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: Weekend Plans
Fri: I have to pick Ky's pictures up after work. I will grab her and then go home and feed her. I have to have all of her stuff (some toys she brought with her yesterday, some clothes of Ann's that were in boxes with Ky's garage stuff, copies of pictures for her family, etc) together for Ann to pick her up at 7. I have no idea what I am doing after that.
Sat: HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!!! I am picking Ky up at 8:15 to take her to a trial tumbling class. We are going to spend the day together just hanging out. The evening we are going to Chu.ck E Cheese for a small party with people that cannot make the changed party date (basically our friend K and my other friend K from IN and her daughter J).
Sun: Ann will pick Ky up by 10 and then the rest of the day is free...I know my mom and I talked about going shopping but other than that I am not sure what I am goign to do to fill my time...
I want to go see these two together at the drive in!!
Tonight: i'm hoping that the rain passes...our town's fair runs thurs/friday/sat and we've been looking forward to it for months. we usually go every day but yesterday I was so sick I couldnt get out of bed to take the kids (and thursday's are DW's night out so i was solo). they took it pretty well, so i'm hoping we get to go tonight.
Tomorrow: DW will probably work during the day. I'll take the kids to spend more time at the fair or head to a different family fun day that my parents invited us to. something fun. in the evening we are having friends over to play, make smores, and watch fireworks from our driveway.
Sunday: splash pad playdate with my SIL and niece. i think that's it?
Monday: Grandma's funeral then lunch with the family. If the kids behave well, we will take them to do something fun after.
Blogs: Our Growing Family - CT Working Moms
My SIL is leaving early Saturday morning, which is a bummer because she's fun and has been a super-easy and helpful houseguest. Maybe date night on Saturday night. We're thinking about burgers and mini golf.
No plans for Sunday. Maybe brunch with my parents?
Friday:- Its a sad day in Colorado today.I'll probably go home and be quiet with V. So grateful that nobody I know was hurt, although a friend of V's who is pregnant was in the theatre but unharmed and her friend is in the ICU in critical condition. I think tonight will be a night to hug each other and be grateful.
Saturday:- House cleaning, and helping V pack since she's working away next week. I am kind of looking forward to the me time.
Sunday:- V has softball, and will leave straight after for her trip. I will settle down with a book and the dogs at home. I'm quite looking forward to it. I might get to a yoga class too. I'm LOVING core power yoga.
Today - I had to leave work early because when I got home last night, the a/c had stopped working. And because our service window is 2-7, I had to get the kids from camp early (L is in a training that is supposed to go later than would allow her to go get them.) So we are all having a lazy day in our home and humid house. And of course our smoke detector just started chirping - and despite changing the battery, it won't stop. Sigh. I am hoping the repair person shows up in a timely manner and that the repair is quick and easy so we can get out of this hot house and go to dinner.
Tomorrow - L is going to finish transcribing her groups interview and start on chapter 4. I have no idea what I am going to do with the kids. Thankfully, it is going to be much much cooler than it has been, but it has rained a lot, so the playgrounds are going to be really wet. The kids are supposed to go to Parents Night Out and I have no idea what L and I are going to do.
Sunday - It is just the kids and me again while L writes. I might see if another family wants to meet up so we can give their son the gift that I forgot to bring to his birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Aside from that, jut a quiet day - which I think the kids need.
No plans right now. Had to pick E up from daycare at about 11:30 due to her spiking a fever. Other than a cough that she has had for a few days and the fever (now only 101) she has no other symptoms. She took a really short nap but she and I lounged in my bed playing ipad and watching some shows. S is getting a hair cut and then we will figure something out about dinner for us. I want mexican we will see.
Tomorrow no plans again since how E is feeling will totally determine what happens. D has a bachelorette party tomorrow night and will be staying in the city. I hope E is feeling better so that I can get out of the house for a bit.
Sunday not sure I guess the plan all depends on E and what happens with the sicknes. Cross your fingers that she doesn't have a lung flare up this weekend. I really don't want to play the nebulizer trip to the er dance.
Grrrr...The Bump ate my post.
Friday - 2 hours of work, but who's counting? Then coming up for air after an insane work week, changing out of my pajamas and showering (am I really an adult?), and going to dinner with my wife. Then we are going to watch TV - either The Wire or The Closer.
Saturday - Hopefully nothing. Haven't had an unscheduled day in a loooong time. C and I really need some quality time together.
Sunday - A friend is coming in from out of town, and he and I are going on an IPA boat tour, loosely themed around the history of beer and boats. C is in the tww AND hates IPAs, so it's a win-win.
Apparently this took me 2 hours to post. 12 minutes of work!
AMH 0.5, AFC 5-8, FSH 7ish
IVF #1 - antagonist. Empty follicle syndrome. 1 retrieved, 0 fertilized.
IVF #2 - antagonist. Ovulated early. 3 retrieved, 2 fertilized, 0 blasts
It's been a busy couple of days at work and I have been missing you ladies! And now most of you are already gone for the weekend! E has been with her dad all week and they are camping through the weekend. I miss my baby girl but she is having a lot of fun.
The weekend: I was asked to go to a wedding with a friend. A girl. As her date, I suppose.
To the straight cowboy wedding of her boss' daughter. It's a ferry ride away from the city on an island that is one of my fave places to get away around here. My friend has never been there, so we are staying overnight so we can spend Sunday seeing some sights.
9 IUIs = 9 BFNs
IVF October 2012: 22 eggs retrieved, 17 fertilized, 5 frozen
ET #1: 1 blast = BFP; Blighted ovum discovered at 7w5d; D&E
FET #1: 1 blast = BFP; Missed m/c discovered at 9w5d; D&E
Karyotyping: normal ~ RPL Testing: normal ~ Hysteroscopy: normal
FET #2: 1 blast transferred 10/25; BFP 10/31!
EDD 7/13/14 ~ Induced at 37w4d due to pre-eclampsia ~ Born on 6/28/14
*Everyone welcome*