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: Names?
from Seattle(ish)
5 years married
FTM and PGAL
EDD is 12/23/17
-- It's a BOY! ---
Edited to add: I completely forgot that I like Isaac Lee for a boy's name. Lee is my dad's middle name (and it's a family name on his side). Also, Ann (a possible girl's middle name) is my best friend's middle name. I really love my mom's middle name too (Faye) but it's hard to fit it in with a first name, to me that is.
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If we have a girl we have been talking about Cassidy, but we aren't sure. My name starts with C, my husband with K, and my daughter with K...it's probably best to stick with the theme so we don't have 1 odd-one out.
I don't have a boy name picked yet. I totally have a gender preference this time around (boy!), so I'm not picking a boy's name unless we find out were having a boy. I think falling in love with a name will make it harder on me if it's a girl and I need to get over it and quickly get on the "grateful for a healthy baby girl" bus.
Also, one of the ultrasound techs who works with my OB told me she and her husband had committed to a name for her daughter (even monogrammed and personalized a bunch of things for her), but when her daughter was born they didn't want the name anymore, so they went with a totally different name. I can see myself doing that, so I figured if I didn't tell anyone beforehand then they wouldn't know if I changed it last minute!
but currently we have Everly Alexis picked out for a girl (Eva is both my grandmas names and Alexis is sort of my and my 2 cousins middles so it's like a family name) my first is Abby Jean after hubby's grandpa Abner and grandma Jean. So this time my family needs to be incorporated somehow.
We have zero boys names picked out so hopefully it's a girl.
i have tons of names I like but hubby keeps putting them all down
Girl- I think we are pretty set on Ava Reese
Boy- Grayson or Bennett. We will most likely use my husbands middle name Daniel.
Sawyer Ryanne if its a girl
Sawyer Edward if it's a boy
Sawyer Ryanne due Jan 1, 2017
If if its a girl, we've decided on Reece Gabriela.
Nothing set set for boy names, which is opposite of last time. We had a boy name right away and no girls names. We like Clark, Griffin and Maddox for a boy, but no favorite.
from Seattle(ish)
5 years married
FTM and PGAL
EDD is 12/23/17
-- It's a BOY! ---
Because I'm allowing this monstrosity to happen, I'm expecting big leverage for the girls name. Top contenders are Harlow, Olive, or Maeve.
TW: Loss
girl:
Eloise Dianne
Augusta Dianne
boy:
Rowan
Peter
Leo
my 1st born is Ezra Theodore
I Really love Sawyer and Ellis for a girl or boy. That will be so cute!
we we almost did Clark Edward for a boy love! @nolemomma14
Sawyer Ryanne due Jan 1, 2017
For a boy, we like Edwin after my grandpa. I like Robin but my husband thinks it's too feminine now.
Thinking about names is my favorite part of pregnancy. I won't find out the gender and we won't settle on a name until we meet the baby.
if you decide to tell people, just give them a dirty look before they open their mouths with an opinion
Girl - Louisa Catherine (Lulu for short). Both our Mum's names.
Boy - Hugh Edward. Hugh was a name that was passed down for generations until my uncle decided to end it by calling his boy Liam. I want to restart the tradition. Edward is a family name on both sides.
Boy- Nathan Reid
Girl: Elise, Alexia, Jayden, Amelia
Boy: Camden...we don't have more boy names yet.
Married: 8/11/2007
DD: Born 2/3/17
BFP#2: 5/3, EDD 1/10/19
Boy: Camden, Jaxson, Elliot, Alister, Elijah, harrisonGirl: Alexa, Elise, Abbie / Abby, Abigail, Alexis, Madison, Amelia, Evalyn
Married: 8/11/2007
DD: Born 2/3/17
BFP#2: 5/3, EDD 1/10/19
For a girl: Amelia Harper. Totally in love with the name and don't plan on switching it. The only unexpected thing is that our 6 year old gets tongue tied when she says it.
For a boy: Alden Cooper. I still feel a little iffy about it for some reason. But there aren't many boy A names that I do like, much less that DH and I agree on. I also like Abbott and Arlo but DH doesn't like them...
Almost always mobile bumping--forgive my typos.
Boys are so much harder for us. But we really like Charlie. I like Bowen, Brooks and Soren too. Nothing narrowed down for a middle name.
*Edited to add
The boy's name is already decided.
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If it's a boy, I think SO wants a Jr. So that's that.
For a girl, I really like Maya or Aneesa...or Maya Aneesa!
For some reason all the boy names we have are ultra-nordic, mythological, or old english in nature: Magnus, Henrik, Orion, Soren, Orson, Merlin and a couple of norm-y names scattered in: Calvin, Abel, Finn
Then girl names are all the freak over the place: Beatrix, Clementine, Zora, Audrey, Evelyn, Lark, Harriet, Lucienne, Ophelia, Olympia, Louisa, Lenore.
I'm just going to assume that in the next 6 months we'll grow to hate all of these names haha.
Married: 8/11/2007
DD: Born 2/3/17
BFP#2: 5/3, EDD 1/10/19
Hubs loves the name Theodore but I do not like the name Ted or Teddy. He says "no one will call them that! We'll just tell them to call him Theo". I've mentioned the name to a few people and EVERY SINGLE ONE has said "oh, Teddy would be a cute nick name" lol.