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.
Re: Nurseries!!
Married the love of my life: 5-17-14
BFP:6-27-14
EDD:3-11-15
Step Mom to Z: 4-11-06
IT'S A BOY!!!!!!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jc71sqrcze3dexz/AADNXz7STwXH2i88-U48wZfea?dl=0
IF veterans; #1 conceived on second clomid+HCG+IUI, #2 conceived on 1st Letrozole+HCG+IUI
EDD: Feb 5, 2018
Colors are white, gray, lavender.
Walls are light gray, fan and fixtures are white.
Dresser is white and gray with white hardware looking at some lavender resin flower knobs or crystal knobs but haven't bought them yet.
Cribs on our registry are white too. Crib bedding will be polka dots and chevrons in gray and white, with lavender being the accent color and aiming for Owls, Elephants and some gaming nerd references in art etc.
Debating on doing a paper pom mobile in those colors in the corner over the crib or over the changing table dresser.
Still in search of a rug for the nursery husband really wants it to be purple/lavender and gliders/rockers we're looking at are white and gray.
~~~~For SuzyQ and all our loss moms~~~~
Met: 02.2007 / Engaged: 11.21.2009 / Married: 07.09.2010
EDD: 03.02.2015 / Scheduled Delivery Date: 02.25.2015
Your curtains! I love them! Where did you get them?
Edit to add that I am in love with @janda426 's nursery and @thetoms curtains are from pottery barn kids. Love.
Here are the pictures. If they're huge, I'm sorry!
No theme, just pink, gold and white. The crib wall will have gold polka dot decals on the top half and baby's name. I'll post pictures once we get all that done.
I'm loving seeing all the nurseries- they're adorable
My mil's hoarding came into good use. We are giving the baby alot of H's old toys including a crap ton of Legos, and some supposedly expensive train sets, plus a tractor I am in love with.
This is just what I have set up on our book shelf.The abc learner is H's as well.
Not going to lie, I love old toys.
We have a lot more to do, but here's what we have so far...on the hunt for curtains and dresser/changing table.
ETA: ignore the way it's not properly lined up. That will get fixed. It's ten seperate pieces.
My husband and I are huge procrastinators and your pics helped give me that last little bit of motivation needed to get started.
We (and by we I mean he) started this morning and somehow managed to get the room painted and the baseboards replaced... While I read him posts from the pregnant fat shaming thread, he enjoyed that.
We're team green so we're doing a travel theme. I bought a huge vintage map to hang over the crib. The walls are a soft neutral, "toasted almond." The crib is butter yellow and the rest of the furniture is maple.
We scored on the paint and got it for $1!! The color we picked somehow managed to be already made that someone never picked up so they hooked up us! Our furniture came from Habitat for Humanity and the crib was fairly inexpensive. We've managed to only spend $300 so far... We're super cheap so this makes me happy. Haha can't wait to share pics when it's all put together. Fingers crossed that's next weekend. I get asked at least once a day of the nursery is ready, I can't wait until I can answer with a big fat YES!
Anyhow- our nursery is still the guest room. I loved our sons bedding set so much that I'm reusing it for our daughter. The plan is to do a scatter wall with pretty black and cream frames- some empty, some with mirrors and some with pics of baby girl. I also have some beautiful sketches of Christ holding babies that I love that will be on her walls or on the dresser.
We also decided on a crib and changing table - classic white Jenny Lind. Baby will probably be here before the crib is, however.
Grr, photo didn't post. Will try again.