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
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
I know it's an actual name but every time I see Annalise, I see anal. Other than that, I think it's pretty.
Big Bro 7/14/13
Little Bro 2/6/17
So we had a name picked out for each before we got PG this time. Once we found out it was a girl, H wasn't sold on the middle name we had picked. We threw out some ideas but I'd like to get some other ideas.
The first name is definitely going to be Kirsten (pronounced Keer-sten, not Kur-sten)
I like middle names Joy and Grace. H likes Bailey, and I like it as well.
Any other ideas?
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
My first daughter is named Esme. 75% of people and 95% of women always ask "oh like from Twilight?" and then I get all nerdlinger on them and say "No, like one of JD Salinger's characters". I've been really really good about being polite about it *until* last year at a soccer game.
"GO Esme!"
*snort* "mom a big Twilight fan, huh?"
"Ha. uh. No." And it was honestly the snottiest I've ever been to a stranger.
That being said we knew it was going to be an issue but loved the name so much we didn't GAF.
ME: 25, DH: 27
TTC #1 since 09/2015
Miscarriage @ 10 wks 02/28/2016
BFP 05/28/2016!
ME: 25, DH: 27
TTC #1 since 09/2015
Miscarriage @ 10 wks 02/28/2016
BFP 05/28/2016!
we find out LO is a boy on Saturday and yesterday we both agreed the front runner is August James S....no reason for Augusy other then I love it. And James because we stayed in St. James parish in Barbados on our honeymoon.
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
We are leaning towards the name Hermione if it is a girl and I KNOW that everyone I know will think it is because I'm a huge HP fan. Like you peaches, IDGAF. Actually, she'd be named after my great great Aunt who was a suffragette-- she used to sneak out of her house to go protest! I like to think my daughter would be named after two strong, intelligent women who advocate for social justice
Big Bro 7/14/13
Little Bro 2/6/17
Jack gained his wings on 09/02/2016.
Kali gained her wings on 07/28/2015.
They will be forever missed.
Also, if we go with Micah for a boy, ninja turtle fan DH wants to use Angelo as a middle name. Um NO!
Ugh guys I am not officially hoping, praying, anything for a girl. It's tradition in my fiancé's family for the son to take the grandmother's maiden name. And he is pretty set on it and is sentimental about it. So our son's middle name would be Willis. I do not like it at alllllll...but would do it because it means that much to him. Weirdly, the girls in the family don't have middle names and then take on their maiden names when they get married as their middle name. So his mom has Willis for her middle name currently. And his sisters all took his last name as their middle when they got married. I dunno where that tradition came from, their all from here - American haha.
So in conclusion: Pray for a girl for me!
My husband likes Winnie. Input?
If if you want a more formal name, you could use Gwyneth, Gwendolyn, Guinevere, Wilomena, or Winifred.
Big Bro 7/14/13
Little Bro 2/6/17
Samuel Jacob
Due 2/16/17
I need to find out what this kid is already.
As a side note, I'm so sick of people saying that they don't like the names we're considering. I think I'm just going to start telling people that we're keeping the names a secret for a while until we pick one! It's so irritating to have a name and then someone say "Ewww I don't like that one at all!" B, your opinion doesn't matter anyway!!!
ME: 25, DH: 27
TTC #1 since 09/2015
Miscarriage @ 10 wks 02/28/2016
BFP 05/28/2016!