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
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If you could choose your own name, what would you pick? Hmm, I can't imagine another name. I never cared for it when I was little but now I don't mind it at all.
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick? His name is Ryan, I love his name so I wouldn't chose anything else. I have always liked that name, and I like that it's normal but I've never known a ton of them.
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.? I like classic, traditional names. One that will never go out of style, but aren't weird or unknown.
How popular was your name the year you were born? My name is Amy and I was born in 1979. I think it was fairly popular but not like Jennifer which was HUGE when I was born. I never had another Amy in my class until jr. high, but I think there were at least a few in higher grades so maybe it peaked in popularity a few years before. My mom always got asked if I was named after the presidents daughter, Amy Carter.
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!
8/12-Suprise BFP- Sweet Bunny Born Sleeping 11/21/12 (19 weeks)
-5/7/13- MMC (8 Weeks)
11/6/13- BO discovered at 7 weeks- natural MC 11/25/13
8/14- Surpise IF dx...low AMH (.24)- moving on to IVF
IVF #1- 11/14- 6R5M4F=2 perfect frosties
12/19/14- FET of 2 embabies = BFP!!! One Little Bean EDD: 9/3/15
Everyone Welcome.
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick?
His name is Kevin and I don't know... I can't picture him as anything else. I like it!
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.? I like old names that aren't super common today. I told everyone "I don't want them to be one of six with the same name growing up". That's why I picked Walter and Mary for my twins.
How popular was your name the year you were born? I didn't have any other Elizabeths in elementary school with me but I'd say a good 8 of us in my graduating class of 550.
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick? His name fits him, I think, so I wouldn't change it.
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.? A little of both. DS is named after his daddy [Joseph], which is a little more of a classic name. But Devon and Mia seem to be more on the trendy side - especially Mia, which is way more popular than I thought. I do love the classic names, though. And classic spellings. People who go out of their way to spell their kids' names all crazy make me twitchy.
How popular was your name the year you were born? My name was sorta kinda popular - Ebony and Ivory came out four years before I was born, so Ebony was on the map. But I don't think it was super popular. The way my parents spelled my name is definitely unique; I don't know many Ebonies who spell their name like mine.
I like my name. I'm named after my dad and I don't know any other Stephanie's who spell their name like mine - Stefany.
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick?
I like his name.
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.?
I'm drawn to more trendy names - not super trendy, but definitely not very traditional.
How popular was your name the year you were born?
Not too popular - and my name is spelled unique, so I never had to worry about that! Although I was never able to get anything with my name on it because it was always spelled wrong, which was annoying.
I like my name...Rachel not Rachael lol it never gets spelled right..
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick?
I wouldn't change anything about his name to me he looks like a David :-)
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.? Trendy
How popular was your name the year you were born?
In 82 ` 13,866 girls were named Rachel
And... 64 boys were named Rachel, poor boys.
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick? David is perfect for him, so I will let him keep it. :-)
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.? Traditional and old fashioned. Hence Elsie Irene for our daughter and Chester Michael.
How popular was your name the year you were born? Not. I think I have met one Jeannette (alternate spellings included) that was around my age. Most are older ladies. :-)
If you could choose your SO's name, what would you pick? I'm fine with Jim. I've always been drawn to guys with "J" names ....funny that I named my son with one too, lol.
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.?-- Whoops, should have read ahead. I like traditional names and old fashioned names. Anything that is from the early days of the century I'm drawn to. Henry, Charles, William.... Margaret, Sophie, Charlotte....etc...
How popular was your name the year you were born?--- TOO popular!!! Not only were there a bagillion Katie's out there, I also have an Irish maiden name and went to an all girls Catholic school in a very densely Irish populated neighborhood soooo, you can imagine the confusion. There were no less than 2 other Kate or Katie's in each of my classes all of us with Irish names!!
NTNP 2009-2012 TTC since 2012:
Jack has handpicked his sibling up there
My blog about IF and loss ... Kate's IF Blog
NTNP 2009-2012 TTC since 2012:
Jack has handpicked his sibling up there
My blog about IF and loss ... Kate's IF Blog
I always wanted a different name. When I was younger, I wanted to be Emily (which is my niece's name)
What kind of names are you drawn too: traditional, trendy, etc.? I like traditional different names. Names that aren't common, but not too off the wall.
How popular was your name the year you were born?