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: Did your NICU have a weight limit? Weigh in here...
No weight limit - just had to maintain temp, take all feedings from breast/bottle, no A/Bs, and be consistently gaining weight every day.
Super-teenies are very scary to bring home, but I'd imagine everyone from the NICU is at least a little scared to bring their LO home no matter what the weight! I know I would have been even if she had weighed more.
It's funny because I was having a conversation with my dad the weekend before she was discharged and I was telling him how I hoped she would be closer to 5lbs before we brought her home because bringing home a 4lb baby scared me! A week later we were leaving the NICU with a LO under 3lbs. Crazy.
BFP #1 7/26/11 ~ EDD 4/2/12 ~ m m/c discovered 9/2/11
BFP #2 12/5/11 ~ EDD 8/16/12 ~ It's a Girl!
Lila Abigail born 6/8/12 at 30w1d weighing 1 lb 11.2 oz due to severe pre-e and IUGR
Rule of thumb was 5lbs but they made exceptions if that as the only thing holding the LO back, in an approved carseat. It wasn't an issue for us because they were both closer to 8lbs.
Otherwise it was all feeds by mouth and 5 days Brady free.
Thanks for asking!
I never heard that mine did, but DD was 5lbs 5oz at birth.
I just wondered for a nearly FT kiddo like my friend, even with the IUGR, why keep her if everything else is going well?? It seems like a good guideline but not something that should be set in stone.
BFP(4) DD2 born 2.14.13 @ 35w5d due to pPROM
Our NICU didn't allow our LO to wear clothes until she was 3 pounds 5 ounces (1.5kg) and wouldn't allow the top to remain open on the isolette until she was almost 4 pounds (1.8kg), so I'm sure that they wouldn't let you leave if the weight was under 4 pounds. Adalyn left the NICU weighing 5 pounds 13 ounces.
Btw, cute title to the post...
Me: PCOS DH: Low everything (MFI)
Clomid with TI x 3 2010 BFN
Clomid+IUI+Ovidrel 2010 BFN
IVF w/ICSI #1 2011
9/8/11 Beta #1: 2082!! 9/19/11 Beta#2 34,689!! U/S 9/22/11 HR 127! 11/8/11 HR 150! 12/6/11 HR 136! 12/14/11 HR 139! Born at 26w2d on 2/4/2012! After 83 days in the NICU, Adalyn came home on 4/26/12!
FET 1 3/2013 BFN
FET 2 5/2013 BFN
No weight limit but they had to meet the criteria of taking all feeds by breast or bottle for 48 hours, no A&Bs requiring stim for 7 days, and pass car seat test. They fudged a little on the A&Bs criteria for us since they were ready otherwise and sent us home with apnea monitors. Both were over 5 lbs at that point. My nurses told me that the neos at our NICU usually didn't like to send preemies, especially really early ones home before 37 weeks. I would think sending a preemie home so small and too soon is a huge liability for the NICU and neonatologist who discharges them.
Peanut Butter and Jelly!
<a href="http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss122/AliceNP/?action=view
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
Urbanflowerpot - YGM
Our NICU didn't have a weight limit, but almost all of the babies were held until their EDD or close to it. When we were there, there was actually an 11lb baby in the NICU who was born at 11lbs. HUGE baby compared to all of the other little ones that were in there.