Sanitizes in 1.5 minutes:)
If you pump, get the Medela hands free pumping bra. I loved that thing like you wouldn't believe. It just made pumping a lot less miserable to be able to surf the net or have a snack.
As for various baby items - I would definitely get the RNP as almost all preemie Moms will tell you. I got mine too late, and by then LO was a tummy sleeper, so nothing would work. But all the ladies here swear by them, and the new Snugabunny version of it is super cute and seems more supportive.
I think the A & A blankets are fantastic. Great for swaddling, for covering if you nurse, etc. Halo sleepsacks make life very easy, too! Buy a Nosefrieda for sure, and I think having a swing is a must. Oh, and since it's winter, I'd run a cool mist humidifier at night as a habit.
Hope that helps!
Oh, forgot two things:
White noise machine for sure! We love our Sleep Sheep, although I wish it had a longer time setting (max is 45 minutes) because one of us has to run in there to restart it, if we're still awake and making noise.
I liked a mix of gowns and snap one pieces for night time. A lot of people like the zippers, but I personally hate them. The zippers get all bent and wonky, and I had this strange obsession/anxiety about the zipper being uncomfortable and pressing into his neck.
this! congratulations on the homecoming!
We just came home so everything is still new and fresh.
Ditto the Rock n play sleeper, of course diapers, wipes, vaseline. Saline spray and nasal aspirator. A lot of birp cloths. Dr Brown bottles. Humidifier. Some sort of music player or white noise machine.