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: FFFC
BFP#3 9-4-13 Benjamin Lee born 4-28-14
Last night DH came home from his regular job with every intention of finishing grading the computer programs for the class the volunteers with. It had been awhile and I was chompin at the bit. I managed to convince him to spend the rest of the night in bed with me and put off grading for another night. Now to just figure out how to gain the same high from pre-preg even though this bump is in the way.
I feel kinda bad that the students have to wait a little longer for their assignments... but not really.
#Sorrynotsorry
For reals, yo. I'm a pretty old-fashioned lady in a lot of respects, but if my husband ever even insinuated that I "wasn't allowed" to drink coffee, shower by myself, cut my hair or whatever I would laugh in his face.
Buscemi gifs.
There is absolutely nothing wrong about this.
Edit: posted too early
Child support is meant to be used for the child. That means rent (roof over their head), groceries (food, things to keep them clean/healthy), and clothes for the children, as well as school things (books/paper/extra curriculars) should be coming out of the child support. Child support is not meant to cover your booze, cigarettes, or breakfasts with friends. It is not your personal source of income. It's for the minor children in your care. GET IT TOGETHER.
DD born 2/3/03
BFP 3/21/13 w/ EDD 12/02/13, C/P 3/29/13.
BFP 9/18/13 w/ EDD 5/26/14,
Beta #1 @ 14-16dpo = 375, progesterone 33.6
Beta #2 @ 20-22 dpo = 8,782!
Beta #3 @ 27-29dpo = 44,230, dx subchorionic hemorrhage/ threatened mc
Beta #4 @ 29-31dpo = 72, 080
Grow, little one, grow!
***** All AL Welcome *****
DS#1, a few months of trying. Very unsexy, we should have sex for the sake of making a baby kind of sex.
DS#2, we were trying. However, it was DH's birthday. DS#1 stayed with my Aunt, and I booked a room at a Casino. And we had hot drunk sex (I was drunk, for the purpose of good sex. That's the ONLY reason I would drink, and DH appreciates it)
D?#3, we had just started trying. As in, we only did it twice in that cycle. And when I tested, because AF was a day late, DH was PISSED that it happened so quickly.
DS#1 - Apr 22, 2010
DS#2 - Oct 26, 2012
DS#3 - May 28, 2014
Friends for 17 years. Married 10. TTC since Jan 2009.
2013: IVF#3/FET#4 Elisabeth CJ born April 30, 2014
Cerclage, P17, and 3 months of bed rest brought us our Rainbow.
Dum spiro, spero.
DD born 2/3/03
BFP 3/21/13 w/ EDD 12/02/13, C/P 3/29/13.
BFP 9/18/13 w/ EDD 5/26/14,
Beta #1 @ 14-16dpo = 375, progesterone 33.6
Beta #2 @ 20-22 dpo = 8,782!
Beta #3 @ 27-29dpo = 44,230, dx subchorionic hemorrhage/ threatened mc
Beta #4 @ 29-31dpo = 72, 080
Grow, little one, grow!
***** All AL Welcome *****
My SIL also trades her food stamps for pills and crack.
It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
@pistolpackinmomma- I do this with DH sometimes about having to go to the bathroom. He works 24 hour shifts and sometimes, I just don't want to be on the phone for a long time, especially when the Real Housewives are calling my name.
@empireceo- totally done that with our dogs with this pregnancy. What accident?
@pandadair- I hear you on that! It is more time efficient and I don't worry what my vibrator thinks about my rapidly expanding stomach/butt
@ALE515- My nephews are bad too. We won't let them come over to our house because all we do is have to discipline them. Mostly, they feed/harass our dogs and it makes me nutty.
I have a two FFFC:
1. My students took a practice high school exit exam the last few weeks. A few of them didn't finish in the 1 week of class time they were given, so I asked them to come in before school, brunch, or lunch to finish it. I was walking back from the office at lunch this week and one of the students was talking to his friend. His mom was calling him to remind him to finish his test. He ignored her call and proceeded to tell his friend that he was going to put his phone on airplane mode and tell his mom his phone died so that he didn't have to go in during lunch. He didn't realize I heard him say all of his, so I emailed his mom to let her know what he had done. She walked him to my classroom at 7:30 the next day to ensure he made it there to finish his test and volunteered to do the same at brunch and lunch if he did not finish the test before school. I don't even feel bad that I got him in trouble.
2. Yesterday, I ate an entire movie theater size bag of M&M's while watching "The Spirit of the Marathon 2." I felt a little bad eating all that chocolate while watching them run, but not bad enough to stop or share with my friends/husband.