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.
MommyAtty
member
I'm a just-turned-40 year old STM. I have a 22 month old DD and a 3 1/2 week old DS. And can I just say DD totally suckered us into having No. 2? She was a 2 time per night eater for a week or so, then up once per night until she was 6 weeks old, when she magically started sleeping all night in her crib. Her brother, on the other hand, eats every 3 hours, day or night, and has recently decided that every night between 1 am and 4 am, he has to poop and has forgotten how. So he grunts and groans, and occasionally cries if he isn't held and given gripe water at least once and often twice. I am stinking EXHAUSTED. And DH apparently goes deaf when he falls asleep, so he's completely unaware anything is happening. I'm dreading going back to work at the 6 week mark. If his sleep isn't improving, I'm going to die. Or get a new husband!
Re: First baby suckered us!
Aw, hang in there.
I had the opposite happen. DS1 didn't sleep well until he was 18 months hold - he was a wake up half a dozen time a night guy for a while - so we weren't expecting much with DS2, but he's (mostly) been an awesome sleeper.
Sorry, back to my point. The lack of sleep sucks but you get used to it. Seriously. And then, when you get to have a full night's sleep it. is. awesome!
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You adjust to the lack of sleep. I also work full time and have been back at work since DS2 was 6 weeks old. It does get better. Just hang in there and grab some DD or Starbucks.
"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt
DD slept through the night from her second night home from the hospital... DS... I didn't get to sleep reliably in my bed until he was about 14 months... And even now at 2.5 I don't get to bed some nights until 2AM because he's that hard to get down for the night, and then he's up at eh, 6:30AM.. DH OTOH, he can't understand why I am so tired all the time and complain that I need more sleep... <GRRRRRR> And yes, DH falls asleep about a half-hour or less into my attempting to get DS down (this process starts at 9PM), and if DS gets up during the night, DH rarely if ever notices but he'll complain to high places if I convince DS to crawl into bed with us to sleep (I don't care if he sleeps on my arm or DH's pillow as long as I get to sleep past 4:30AM!)
I keep reminding myself it's a phase and one day I'll be able to break my requirement of drinking coffee every day (I never could tolerate anything coffee until after DS was born)..
Have you tried burping a little longer, bicycles, and/or gas drops to try to lessen the gas before bed? If LO BF or FF? If FF it could be the formula. If BF it could be something in your diet. I also remember DS1 outgrew the gassy phase after a few months (not exactly sure when, maybe 4 months).
Yes, all of that. He's FF, and we've switched his formula and his bottles. His sister went through this, too, she just had the good sense to do it during the day! DH and I joke that we wake up chanting "Work the legs! Rub the tummy!" I'm hoping like with his sister this ends soon.