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.
MrsMaryK2016
member
Re: Dumb Questions - October Edition
DH will get a while off work, but when he does go back, I'll be on night-duty alone. I'm assuming you just put baby in a bouncer or something and bathe the big kiddo.
I guess I'm just wondering if any of you more seasoned mama's have any little tips and tricks that somehow magically make your two
hands seem like 3
I must be feeling need to nest bc I want to get everything now - and I just saw bbb has the uppabay stroller I want and pregnancy is making me cheap and I want my discount....so long story short, I intend to create another registry timed for the completion discount benefit
We slowly introduced solids around 6 months but still nursed primarily when I was home.
We added a bit of almond milk into her BM bottles around 11 months to help stretch my meager pumped supply, but continued nursing. Nursing itself was never an issue for me, I just wasn't a very responsive pumper.
I stopped pumping at 13 months and continued to nurse as needed until we weaned on her 2nd birthday.
Is that what you were asking? If I went too much into it, I apologize! We were so lucky to have a great breastfeeding relationship and I pray that this little one and I can have the same!
Since having LO I've been a stay-at-home-mom.
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
I was going to chime in with pretty much this exact same thing... I BF for 6 weeks. We then did about one bottle a day and I started pumping during that time. Once I was back to work (12 weeks), DD took breast milk via bottle during the day and straight from me at night until she was 5 months when she started doing a little bit of solids. But she only drank breastmilk for the first 12 months and then we started mixing regular milk and I stopped with BF entirely at like 13.5/14 months.
BUT @hoosiermama you asked what's "normal" and the answer is: there isn't one. Some women struggle to produce and continue to persist, some women produce no problem and opt out with weeks and others choose not to at all and the situations continue to vary far and wide - just don't pressure yourself to come to a set plan until you're in it and know what works and what doesn't. Good luck!
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
MMC 01/26/12
MC 12/25/12, D&C 01/05/13
BFP 03/05/13, EDD 11/12/13. HB 175 @ 9w2d. Its a Girl!
DX with EA/TEF Type C & Tracheomalaysia
MC @ 13wks 01/15/15
BFP 1/11/18, EDD 9/21/18
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
I also hung all three pairs of her overalls. Bought kids' slim fuzzy hangers from Amazon Basics very inexpensively.
RE bottles: breastfed babies will tend to drink less in volume than formula fed babies, so we never needed more than the 4 oz bottles until we transitioned to cows milk at 1 year then we got a few 8 oz bottles. I agree with others that you should hold off buying too many because breast fed babies in particular can be picky about the kind of bottle they will drink from and you dont want to waste your money.
RE clothes: We hang all onesies and shirts and dresses for 2 size ranges (nb and 0-3 for example) and stash the larger sizes for later. We fold pants and throw socks and hats and gloves in a bin.
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
Baby #4 - Sept 2018
Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
Baby #4 - Sept 2018
Daughter #2 - Oct 2014
Daughter #3 - Nov 2016
Baby #4 - Sept 2018
For breastfeeding you just have to roll with it. Yeah have a goal but the baby may have a completely different idea. We had supply issues and tongue tie issues but we pushed through. She refused to eat from me starting around 6 months and i exclusively pumped for about 2 months. It became too much for me and i had to admit that i was unhappy with exclusively pumping and we found a formula that we were comfortable with (earths best organic). None of this was my plan. im trying not to let that effect this time. New baby, new goals.
Bottles and pacifiers - Don't take them all out right after your shower and sterilize them. I did this with all the pacifiers...she refused every single one and i had to go and find a special tommie tippy one that she finally would take. Same with bottles. My friend had to go through at least 4 brands before she found one her daughter would use. Start with 1 and go from there. As long as its on your registry you have a decent amount of time to return things and get what works.
As as far as bathing, DS was born beginning of fall so he only got bathed a couple times a week. He didn't get very messy and their skin is so sensitive to moisture loss that it's not really necessary. We started the nightly routine when he could sit by himself and he could be bathed with his brother.
The bra is the first thing to come off when I get home from anywhere [tmi, sry, haha]—do I have to wear one permanently postpartum?!