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.
erindawn
member
Re: What do you put in your mesh feeder?
Married 1/2/99.
TTC since 4/09.
Diagnosed PCOS. Diagnosed Hypothryoid 11/09.
SHG & SA normal. PCOS Research study started 5/10.
Clomid/Femara cycle #1 - 6/10 = BFN
Clomid/Femara cycle #2 - 7/10 = BFP #1 - Missed miscarriage 9/2/10
11/12 - BFP #2 - 11/22 - m/c
5/1/11 - BFP #3 - Pre-eclampsia, IUGR & bed rest from 32w. DD born via induction 1/4/12.
I used the mesh feeder a handful of times with breastmilk in it... but haven't bothered with anything else. We do Baby Led Weaning and it has worked well for us.
Have you tried mashing food and letting him go at it with his fingers? I did that for the first couple of weeks while I was getting used to letting her feed herself. It amazed me how much she got into her mouth. Some babies don't like to be fed from a spoon, and some just don't like the taste/texture of puree, but do well with soft finger foods.
We started with mashed avocado, and soft baked sweet potato fries, both of which would work well in a mesh feeder if you're too nervous not to use it. Avocado and sweet potato are packed full of good nutrients too. Avocado has lots of good fats, so we try to give DD a fair bit of that since she's always been itty bitty.
DD also loves grabbing handfuls of grated cheese, french toast made with egg yolk (not the whites) and a little milk...I cut the piece of toast in 3 sticks so she can grab it, but the texture would work well with a mesh holder too... again, the yolk is listed in our provincial guide as a superfood, but you need to avoid the whites because of allergy risk. Pear, watermelon, peach, are also good....consider trying veggies too like steamed broccoli... that can be pretty mushy. Try different squashes... mushy enough to get through the mesh... turnip, carrot would work.
Really, even things like chicken or shredded beef could go into the mesh... he would still get the taste of it and be able to suck out some of the juices... so he'd still be getting some of the nutrients.
ETA: Make sure that he still is getting plenty of BM or formula... that's where the majority of his nutrients should be coming from until at least 12 months
ETA2: Also consider full fat Greek Yogurt. You can give him a spoon or let him use his fingers, or you can freeze it in small amounts to use in the mesh feeder.
For the first year, food is just for fun, it's not for nutrition. I've read that in several books and our Ped confirmed it. So if your baby is losing weight, it's not because of solids.
Have you looked into Baby Led Weaning? It's where you skip purees and go straight to normal food. We started with banana. There's a book that explains how to do it safely.
I've put just about every type of fruit imaginable in it so far- but my kid is a chow hound. He'll eat anything- purees, fruit in the mesh feeder, small pieces of food..... mum mum teething crackers, etc. At 7 1/2 mo, he's cruisin!
But, like PPs said- food at this stage is primarily experience- not nutrition.
I would also suggest LED weaning- you can mash just about anything- chicken, rice, veggies- just make sure LO's tummy and bowels can handle it as much as his mouth. I keep a close eye on bowel movements ot make sure consistency of poop and regularity are ok.
Oh, I wish he was eating less at night! It's the same. We tried to reduce the amount in bottles and that just had him waking more, then we tried CIO which didn't work at all, then we found out he was losing weight. I'm wondering if he's had silent reflux this whole time. We're going to Seattle Children's Hospital tomorrow morning (at 7:30am and I live an hour away, God help me) to see the pediatric GI.
I should also mention that he's MSPI (allergic to dairy and soy) as well as corn and nuts. Oy.
Ok love this post so informative. When can you start mushy stuff? I'm wondering if my baby would love this better than pur?e.