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.
Brittalyse
member
Re: Moms to be
4 rounds of clomid, 2 with IUI = BFN
Hubby and I are expecting our first, a baby girl the end of April. We also live ont he north side of the city. Congratulations to you and welcome back!
4 rounds of clomid, 2 with IUI = BFN
Kristin - I just had my first appt and it was with the nurse practioner. They have a "meet the midwives" every few weeks I think so you can get to know them better so I'm going to check that out. I would also like to take some classes but I'm not sure what. Probably Lamaze and I've been wanting to do prenatal yoga. Not sure what else. What are you thinking of doing?
Cprice, I feel the same way! I want to find out so I can start shopping
My husband and I are taking a baby care class since this is our first. Also Animal friends has a free baby ready pets class. I heard it was helpful. I'll probably do lamaze as well. If you have upmc they told be that was covered and you fill out a form which I'm guessing for reimbursement.they will email it to you if you call. Whatever I can do to prepare.
It is nice to start shopping. Especially with sales going on. Although my husband says not to buy too much haha. It's so hard.
I have a bigger size Chihuahua. It's been just her so long. She did alright with our friends baby but thought he was playing with her. Someone had recommended this class. They took it. I have that in two weeks. I believe they offer it once a month.
There is so much information out there. I am finding some if it repeats itself. It's a lot to take in.
All of your dogs sound so cute!! My husband and I have always loved Bernese mountain dogs and are thinking of getting a bernedoodle for our next dog. That's way down the road though. We have a black lab mix and a boxer/English pointer mix. Big dogs who think they are lap dogs.. So spoiled!
I haven't bought anything yet! I'm in a Facebook group with other moms expecting in July and some of them have already finished their nurseries! I'm like what the heck. We just bought a house and have the closing next Friday so I'm kind of waiting for that and to find out the sex.
Casey, I'm the same way about indecisiveness. I have no clue what to do for the nursery. I also know that I won't be able to decide on a name until the baby is actually here.
Hello,
I just found this board and look forward to getting to know some local moms. I'm pregnant with my first- due in July. I live with my husband and a cat in the eastern part of Pgh. My first trimester was pretty easy, so I felt really fortunate.
While I've been trying to think of some names I probably won't be able to decide until I meet the little one. I have a hard enough time deciding what to order for dinner!
I haven't had a chance to read through recent posts, so sorry if this has already been addressed, but I'm trying to decide about where to deliver. I'm thinking of delivering at Magee with Western PA Womens Healthcare Associates or maybe the midwives. Have you ladies been hearing mostly good stories about delivering there? Two of my friends had good experiences there.
BFP #2: 10/8/14, EDD: 6/22/15, MC: 11/13/14 (D&C)
Kristin- thank you for the offer. We want to keep the nursery simple. Either a nice sports theme or something based on this rabbit picture I found. We just started taking wall paper down in the room. It was there when we bought our house. It's a pain haha.
I had to go this morning and have my glucose tested. I drank this bottle of what tasted like a non caffeinated orange drink. Very sweet. Than I sat there for an hour until they could draw blood. It wasn't too bad. If everything is good I won't have to do the three hour test.
Good luck on your house closing. It's a lot at
Once but it will all come together.
Congrats to the new moms too. Glad to see others joining in.
Kristin, I may totally take you up on nursery ideas! I bought this group recently for a website that sells hundreds of wall decals (trees, elephants, birds,etc). There's some cute ones on there so I think I'll pick that out first then plan the rest of the nursery around that.
I started wearing maternity a little after ten weeks just bc I was so bloated and couldn't stand the thought of jeans! I haven't bought much but have found some good deals at kohls. I have a bellaband too that works pretty well, I just notice that I have to pull my jeans up sometimes while wearing it even though it's tight. It's not bad though.
Thanks Casey! I'm excited to move and start nesting
I did by a belly band. It's a good between. I still use it occasionally. I do like it but I too need to pull up my jeans while wearing it. Sometimes it doesn't feel as tight.
Kohls does have some maternity clothes in the stores. Again it's a small selection but look through the tracks the one I saw had various shirts on a rack. I think Kohls has their coupons coming up soon too for charges if you get a 30% it helps.