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.
kgillespie92
member
Re: PlastiBell circumcisions.... Totally freaking out right now!
There are not a lot of risks and complications if you choose not to circumsize. I am not saying that to change your mind I am telling you that because it is the truth.
This is should really be a question for a doctor who does these routinely. Ask many questions. Otherwise you are just getting anectodal opinions from random people on the internet who are not experts or have their own agenda.
You have a right to your opinion but you do not have a right to shame someone else into believing your way is the only way. And from it appears you are brand new to these boards try offering some support instead shame. It will make you appear a lot better then the sanctimommy you seem to be
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DS#1 July 2016
Baby #2 July 2018
@bethwy what makes you think it's OK to shame and attack this mom? It's pretty clear in her OP that she feels strongly about circumcision and it's pretty clear that you don't, so what was the point in posting here? If you had hoped to change her opinion your tactic was pretty terrible and not even close to helping you accomplish your goal. Everyone is entitled to their opinion based on their research, morals, ethics, philosophies, and guidance from the professionals they've chosen to work with. Commenting here in the tone that you did is not OK. Clearly the OP can't control what others post on her thread, but in the future if you want to change someone's opinion about a highly divisive and sensitive topic, I'd figure out a better way to deliver your message because what you're doing now just pisses people off.
ETA: @kgillespie92 when we were doing our circumcision research our OB practice mentioned they still perform the procedure both ways. I see a group practice so each doctor has a preference and you work with one who will do it the way you want. It would be worth talking with whoever is performing the procedure to see what method they currently use, or if they do both. That way you can decide on the method you prefer or find a different doc to do it the way you want.
Married: October 2014
TTC #1 since September 2015
Thank you all for your POSITIVE inputs. The reason I was kind of freaking out is because my sister in law told me that the PlastiBell is the only way that they perform circs now. I feel I should have a choice in the matter and I feel it's not right to let a baby suffer for days on end waiting for skin to die on his most sensitive area... it's a lot more humane just to get it over with and let it heal.
ETA: @kgillespie92 I was all for defending you, even though I won't be circumcising my son. So please just bare in mind when you say "it can mess up a child's life if you don't do it. UTI's, foreskin infections, even PENILE CANCER. Would you want your little boy to suffer" you are directing that at all mothers who aren't circumcising. It should be a personal decision and that's all to it.
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DS#1 July 2016
Baby #2 July 2018
Im afraid you are now as bad as the poster who is shaming you for circumcising your child as you are now shaming those parents who are not making the same decision as yourself
ETA: according to the World Health Organisation, only 30% of the male population of the world is circumcised, using your logic that's a lot of 'messed up' males in the world!
It is your choice but you don't seem to know any facts about non-circumsized babies. You are not likely to mess up a child's life by not circumsizing him. I could just as truthfully say you can mess up his life doing it. You think no one should call you a bad mother for circumsizing but you feel fine calling other bad parents for choosing not to. That says a lot about you.
No one gets laughed at in the urinal although if someone is making fun of someone else's penis that person will find something else to make fun of. Jerks are jerks. Teach your child to be proud of who they are rather than do whatever you can to fit in. I will not circumsize so my son will "fit in" especially as most boys are no longer circumsized. (Where I am and in much of the world) You are not educated on this subject.
My non-circumsized sons were fully trained under 2 years old. Why would that have anything to do with foreskin? How does that make sense? You think foreskin prevents boys from being trained? Please explain that one.
Also, we have yet to experience a UTI. (In over 20 years so far for my sons and longer in others I know.) I won't address everything you said. Good luck.
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DS#1 July 2016
Baby #2 July 2018
Another fact: in the Jewish faith circumcision is a religious ceremony performed when the young male is 8 days old. It is not purely cosmetic and it is not a lie that having it done will save your son's a lot of problems later in life. If you don't believe me ask a doctor. But still the decision is your own just like the choice to have my son circumcised is my own. I didn't do anything other than argue the facts I've learned against the ones she had learned... I surely was not about to sit back and let her be mean to me like that.
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DS#1 July 2016
Baby #2 July 2018
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