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: Stroller thread
1. Fit your child
2. Are installed properly
3. Are used properly
An infant seat is very convenient but a lot of moms say they just always wore their babies etc. you can't safely put an infant seat on the top part of a grocery cart, you have to put it inside the cart, and then there's not much room, so shopping is basically a PITA until LO can sit in the cart (or if you babywear which I do now but didn't yet in those early days).
We can start a car seat thread if you want. We can go over the different seats, laws, recommendations, and features. Car seats for the littles is a great resource but they are super intense. They basically judge anybody who doesn't rear face until 4, will slaughtered you if you suggest flying on an airplane without a carseat, etc. while I do personally plan to RF H until as close to 4 as possible, I understand and think it's fine not to (but I do eye roll/judge when babies are turned before 2). DH was a pilot and laughed when they gave their "science" about why you need to fly with a car seat. But other than that, they do have great information and I've leaned sooooo much.
I've also not seen anyone get grief over FF before 4 (as long as it's after age 2). I've only been following them for a few months, though, so maybe the tone has changed? I've learned a TON following their page.
I was under the same impression, though I have also worn my daughter, especially in really bad turbulence. Essentially in a crash, the child would just become an airbag for the adult.... On the stroller note, we have a BOB Revolution and totally plan on just upgrading to a dual. Love love love my BOB, but being able to run is an absolute must for us. The single is so super easy to push and steer (with the wheel unlocked).
BFP 8.14.15 ~~ Due 4.22.16
Only downside is the size of the strollers. Denmark is famous for its gigantic strollers as we let our kids nap in them outside until the age of three. My non-Danish husband thinks it's an extremely bizarre tradition to let a child sleep unsupervised in the garden but we all did :P I wanted to have my son to have all his naps in the stroller for more than a year but I'll rather focus on the flexibility of a combi stroller.
Here's the size difference between the Emmaljunga Duo Combi (light grey) and the Big Star Supreme, dunno if it shows.
I will most likely be buying the Emmaljunga though, haven't decided yet.
And my total unofficial observation is that the two most common strollers I saw (this was summer and fall of 2013) where the sit and stand stroller and the city select double.
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Nov siggy challenge: animals eating Thanksgiving food
Rhys - born 04.17.2013
Harry - born 04.18.2016
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Nov siggy challenge: animals eating Thanksgiving food
Rhys - born 04.17.2013
Harry - born 04.18.2016
If you're interested in luxury strollers I would look at uppababy vista, bugaboo donkey, city select, and there's a brand new not yet released stroller called the austlen entourage. There are other nice luxury strollers but those are the ones that convert to doubles.
Is it worth the price? That depends on you! For me personally, yes. My stroller can have three kids on it (doubles mode plus a kid on wheel board), and can still be pushed with one hand. It looks sleek, has lots of things well thought out, etc etc. The stroller seat comes over and car seat snaps directly to the frame making it a snap and go (no bulky travel system). The seat can face parent or forward, has easy reclines, the handlebars telescope in and out for whoever is pushing, etc. these things are in no way necessary, but if you want luxury, it's hard to go back! Lol.
Side note: I believe stokke has a newer stroller model that can go into doubles and has more traditional storage space, but it doesn't look as sleek as the xplory (let's face it, it's a cool looking stroller).
Do you live in a city or suburbs? Both. I live in a semi-city semi-burbs but I'm often in a city environment
Do you have a lot of trunk space? I think so.
Will you be taking it on public transportation? Usually drive but I would probably take it on the subway once a month or so.
What is your budget? I'm not sure... mid-range would be best. I'm still navigating all the prices.
Do you want more kids in the near ish future (some strollers convert to doubles) Yes.
Do you want to run with it? Nope.
How much storage space do you want? I'm not sure. I don't want sth with no space, but I don't intend to do all my grocery shopping with it. Functional amount of space? Sorry, can you tell I'm a FTM?
Do you want built in accessories like parent cup holders and snack trays or are you willing to pay for these as extras? Built ins would be nice. I'd prefer an all inclusive price as long as it's practical and doesn't get in the way.
Will you be going on daily walks outside or more using it at the mall etc. Both.
Do you want a travel system, a detachable seat so you can snap the carseat in (with or without adaptors), or just a plain old no car seat option stroller? I am looking into the carseat travel system but it'll depend on the functionality of both options.
Is how it "looks" important to you? Functionality and practicality matter more to me than looks.
8->
The britax b ready and city select are two more options that are more expensive but still relatively reasonable, and accommodate a second seat. There is also a great Phil and teds stroller that accommodates a second seat and would be good in the city. My cousin lives in London and had it and loved it and they only use public transportation. But with the second child you lose storage space because the secon seat goes under it.
In the meantime, I did find a negative post re: Graco Modes which might help city people like me. This sounds like a big no no for Manhattan!
"The base to FAR too wide to fit ANYWHERE! Going shopping, to a restaurant, etc is a huge ordeal. I'm running into everything, having to logistically move, taking up whole aisles. Sometimes, I can't even fit, so I have to bring a second person with me to watch the baby while I rush down aisles in the store. Just terrible!
The lounging attachment is HUGE! When the attachment is connected to my stroller, it does not fit in my trunk, and my trunk is larger than most other cars. This also makes the thing very bulky and heavy. So, there is really nothing easy about this. I have to take it apart and re-attach it EVERY time I put it in and take it out. The two items together take up the entire trunk, with no room left. That's not convenient...Graco just added another step in my already long list of things to do when I take the baby out.
I HATE this stroller with a passion. It's also pretty a pretty bumpy ride for my little guy."
https://m.buybuybaby.com/m/product/graco-modes-sport-click-connect-travel-system-in-cedar/1042095552?skuId=42095552&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_strollers_&adpos=1o2&creative=48836675100&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CMyH8qb_3sgCFQ0XHwodJRADAw