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.
bradleerick-2
member
Re: Sneak Peek?
edit to add - I just googled it, and yes - if I didn't have this photo shoot reveal planned - I would be purchasing it right this second. I'm that crazy.
But last week I calculated the cost of baby and it has me a tiny little bit overwhelmed!
Basically, you order it. They send you a package within the next couple of days that contains the kit with all of the supplies, lots of directions, and a prepaid priority 2 day shipping padded envelope addressed to the lab. You remove everyone else from the area (humans and animals), drink lots of water, disinfect everything around you, place the rubber tourniquet around your wrist, scrub your skin and nails with the brush, clean fingers with alcohol, prick your finger with the lancet, massage the blood drops out of your finger into the small vial until it reaches the line, close the vial, flip it 10 times, put it in the biohazard bag, put the bag in the plastic box, put the plastic box in the prepaid envelope, and drop it off at the post office.
So, I did all of this Wednesday night and took it to USPS Thursday AM. I received confirmation that the sample was checked into the lab Monday at 5 PM and I would receive results in 24 hrs or less. I got an email yesterday at 2:45 PM that the results were in. DH and I opened the email whala! Baby boy! I think it's nice that there is some analysis in the email too. Like, what percent of the sample reached the DNA threshold amount. Of course, whether XX or XY was found in the sample and how that is interpreted gender-wise. Sneak Peek uses a quantitative PCR method.
We were interested in the MaterniT21 test to find out the gender. Really, the results of the genetic disorders testing isn't something that we are interested in knowing- we are having the baby regardless and if I knew in advance that something was wrong, the rest of this pregnancy would be very unhealthy for me mentally. I called to find out the cost of this test with our insurance (federal employee ins) and they said $250-$300!! This was way more reasonable ($79 and includes all of the shipping costs) for what we were actually looking for.
BFP#1 1/21/14 ended in loss DNC 3/5/14
BFP#2 7/2014 Baby Girl born 4/15/15
BFP#3 2/10/2016 natural mc 2/27/2016
BFP#4 6/25/2016 Due 3/2/2017
SaveSavemarried to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
Me 28 DH 28 Married 2012
TTC #1 since March 2015
Metformin + Femara + Gonal F + Trigger = BFP 6/24/16
EDD 3/3/17
Found out it's a girl! 9/23/16
BFP#1 1/21/14 ended in loss DNC 3/5/14
BFP#2 7/2014 Baby Girl born 4/15/15
BFP#3 2/10/2016 natural mc 2/27/2016
BFP#4 6/25/2016 Due 3/2/2017
I've done a lot of research and they say if your squeamish with blood or needles to avoid this. Its a pretty large sample (there are pictures in the Amazon review comments). You can watch a few youtube videos of people doing it.
I am really squeamish with blood so I won't be participating. I don't think I would trust the results anyways (cause that's the person I am) and would want the ultrasound to confirm. It is cool though if your dying to know.
Me 26, Hubs 32
Married 7.14.12
DS 10.29.13
BFP 06.20.16
Plus, I was so proud of myself afterwards!! Like, hell yes I did this!.. and I am tough because I can prick my finger and collect a blood sample! haha
Me: 26 Hubs: 28
Married: 6/6/15
Baby Girl: 3/22/2017
Not gonna lie...this is pretty tempting EVEN THOUGH I think I'm squeamish with collecting my own blood sample (never done it, or had any serious injury!) and EVEN THOUGH I should have the results of my NIPT in a week and a half. 72 hours?
Married: 8/2005.
BFP: 6/22/2016 EDD: 3/4/2017.
@peony2418 Thank you!! Ah! I'm sending prayers for patience your way! You can do it!
EDD: 3/13/17
It seems like a lot of people on Amazon had good experiences, but the lawsuit made me question it enough that I decided to hold off until the boutique gender scan I have booked at 13w. No knock on those ladies who have ordered it--the impatience is driving me mad--but wanted to share the info.
Him: 31, totes fine.
IUI #1: 5 follicles, cycle cancelled :-/
IUI #2: 1 follicle, BFP, chemical
IVF #1: 12 follicles, 9 eggs, 1 fresh 5dt and 4 on ice. BFP, beta #1: 326, beta #2: 841
BFP#1 1/21/14 ended in loss DNC 3/5/14
BFP#2 7/2014 Baby Girl born 4/15/15
BFP#3 2/10/2016 natural mc 2/27/2016
BFP#4 6/25/2016 Due 3/2/2017
Him: 31, totes fine.
IUI #1: 5 follicles, cycle cancelled :-/
IUI #2: 1 follicle, BFP, chemical
IVF #1: 12 follicles, 9 eggs, 1 fresh 5dt and 4 on ice. BFP, beta #1: 326, beta #2: 841
married to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
You can find out the sex through non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPs) between 10-12 weeks. The one my Dr. does (Harmony) apparently costs $100 if your insurance won't cover it (also screens for Down's and two other trisomy disorders, but is not a diagnostic).
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
BFP#1 1/21/14 ended in loss DNC 3/5/14
BFP#2 7/2014 Baby Girl born 4/15/15
BFP#3 2/10/2016 natural mc 2/27/2016
BFP#4 6/25/2016 Due 3/2/2017
DD #2: May 2020
Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022
BFP#1 1/21/14 ended in loss DNC 3/5/14
BFP#2 7/2014 Baby Girl born 4/15/15
BFP#3 2/10/2016 natural mc 2/27/2016
BFP#4 6/25/2016 Due 3/2/2017
via GIPHY
Did I just win the Team Green versus finding out argument???????????
Married: 8/2005.
BFP: 6/22/2016 EDD: 3/4/2017.