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: GTKY- Screen Names!
I was on TB in 2014 and appreciated the honesty that came with what some people considered harshness. I hope it's not all unicorns and rainbows around here now.
First BFP: 12/16/13
EDD: 08/23/14
Baby BOY born: 08/29/14
HSG: Sept 2014, clear tubes
Dx: MFI - Low motility, morph, count (Aug. 2014); Hypothyroidism (May 2015)
Moved to IUIs October 2014
IUI #1 w/ injections: Nov 2014- BFN
IUI #2 w/ injections: Jan 2015- BFN
IUI #3.1 w/ injections: Feb. 2015, cancelled due to cysts- 10 days BCP
IUI #3.2 w/ injections: Feb/March 2015- BFN
IUI #4 w/ 100mg Clomid + Injections: August 2015- BFN
IUI #5 w/ 5mg Femara + Injections: September 2015- BFN
IUI #6 w/ 5mg Femara + Injections: October 2015 - Cancelled due low response
Moved to IVF May 2016
Retrieved 18 eggs on 05/27/2016, 13 were ICSI'd, 9 made it to day-five transfer
Transferred 2 beautiful day-five embryos on 06/01/2016, froze 7
BFP 4dp5dt on 06/05/2016! Line continued to darken beautifully!
EDD: February 17, 2017
Beta #1: 92
Beta #2: 305
Ultrasound #1 - one baby!
Ultrasound #2 - saw heartbeat!
LFAF Badges:
That is WAYYY cute
My husband owns a pizza shop and we got married on 11/5
Married: 11.12.11
TTC: Nov 2015
BFP #1: 1.22.16 MMC: 2.29.16 ( tetrasomy 11, partial deletion 1, XXX)
D&C: 3.2.16
BFP #2: 4.14.16 CP: 4.17.16
BFP #3: 6.10.2016 CP: 6.17.2016
RE appt: 6.27.2016- saline sono all clear
Chromosome karyotype- Normal both me and DH
Progenity: + carrier Tay-Sachs, Gaucher's, hemachromatosis. DH: carrier Alpha 1 anti-trypsin
Clomid + TI Cycle #1: pending 8.15.16
Fur mom to 2 sled masters: an Alaskan malamute and a malamute wolf hybrid
half marathon running, surgery loving trauma hand and reconstructive plastic surgery PA-C
PCOS, hypothyroid, MTHFR, hx of LEEP in 2006
Me: 33 & DH: 33
Married: 07/2006
TTC: 10/2015
BFP #1: 11/2015, MC 12/2015 (7 weeks)
BFP #2: 06/2016, EDD 2/15/2017
~Formerly @dogmomwantinghuman ~
TTC #1 since January 2015
BFP #1: 11/30/15| MC 12/16/15BFP # 2: 6/2/16 | EDD 2/16/17
I just changed to MamaCoffin because, well, it was time for a change. MamaCoffin has been my handle on other things for a while. My husband works in a field where he needs to maintain anonymity on social media, so he made his last name Coffin before I even met him. When we first married I became Mrs. Coffin. When we had our first child I became mama Coffin! It's just kind of stuck.
Lucy 07-13-11
Violet 03-13-14
Conceived #3 since September 2015
11-25-15 twelve week loss
07-21-16 ten week loss
10-03-16 5 week loss
TTC again soon!
TTC since January 2016
BFP - 3/12/16 - MC 4/5/16
BFP - 6/11/16
Married 10/14/2011
TTC since 11/2011
DX: unexplained infertility
1st IUI 12/23/15 Clomid + Ovidrel - Beta 1/8/16 BFN
2nd IUI 1/22/16 Clomid + Ovidrel - Beta 2/8/16 BFN
3rd IUI 2/27/16 Clomid + Ovidrel - Beta 3/15/16 BFN
4th IUI 3/27/16 Clomid + Ovidrel - Beta 4/11/16 BFN
5th IUI 4/26/16 Clomid + Ovidrel - Beta 5/11/16 BFN
*****TRIGGER*****
6th and final IUI 5/27/16 Clomid + Ovidrel - BFP!!!
1st Beta on 6/8/16 @ 12piui: 22; 2nd Beta 6/10/16 84.4; 3rd Beta 6/13/16 300; 4th Beta 6/16/16 1168; 5th and final beta 6/20/16 4188
1st U/S 6/23/16 - Two babies! One measuring 6w1d with a visible heartbeat!!! The other is measuring small and isn't likely to make it
2nd U/S 7/5/16 - Baby #2 didn't make it
3rd US 7/15/16 - Baby #1 right on schedule! FHR 168!!! Discharged from RE!!!!
I have no idea what my name was on here before!
ETA- this is supposed to be a reply. I don't like this app.
Mama to Mason (7) and Asher the Crasher (3).
Married to Topher (10 years). 32 years young in Oklahoma.
I was Mom. Then Momo. Then MomoMouse, then Momousakee. Which is better than my husband, who gets called "Who-Si-Si", from some some in elementary school about a bunny in a bush.
EDT for spelling
Married: October, 19, 2015
EDD 2/22/17
EDD 3/8/20
EDD 11/24/23
(Formerly Marriedhamstermom Feb ‘17)