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.
Mrs Nice
member
Re: PgAL Check In
How far along are you?
26w5d. Hothouse cucumber.
Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones?
I saw my OB yesterday. My induction date has been set for May5!! I have an ultrasound booked for this Monday. Next OB appt is Feb26.
Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions?
The last few weeks I have really been craving chocolate. It's a good thing Valentines Day is coming up. DH had better deliver if he knows what's good for him! ;-) I have also started to get really uncomfortable at night. My lower back is always sore by the end of the day and its getting harder to pick up Z and play with him like I usually do.
QOTW: How has this pregnancy differed from your previous pregnancy(ies) in the way of cravings/symptoms?
With both my boys, right from the start I had to pee constantly. I would have to get up through the night 5-6 times per night to use the bathroom. With this one I only have to get up once at night to pee. It's been nice. But this time I was WAY sicker and more exhausted during first tri than I was with my boys.
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week?
My closest cousin had a 18w loss this week. I am so devastated for her!! When she first told me I just collapsed and couldn't function. I had to call DH home from work. I spent Tuesday night staying up texting her while she was in the hospital waiting to deliver. She gave birth to a baby boy Wednesday morning. I HATE this so much!!! We were so excited to be pregnant together and now I don't know if she will want to see me since I'm still pregnant. I have been crying pretty much non stop the last few days. I hate that she now knows this pain. It's not F'ing fair!!
Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? NST again Monday. I do them 2x weekly.
Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? Its not comfortable to sit or lay anywhere. :-)
QOTW: How has this pregnancy differed from your previous pregnancy(ies) in the way of cravings/symptoms? Oh, just about everything is different. I was sick all first tri with this fella, never threw up once with my daughter. He is very ok with whatever I eat, but she was very into me eating salty foods. The weight gain has been different and in different places. I started wearing maternity clothes at 12w with her, but not until after 20w with him. Everything is different.
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Hoping to deliver in the next week and a half naturally. At my appointment yesterday we discussed induction. My dr is happy to do it whenever we want it, but in the back of my mind I also know its best for him to stay in a little longer. Its a huge internal struggle. I dont want to go the pitocin route again, so next week we are going to do a cervical check and I will ask they strip the membranes. I want his birth to be different from his sister's. But at 40w I am done. I am just not ok letting him go past that.
PS. Thank you for all your help with the check ins. I really appreciate it!! I going to try to be more diligent now that it is slowing down at work again.
:-)
Our 3D u/s and growth scan are coming up on Tuesday. I'm hoping for good news and some great pictures.
Symptoms: heartburn, SPD, and Braxton Hicks... those were the big ones this week.
QOTW: both of my losses were at 21wks. I've never made it this far so there isn't much to compare because the beginning of all three of my pregnancies were very similar.
Open Topic: I'm trying to be more optimistic about this baby especially since we've made it this far... but it's been hard. Also I keep thinking that because we got pg so soon after we lost Lorelei that I didn't have enough time to properly grieve for her... so many emotions!! Then add the hormones:| I feel sorry for dh, one minute I'm talking about starting a registry then the next I'm bawling my eyes out.
Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? Just my 2X weekly NSTs, so far she's passed three of them.
Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? Just been very tired lately.
QOTW: How has this pregnancy differed from your previous pregnancy(ies) in the way of cravings/symptoms? I had (and still have) MS with this one, but my hands only get tingly/fall asleep when I'm sleeping whereas last time they were totally numb all the time after 18 weeks.
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? Just mentally preparing for her arrival, I can't believe she's coming so soon.
My Pregnancy/Parenting BLOG TTC since 5/2011, BFP #1 12/3/11, M/C 12/7/11 @ 4wks 2d. Began seeing RE Sep 2012. October 2012 Metformin 1500 mg= ovulation on CD34 BFP#2 11/14/12 9DPO, EDD 7/26/13, DX Gestational Diabetes @14 wks, our angel born sleeping 3/24/13 @ 22wks 2d. BFP #3 7/4/13 8DPO EDD 3/22/14, DX Gestational Diabetes @14 wks. started insulin @16 wks. Our rainbow, born 3/19/14 @ 39wks 6d., we're so in love!
Ava's Story
BFP#2 10/18/13 Blighted ovum 11/25/13
BFP #3 1/31/14 EDD 10/18/14 -- It's a GIRL!
How far along are you? Tomorrow (Monday) will be 30 weeks!
Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones? Still astounded that we're this close! P17 shots continue for the next 7 weeks, OB this week (never heard anything after my GD test two weeks ago and OB said "no news is good news"...)
Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions? Still could eat sweets ALL DAY LONG...especially anything with cinnamon! My whole middle section has started to hurt again - everything must be growing and stretching.
QOTW: How has this pregnancy differed from your previous pregnancy(ies) in the way of cravings/symptoms? With the triplets I didn't have any real cravings. I ate a lot of ice cream because I could (if that makes sense) whereas this time around I really, REALLY want the ice cream! Symptoms...even though I feel like I was AT LEAST this size (and right now I'm at the weight when I delivered the trips) I feel bigger and have more aches and pains.
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week? I'm really enjoying our Hypnobirthing classes. It's helped so much with my anxiety as our EDD gets closer. I'm feeling more and more confident that I can deliver this baby with a natural and gentle birth!
Do you have any upcoming appointments or milestones?
Any pregnancy symptoms or pregnancy cravings or aversions?
I want Ice so bad!! I love it! I NEED it all the time lol! I use my ninja and crush it down to look like snow and I just go to town on it! Symptoms- ugh where to start! My bp is getting higher, getting major headaches from the elevated bp, I am getting contractions frequently. I had to go to the hospital and be monitored d/t the bp and contractions. They wanted to keep me from the contractions being so intense on the monitor. I promised up and down that if they became any sort of regular I would come back in asap. I just hate being in that hospital even though its easier.
QOTW: How has this pregnancy differed from your previous pregnancy(ies) in the way of cravings/symptoms?
Open Topic. What is on your mind this week?
In any case, today I'm 15w5d. Baby us the size of an orange.
No upcoming appointments this week.
Symptoms are getting better, except that I'm still exhausted and now I have to pee all yes time (contributing to the exhaustion since I'm up five or six times a night).
This pregnancy had been different them both of my previous pregnancies. I'm not as sick as I was the first time, but sicker than I was last time. I'm WAY more tired this time, But that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I also have a seven month old. I'm so big already... I swear I look like I did at 20w last time. All in all I guess I'm glad it's different.
I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to feel when we find out the gender. I have a strong feeling that this it's a boy and I'm terrified that after having a devastating experience with my son and a positive experience with my daughter I'll be in fear for the rest of the pregnancy if it turns out that my suspicions are correct and it's another boy. I know it's silly but I feel like maybe my body just can't make healthy boys. It's an irrational fear but there nonetheless. I don't know. I'll be happy if my baby is healthy and this isn't gender disappointment (I know better than that). More like gender anxiety. Does that make sense?