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.
litzo27
member
Re: Tuesday GTKY
2. Does Twitter count? I've been so bad about reading lately. My only free time is past 7:30 and my brain can't function enough to read at that point in the day.
3. Hair routine. I have curly/dry/frizzy hair and I must to my particular hair routine in order for my hair not to be a wreck.
2. Flash boys - about high frequency trading.
3. Tea (large leaf loose only, preferably Ceylon). And kid shoes. When Zappos stopped carrying Ecco was traumatic for me.
2. I just finished Saving Grace (new Jane Green) and discovered there is a new Outlander prequel. I didn't know there was a new Margaret Atwood!
3. Cars. Have to have a perfect safety rating and climate control, heated seats, etc.
2. The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan.
3. Shoes - for me and the kids. Cheap shoes always hurt my feet and I end up regretting them almost instantly. Cheap kid shoes seem to fall apart so quickly. I'd rather spend more money and be comfortable and have shoes that last until my kids out grow them.
1. Brutally cold. We're stuck in an "Arctic Vortex" which is giving us temps of -37 Celcius.
2. A few things on the go: Bible, and some running books. Just finished "Run like a girl" and I highly recommend.
3. Beds, linens and pillows. I have a hard time sleeping on anything that's not 100% luxurious unless I'm camping.
@potbellypig - holy cow that's cold! Have you read Born to Run? I really liked it (and I'm not much of a runner).
1. So freaking cold and there is snow. Enough to give my husband a wake up call at 4:55am to go plow, waking me up in the process. I'm still bitter in case anyone is wondering.
2. For now, I read blogs, the bump and facebook.
3. I guess I'm a snob about jeans. I don't pay a ridiculous amount for them, but I feel $60 isn't unreasonable. I wear jeans to work and to meetings so I get my money's worth.
1. It is 32 right now and I have become weak living in the south. I am COLD.
2. Does reading blogs/reddit in a Serial spiral count? I will now be reading the Outlander prequel thanks to @2chatter tonight though.
3. Food. DH makes fun of me because I am very meticulous with crafting food. Sandwiches, for example, need to be in a specific order and I will rearrange it.
2. What are you reading now?sigh, I never read anymore besides to my kids
3. Some people are particular about their coffee, others about their soaps. What are you a "snob" about?
shoes. I won't buy cheap ones.
2. Milked by Lisa Doyle. It is a light read about a 21st Century wet nurse. My sister's friend wrote it
3. My shampoo (Pureology) - otherwise my hair is so limp and blah.
2. Just finished the Ken Follet Century Trilogy, and loved it. Searching for my next book. I've been really into podcasts lately - serial (of course!), working and rediscovered my fondness for this american life
3. wine. while there are good inexpensive bottles of wine, wine is something where a few extra $$ goes a long way. and any $$ spent on a good, quality california cab is money well spent in my mind! i fail to see why people drink cheap and nasty wine!
1. Single digits, sometimes with a windchill below zero, and light snow.
2. Random books that I got for free or cheap on my Kindle.
3. DH thinks I'm a furniture snob when it comes to wooden furniture because I want to buy nice pieces that will last, so they are expensive. I try to explain that the price over 20 years is actually cheaper than the cost to buy a piece of junk that won't last 5 years. Other than that, I guess I'm kind of a shoe snob for myself. I'd rather spend $60 on a nice pair of leather shoes that will last for a year or more than a cheap pair of $20 that will hurt my feet and last 2 months.
2. Game of Thrones Series
3. Skin and hair products. I need quality hand cream, shampoo, conditioner, face soap and face lotion.
1. 45 and sunny
2. Sarah's Key
3. My face wash and coffee
2. Wetlands. I don't even know how to describe it.
3. I'm too cheap to be a snob about anything. My husband's the snob - shoes, hats, food, beer, everything.
2. I finished Girl Walks into a Bar a while back (Rachel Dratch). I downloaded Bright Lights Big City but haven't started it.
3. My shampoo and face moisturizer. I don't go super fancy, but I won't buy another brand
2. The Steampunk Chronicles. Also a book that was free on Amazon Prime last month. It's a mystery that takes place in Germany.
3. Handbags. Sheets. We only sleep on beechwood sheets. They are divine. Shoes for all of us. I was a ballerina and now have arthritis in the arches of my feet, so I'm prissy about good shoes for me and protecting my kids' feet with good shoes. DH is a serious runner and spends the GNP of a third world country on running shoes for himself.
2. What are you reading now? Nothing
3. Some people are particular about their coffee, others about their soaps. What are you a "snob" about? Hmmm... Parmesan cheese. seriously. That shelf stable shaker stuff is awful. I go to the specialty cheese section and buy a hunk, and eat it plain. But that's about it.
2. Embarrassed to admit I just finished The third (?) novel in the Bridgit Jones series. Predictable.
3. I am super frugal to a fault so no consumer good comes to mind. But I don't cheap out on things that you can't take back.
1. 70s and toasty.
2. A guidebook about Disneyland.
3. Law schools.
2. Just finished Two Girls, Fat and Thin by Mary Gaitskill. Nothing new on deck yet.
3. Shoes and bags. I don't have many but they're all leather. I like stuff to last.
the book thief is great, but you'll need a box of tissues for later.
2. I listen to audiobooks in the car, because I don't have a ton of time to read. I just finished "Cassidy Lane." It was cute.
3. I am a snob about my coffee. If someone else goes to Starbucks, I get a latte, because regular coffee for me is too much of a PITA to have someone else make.
You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through.
If you were in my shoes, you'd fall the first step."