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: Banner Thunderbird
I'm 25 weeks pregnant so I haven't delivered yet however a friend of mine just delivered her baby last week and she said over all she was impressed with the quality of the hospital but the staff could have been more caring with her and her infant. They made her wait longer than needed when admitted while in labor and filling out paper work. When she asked to check the temperature of her new born because he felt cold, the nurse was nice to her face but when she left the room her sister heard the nurse complain that she dared ask to check the baby's temp. The nurse's snide comment was unnecessary. Other than that I hear the food is great and the room is comfortable. Be sure to do a tour and see for yourself.
Over all I've been doing research too on hospitals to give birth. I'm willing to travel far for a good hospital. Thus far I have heard good things and not so good experience with this hospital but mostly its been all good. According to most reviews, it looks like one of the better hospitals to give birth but the kindness of staff is hit or miss. Please keep me posted as well as to which ones you are deciding. I need some help too. Thanks.
I've heard great things about thunderbird,, I know lots of ladies who have delivered there and were very pleased.... I have delivered both at St Joe's on 3st and thomas and at babtist on 19th and bethany home..... I delivered my first at st joes and was not impressed at all... the doctors and nurses were great and the provisions they supply were fantastic, but it is an education hospital and there are lots of "in training" nurses and for me, being my first and not knowing what to expect, it was hard to have students all up in my "buisness" still learning themselves, it was awkward at times and I didnt really like it and everything seemed so caotic.....
Now, my second son was born at babtist and it was such a quiet delivery, the room was huge and gorgeous, everything was calm and amazing, the nurses had very calm dispositions, it was a quiet, amazing experience and it was 500% better than my first..... I will be going back to babtist this time..... the only drawback to babtist is they dont have as many "on hand" provisions like st. Joe's did,,, but that is probably because Joe's is so much bigger and probably has more financial support from the govt since its an education hospital.
I'm trying to decide between Tbird and Arrowhead. I'll decide after I take my tour of Tbird. A good friend had her twins and her third baby there and liked it. She also works in their ER.
St Joes does not get a lot of money from the government. Medicare provides about $18k per resident for their salary and there it ends. It is a private not for profit Catholic hospital run by the church. Anything extra a unit has comes from private donations. It's why Barrows is so nice and L&D is not so pretty. When you have donations from the likes of Mohammed Ali and the royal family of Saudi Arabia, your unit tends to be fancier than most. The reason SJH is big is because it's a teaching hospital and therefore has to meet certain acuity requirements for resident and nursing education. I used to be a resident there and DS was born there. Perhaps I was spoiled because they all knew me but I didn't find the nursing students or residents intrusive. They are learning how to properly care for each type of patient. Without this training, you wouldn't have a competent ob or nurse since they all went through it.
Sorry to say I had a horrible time there.I had two of my five there and will never go back. Your post delivery rooms are on a tower so you hear the nurses all night long. Also the nurses are horrible. One claimed I was not in labor, 2 hours later I come back with my son. She only kept me because I insisted. (I know that I go from 4cm to fully dilated in 1/2 hour)
My last two were born at Arrowhead. If I knew what I know now I would have had all of my kids there! The nurses are fantastic and the food is great.As for the facilities they are great. I was made so comfortable by the staff that I didn't want to leave.