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.
JaneDrewAK
member
Re: Sinead
I hope most Americans would know how to say it because of the singer.... ?
But it's definitely not pronounced phonetically for the English language.
I like both a lot, but I think Sinead is much more useable if you don't live in Ireland. Because of Sinead O'Connor I think more people will be familiar with it and not butcher it as badly as they would Aoife.
ETA I just turned 27 and have heard of the singer.
Totally not being snarky but how old are you? This could give OP an idea of how many people would actually still make the connection.
I also thinnk the connection between the name and the singer wont be a problem for too much longer...
but I think it is a hard name..i think there are much more beautiful irish names
All of this.
My concern is that, without the Sinead O'Connor connection, no one will know how to pronounce it. I would not want people pronouncing it phonetically, which I think is inevitable.
Yup, and after that whole Pope thing on SNL, I just wouldn't name my kid that.
I like it, but I'm old and my first thought is Sinead O'Connor. You're right, she's only getting further from the limelight as time passes and it won't be long before no one remembers her.
Although, at that time, people may no longer automatically know how to pronouce the name.
ditto
It's okay. I still associate it with the singer and I have mixed thoughts about her. I understand the point she was trying to make; I just don't like the way she went about doing it. Unfortunately in this country that name is so uncommon that she is who everyone (who is familiar with the name) will associate it. For the rest, they'll have no clue how to pronounce it.
All that aside, the sound of it isn't very appealing to me.
The flow of Sinead Alexandria is very nice.
I know how to pronounce Sinead and I know of the singer, but the association does not bother me.
I just don't think it's a very nice name. Pronounced correctly, it is homely ? add to that the likelihood that she'll get lots of people calling her Sin Head or Sin Eat and it is harsh and unlovely.
Now, Aoife I like very much. It will still have pronunciation problems, but it's more likely to generate bafflement than anything that sounds truly bad.
Do you like Siobhan? It's more familiar than Sinead and I think it sounds better anyway.
Baby Name Popularity by State
You took the words out of my mouth. All of them.
I like Sinead. I would consider using it if our chosen MN was not Jane...it seems redundant.
I associate it with Sinead O'Connor, but I'm getting old!
I had no trouble at all with the pronunciation.
Yep, same here.
I think also people who are trying to figure it out phonetically will be like "Sin-eed?" which ... blech.
Also, I wouldn't discount associations that people in their 30s+ will make. When I was a kid it seemed like the worst teasers were uncle types who think they are hilarious.
So even if your child's classmates may not have heard of Sinead O'Connor, I imagine that association would come up a lot when talking to older people. And since it is such an unusual name, I doubt most of us will forget the association over time.
I was surprised people didn't recognize O'Connor (I'm 32)... but then I hit wikipedia and was reminded that the SNL thing was in '92. So, I guess people in their early 20s should get a pass :P
OT, but have you guys seen pics of her lately? I would not recognize her.
I like the name. I don't think people will have more trouble with this than they would with Siobhan. (There's a character named Siobhan in one of the books my students read at school, and they have no idea what to do with it) I like Sinead with Alexandra too.