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: **The Everything Random Thread for April Mamas**
Guess who is taking a nap with DS?
I'm the one who woke up at 7 while DH slept in until 9.
Missing wine right now!
This was my strategy as well with my first pregnancy. But I ended up needing a c-section, and when I was in the hospital frantically trying to do research on my phone, I wished I'd actually read that part of the pregnancy book. Hopefully that doesn't happen to you (or me again!), but I'll be reading the c-section part of the book this time even though I've already had one.
I do think the other posters were a bit dramatic and assumptive with the whole "appreciate she's even still here" as if you said anything of the sort to indicate otherwise.
Maybe just tell your grandma 'yeah we can they' and just leave it to the baby. I'm sure they'll pick up whatever everyone else calls her or maybe pick up the name she wants. She'll get over it either way!
She's like "I hope that's not like the weirdest thing ever!" And I'm over here thinking.. B, please. *eyeroll*
We had a couple weeks of nights in the low 40s so we had thrown our down comforter on our bed and cracked our patio door. Then the weather jumped up and it was in the 60s at night. We opened the door, but didn't take the comforter off. I woke up in the middle of the night and was positive my water had broke...because I was sweating down there so bad
Originally I planned to stop working at 36.5 weeks, because it coincided to spring break. I would be 37.5 weeks if I went back to school after spring break, spring break separates the 3rd and 4th grading period, so it just made sense (even with FMLA, as there are 52 working days after spring break until summer break). DH is now telling me he wants me to go back to work after spring break because it makes the most sense for us financially. At first I was really mad because I'm already struggling at work, I can't even stand in front of my class and teach for longer than a few minutes without getting seriously winded, so my kids get assigned of lot of things they can do while I monitor them without having to be long winded. But then when I looked at the calendar, there are actually only 11 days of work after spring break until my due date and DH said he would never ask me to work past my due date. I worked up until my due date when I was induced with my daughter, so I don't have a "history" of delivering early. If LO stays in until her due date, then I would have 19 days of FMLA to use during the next school year if needed. I just really REALLY feel like I just need some time to rest and get some things done before the baby comes, and with working full time, running around after my 2 year old, and dealing with the pains this time around I didn't with her, I just don't know how to do that if I continue working to my due date when I have logical reason to (both with time off and the school calendar) to stop early. Any thoughts...?
ETA: This kid is already in position for labor, super low in my pelvis, the pains in my pelvic joints, facing anterior, as well as some other TMI indicators...DD1 wasn't in this good of position until I was in active labor. A big part of me really feels like I will deliver before my due date, and I do not want to go into labor at work (even though my school is literally a 2 block walk from the hospital, whereas my house is a 30 min drive).
@cmjenkies My sister helped her BF's family name their cat a couple of years ago... She KNOWS that DH and I really want to have a little girl named Lily. It's been known for ages. She named the cat Lily. Now she thinks it would be awkward if we had a girl named Lily since that's already the cat's name.
Next step is to get the cars detail cleaned, clean DD's carseats and install both carseats in the cars. Then at least I will feel prepared if something happens. Though hopefully there is still at least 5-6 weeks left.
@fbanke42 FWIW (and this is definitely TMI), I'll have icky gushes of discharge almost daily that make my think I peed myself or that I'm leaking fluid pretty much daily. So gross.
@fbanke42 @AmadorRose I have so much discharge that I soak my panties daily and need panty liners. I asked my doctor how am I suppose to know when my water breaks since it's more common to leak than to have one big gush. He had no answers for me
@imrachellea