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
Now for the middle name. My Dad passed away in 2015 and his name was Brian, My husbands Grandfather is Robert and I just plain like the MN James. I obviously would love to honor my Dad but I don't know if I like the way Brian sounds as the MN.
At at least we have the first name picked out
Samuel Jacob
Due 2/16/17
(And Rey feels too Star Wars trendy to pair with Clara to me).
Married: 10/10
EDD: 8/27/16 MMC 1/16
Rainbow Boy: 2/04/17
TTC: 4/18 BFP: 1/2/19
EDD: 9/6/19
TTC since January 2016
BFP - 3/12/16 - MC 4/5/16
BFP - 6/11/16
My uncles name is Brian and a cousin named his son Brian. Everyone still calls that kid Little Brian, even though he's in college now.
Are you considering naming him Michael but calling him something else entirely? Normally I'd think that's weird, but I understand wanting that family tradition.
A friend's son is (xyz) the third. They call him Trey, I guess in reference to being 3rd?
TTC since January 2016
BFP - 3/12/16 - MC 4/5/16
BFP - 6/11/16
Married: 10/10
EDD: 8/27/16 MMC 1/16
Rainbow Boy: 2/04/17
TTC: 4/18 BFP: 1/2/19
EDD: 9/6/19
i agree with PP that Trip & Trey are common for 3rds and work well. I've also heard Chip & Skip for 3rds. Or just unrelated nicknames like Buddy, Max, and Bug.
ME: 25, DH: 27
TTC #1 since 09/2015
Miscarriage @ 10 wks 02/28/2016
BFP 05/28/2016!
I'm going to mention Constantine and Lancelot to him though, because it's adorable when his eyes light up
TTC since January 2016
BFP - 3/12/16 - MC 4/5/16
BFP - 6/11/16
We finally had a name conversation last night! Because my fiancé was pretty buzzed and I thought I'd get some honest answers out of him
. We didn't decide on anything but at least we had a conversation - here's as far as we got:
Girls: He hasn't really thought of any but likes my top two - Natalie and Mackenzie. No middle names as of yet.
Boys: I was terrified of telling him my absolute top 2 because I thought he'd veto them and I'd cry forever. Carson and Carter are not off the table! FX! We both like Jackson/Jaxson. But I do NOT like the nickname Jack so I wanted the 'x' spelling but he hates it
. Boy's middle name will be Willis - I don't care for it at all but it means a lot to him because it is a family name. We are in a battle because he likes extremely common names (Kyle, Kevin) and I would like something a LITTLE less...everywhere.
We are waiting until we find out the sex to really start in on names, but so far, here are my favorites:
Boy:
Harold
Theodore
August
Arthur
Felix
Girl:
Eleanor
Eliza
Eloise
Clara
Evelyn
If it's a boy, I want to give him an uncommon, kind of badass-sounding middle name. Like Axel or Rex. Or Duke, after our cat. For a girl, the middle name would likely be Sue, which is MIL's middle name. This is actually at my insistence, not H's. We are both close to my MIL, and she has done so much for us in so many ways, and I want to honor her. But not a huge fan of her or my mom's first names - both VERY 1950's. So middle name it is.
ME: 25, DH: 27
TTC #1 since 09/2015
Miscarriage @ 10 wks 02/28/2016
BFP 05/28/2016!
It's now in the top 300 and that's a bit too popular for me. I know this will sound crazy to some, but I feel like a name like Major should be fairly rare, not 1000 boys a year. We still really love it so there is a chance we stick with it. Everything else we come up with we like, but not nearly as much.
It doesn't help that the rapper T.I. has a son named Major and they are on a tv show.
FTM, 2 Furbabies
married 03/17/07
lived in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and NYC
due: 2/15/17
I'm worried that there will be too much A's in our family. I'm April our son is Augustus and then Anna. This would be completely coincidence, but is it too much?
And I just realized that she would have my exact initials too.....
This brings me to the point that I'm no longer the ultimate fangirl, because somebody in Sept. gave their son the MN Samwise. She clearly beats me for that title!
But I wouldn't worry too much about where the name is on the list if you love it.
What sort of nicknames would you think would come of it?
FTM, 2 Furbabies
married 03/17/07
lived in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and NYC
due: 2/15/17