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.
allimg22
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Re: Just for fun... PIP Your Crib
Dexter 08/31/2012~Summer 07/25/2011~Jack 10/21/2008~Aaron 08/12/2007
Summer Infant Brayden Crib
Thank you! It was actually the most reasonably priced set (dresser, changing table & crib) I could find. The target set I found was $50.00 more, and this set has a 1 year warranty and free delivery.
We just got everything in this week and I am IN LOVE! If you go to jcp.com you can search Savanna Tori and it'll bring it up.
Baby's Dream Renaissance
Ok I have to add ours:
This was given to us, along with the bedding, other matching furniture and decor. I had a very neutral, mellow nursery in mind (with a crib like yours, OP). But DH and I spent months debating over whether to buy something or take this free, brand new, very expensive furniture from a friend. In the end, practicality won out. And when they brought this to us, I cried. LOL But now that the whole nursery's put together I like it. Still nms but it's pretty.
And now I just can't wait to decorate DD1's new big girl room however I want and someday to have a little boy and get to redo the nursery my way!
Ohhh.... the guilt!
My MIL bought us the "perfect" crib and dresser PLUS chest of drawers set from JCP. While the chest and dresser have gotten plenty of use... the wonderful crib/toddler bed/full bed - hasn't been used. I didn't know before I had her that we would want to cosleep with DD.
Oh well, there's still time to use the toddler bed part of it with her at least!
crib1
crib2
they're the same crib just different colors. #3 is going in the white one and DS is moving into the dark one.
BFP #2 11/30/09 EDD 08/12/10- Sophia Grace born 8/1/10
BFP #3 11/16/10 EDD 08/04/11- Samuel Richard born 7/28/11
BFP #4 01/04/12 EDD 09/19/12- Simon Nathaniel born 9/6/12
BFP #5 03/27/13 EDD 11/25/13- Savannah Lee born 11/18/13
I keep changing my mind. As of today, I think I'm going to get the Babymod Modeno crib. DS's has a Babymod crib and I love it.
They don't sell it anymore, but we're reusing this for DD #2:
Sorry for the clicky. I'm too lazy to figure out how to PIP from my iPhone w/o the pic being huge.?
BFP #2 1/22/2012 ~ DS2 & DD ~ BIRTHday 9/13/2012 ~ unplanned C-section @ 38w1d
Munire Belize
7/30/12 - B/G twins born at 33w4d due to PPROM
From Target... you can't really tell from the pic but it has cute little beading detail
And with our bedding...
My Blog
yea, I totally fell in love when I saw it and it matched the crazy bedding I loved perfectly, so all was well in the world. I almost feel bad we're not making it a full bed for DD #1. Almost.
We have the same one!!! Just got it last week and it'll be put up in the nursery this weekend...do you love it?
We almost got this!
It's bassett baby-sheraton court collection
LOVE THIS!!!
We love it, and we actually agreed on it. So I ordered two of them quickly before one of us had second thoughts.
7/30/12 - B/G twins born at 33w4d due to PPROM
If it ever comes back in stock:
DaVinci Jenny Lind
Cache Heritage from Babies R Us.
Chase Matthew born at 35 weeks on July 31st
Already put together and in the nursery
We're going the Jenny Lind Route. I bought this one from Giggle on clearance
::My Blog:: ::My Pinterest::
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We like this one-it's the PBK Skylar collection. We live in a loft and space is a premium. It has built in drawers and is a little smaller than alot of the other cribs that we've looked at.
[MC 11.20.11] [DS born 9.24.12] [DD born 10.15.14]
This is what we are getting also! Last minute change of mind. We were going to get the Baby Cache Heritage but there is one detail on it I didn't like so we went with this one.
Here is DS's crib. He is still sleeping in it right now. We will transition him to a twin bed in the same room eventually. But not for awhile. My parents bought us the set, and we still use the changing table daily. It has been invaluable for holding/organizing diapers and diaper supplies.
And his changing table:
Storkcraft crib from Sears
This is ours, too.
https://tinypic.com/r/2nh2seo/6
This is an El Greco crib I'm getting direct from the factory.
We got this convertible one from Amazon for DS, now we'll reuse it for DD. We went ahead and got another toddler bed for DS since I was already pregnant, but this one will either be used for DD's toddler bed or DD will move to the toddler bed we got and this will become DS's full bed.
Cosleeping PP: MiL bought this for us too, and probably figured it would get more use than it has since we cosleep part of every night (especially during the crib days!), but it is always useful to have around just in case.
And you are doing what works best for your family, which is the most important thing!
This is the one I want too...I am kicking myself for not just buying it when it was in stock!
BFP 12.20.13 | EDD 8.27.14 | Sheppard was borth 9.5.14
We're getting the Delta Springtime crib.....I love the contrasting wood! :-)
I love your crib! It's gorgeous!
storkcraft chelsea in the color shown (slightly darker in person). bedding has sailboats in navy blue, light blue and green on a white background - not set up yet though! we also don't know if we are going to use the drawer or not, since the wheels kinda stick on the carpet.
We're going with the HENSVIK from IKEA.
I love this crib because it's simple and sits close to the ground.
Holy cow, we're going to have a little sister!!
Update. I bought the crib today! I went with my first pick from a few months ago, the Babyletto Hudson. I kept going back and forth between the grey and the wood/white. I went with the wood/white.