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.
Geeps2
member
Re: Children's books
"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Right now since we are on board books we are reading The Very Hungry Catapillar, But Not the Hippopotamus, Baby Cakes, and some touchy feely books.
I have tons of books from being a nanny. I have a big collection of Serendipity books. I also have a collection of Frog and Toad.
When she can pay attention a bit longer I'm going to be reading Guess How Much I Love You, Dr. Seuss's ABCs, On The Night You Were Born and Cows That Type. I have board books for all of those.
I really enjoy discovering books. Every time we go to Once Upon a Child, I look through the book section. I have found a few at TJ MAXX and Marshall's as well. I look for beautiful illustrations and cute stories.
We also have the same thing with Disney Princesses (5 minute stories).
She loves Corduroy.
Also my MIL got us a subscription to Highlights (a little magazine for kids, arrives monthly or bi monthly, can't remember) and there all all kinds of short stories and activities in those. In theory they are way above her age range but we've been obsessed with them.
Looks like you have a one year old. I'm gearing this to that age but some are also for bigger kids.
I am a Bunny by Richard Scarry
Bunny books with illustrations by Lisa McCue, like "Snuggle Bunnies" and "Busy Bunnies"
My daughter LOVES "Wheels on the Bus" illustrated version of the song
Good Night Moon
Big Red Barn
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, etc.
"Heads," "Tails," etc.
Little Blue Truck
Very Hairy Bear
Spot books
Biscuit books.
The world of books for babies is all new to me so it's very helpful to see these recommendations. I could go on for hours about books for 1st graders but that's quite different! Though actually some of the books you mentioned toddlers loving are first grade favorites too - like the llama llama books and the karma Wilson bear books. Your kids who enjoy those might also like the moonbear books by Frank Asch. Or might like them in another year.
™ I'm definitely going to have to get some more books with stories or at least complete sentences as board books very soon! The books with just one word under a picture are nice for DD to look at (high contrast) but I'm already sick of them since they aren't much good for language or even concept development - the things in them are so random! Seems like publishers could really do better. Though to be fair I am a nitpicker by nature. I'd rewrite about half the emergent level books in our guided reading collection at school too, if I could.
I'm looking forward to reading her classics like the Robert McCloskey books, Corduroy, Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel (I made my dad read that to me *so* many times!) when she is older.
"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Another big hit for anyone starting potty training is Dinosaurs Love Underpants. It's the only thing that convinced DD to want to try wearing panties.
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Perfectly normal! Regular refrain in my house by 2 yo about almost 7 mo old brother is "Mommy! He's chewing on the books again! There's slobber on them!"