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: 4th of July Induction...your thoughts???
I wouldn't get too attached, even if you are induced that day. LO could still come early the next day.
Btu having fireworks on your birthday every year is pretty cool!
~~~ EDD for Baby #2 6/28/15~~~~
I think it would kind've suck because most of their friends will be out of town or spending the day with family and won't be able to attend a party. I guess you could always do it before/after.
Fireworks on your birthday would be cool, though.
I think you should go for it! I think the argument that people won't be able to make birthday parties because of the holiday is not really an issue. I think in the past 6 years of throwing my girls' parties it's only happened once that the party actually fell on the birthday. DD2 is having her party this Friday the 6th even though her birthday is July 15. There are definitely ways around the people having other plans on the 4th.
I also think it would awesome to have fireworks on every birthday!
Elizabeth Grace 11.20.05 Nora June 7.15.08 Beatrix Catherine 9.4.12
I would go for it. I was actually hoping that my dr would let me be induced that day but I am scheduled for the 6th. LO could end up coming on the 4th anyways, you never know.
Good Luck!
Karen
Its completely up to you! I agree that your induciton date may not end up being your delivery date
As far as everyone saying folks are too busy around holidays to celebrate I don't think a few days either way will make much difference... If someone is busy July 4th will they really be free July 5th?? Maybe, maybe not. My sons birthday is right around Memorial Day and we usually have to shift his party to accomodate. It's not a big deal at all; you would typically wait until the weekend to throw a party so how often will you really need to worry about their actual date of birth for party palnning?
Don't sweat the small stuff! Your childs birthday will be wonderful no matter what
Unless you go in at midnight on the 4th, I think it's more likely that you'll have the baby on the 5th. Inductions seem to take at least 24-hours to a few days from what I can tell unless you've already dilated quite a bit.
I have an induction scheduled for 8pm on July 4th. They first have to give me doses of cervadil before they can give me pitocin. Baby won't arrive until the 5th at the earliest.
Baby girl born July 6th 2012 at 40w2d
It would totally depend on why I was being induced and if my body was ready. What's your Bishop Score? Are you a favorable candidate for induction? Why not wait for baby to come naturally?
FWIW, I was induced on Saturday morning and had DD on Monday morning.
This. My birthday falls on Father's Day some years and people are always busy with their dad/husbands.
DS2 8/21/12
DD 9/26/14
Baby #4 edd 2/11/19
My birthday is the 5th and it sucked growing up with that birthday because my friends were usually out of town for my parties. Now, I don't really mind. My family usually celebrates my birthday a day early because we're all together for the fourth.
Aside from the whole birthday on a holiday thing, there might be something else you'd want to consider....
If you're delivering at a teaching hospital you might want to consider delaying it if you can. All the new residents and fellows start on July 1st (standard across the country). There's usually some confusion during the first week since they aren't familiar with hospital procedures, and are trying to learn their way around the hospital (finding patient rooms, supplies, etc.). It can be a bit chaotic even for veteran staff who have to wrangle the newbies.
I don't mean to freak anyone out, just want to throw that out there as a consideration. My husband just finished a surgical fellowship and the inside joke among his colleagues throughout his medical training has always been "don't go to the hospital the first week in July."
I had a pre-consult with anesthesia yesterday and sure enough the attending physician had to excuse himself during our meeting b/c his residents couldn't enter the Labor and Delivery floor b/c their key cards hadn't been activated yet.
Good luck with whatever you decide!! I hope all goes smoothly for you!!