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.
KaLikeAWind
member
Re: Randoms!
I think I'm going to order some nursing attire on zulily. Whenever I plan to leave the house it never happens!
So, Last night I skipped a shower and slept in my makeup so this morning I could just throw the same dress on, brush my hair and go. New mom hack
Wake that lady up and make her take you to Target! She can ride one of the wheelchairs.
Also LO has started this new thing where she screeches at the top of her lungs as soon as she starts crying. This drama queen...
And I also ended up doing my first changing the baby outside of my home, as LO ended up pooping right after we got there.
Ugh. Maybe I'm just old. An old cranky lady. That's why I don't get it.
I know I'm going to come off terribly in this whinefest so I'm apologizing in advance, and also let me just say how horribly I feel for all you ladies with milk supply issues and I would never compare my troubles to yours, but...my boobs need to just calm down. I am now pumping exclusively and I'm down to only 4 sessions a day and STILL producing 10-15 ounces per pump. Our freezer is already full, we are going to have to buy a separate freezer (and we have no where to put it) because I just don't know what to do with the stuff. My boobs are constantly full and painful, and my nipples are ravaged and cracked and I just can't wait until I build up enough of a supply to stop pumping all together, which at this rate shouldn't take long. These puppies are so huge and because they are constantly full of milk, I basically look like this.
On another topic, I'm struggling with whether to buy new clothes or just stuff myself into my old clothes. I'm within 2 sizes of pre-pregnancy weight (not trying to brag, it's just the truth) so it's close enough where I really don't want to spend money. If I were a little further away from pp weight it would be a no brainer and I'd spend the money but I'm such a cheapskate when it comes to myself. And work clothes (office attire) is stupid expensive. I'm not convinced I'll drop the remaining weight though (frankly I'm not big into working out and this is not a big goal of mine) so maybe I just face reality and enjoy the shopping spree excuse?
edit: spelling
I can't tell you how much I hate this type of keeping up with the Joneses, but that's just me. (I like when people do it because they want to, but I don't like feeling like I then have to. It was the same when we got married and didn't want a traditional, fancy wedding.)
@Serenamarr I'm having some oversupply issues, too, that I haven't mentioned. I'm not pumping so poor LO basically gets sprayed in the face most feeds, when he's choking and pulling off the boob to take a breath. It's like a hose - on or off. I've tried hand expressing but I'm not doing it right and it leaves me really sore. Pumping is futile because we have no freezer and I'm not ready to give LO bottles yet.
There are definitely worse "problems" to have, but being soaking wet alllll the time isn't super fun, either. I can't go without showering a single day or I smell like rotten milk!
Not sure if I should get rid of the shoes that don't fit me anymore (1/2 size up now) or if they'll go back. But it's been 6 weeks. I think I'm just sad to get rid of a lot of shoes!
nope nope nope. i cant imagine taking care of a toddler and an infant. so much poop! fi also wants close together because he and his brother are 2 years apart, but i said i need at least 4 years. enough to be able to begin to reason with/explain things to the older child. my brother and i are 7 years apart and i feel that was too much because he had serious feelings of neglect when i was born since he was past the age of convincing him that he was "such a big help!"
Ideally I would've wanted to wait a bit longer between both babes. It just so happens that DH and I are in our mid to late thirties and we wanted more than one kid. So we couldn't wait that long. If you can I'd wait it out until your first one is at least fully potty trained.