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.
FSUNole31
member
Re: Weekly Randoms 2/20
Me: 34 DH: 35
Married: July 2009
BFP: November 2012 after 2 years of TTC DS born August 2013
Diagnosed with PCOS April 2016
3 months of trigger shot with timed intercourse BFN x3
First IUI: 9/17/16 BFP: 9/30/16 EDD: 6/11/17
@kahlan82 ugh that sucks with the sickness. I hope you guys can get (and stay) healthy soon!
K born 8/31/12
C born 1/11/14
BFP #3 Nov 2014: D&C January 2015
BFP #4 Sept 2016: Due May 31 2017
K born 8/31/12
C born 1/11/14
BFP #3 Nov 2014: D&C January 2015
BFP #4 Sept 2016: Due May 31 2017
This is 2 for 2 on school vacation weeks starting will sickness.
In other news, my little girl has recently discovered that it's fun to kick my bladder! It makes me giggle. I like to think that she's having fun in there (and who wouldn't love to kick a bladder)?
@krex Oh girl, I would be having the same fears if I were you. I sure hope that it is nothing though! Please keep us posted!
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
@imudra probably not enough. I need to get better, it's already warm here and the swelling is getting noticable. Thanks for the reminder.
@Knottie42089123 I'm 100% jealous of your day today! Enjoy!
@kahlan82 I hope you feel better soon!
Well my oldest who has autism but is high functioning had her first major meltdown in like 6 months this morning. Luckily it wasn't a violent one but my neighbors probably think I was beating her by the way she was screaming. Even my 2 year old was all "is sissy no cry now?" It was short for her, only 45 min, but I'm now mentally exhausted. We took a walk and going to get the little pool out this afternoon. Hoping for an uneventful afternoon. Dh gets back Wednesday and I can't wait for the help again. How am I going to make it through the month he is gone??
Mom to Madison- 5 and Lillian 2....and now surprise baby #3!
I got other quotes $180 from apple and $280 from a fix the screen place.
I'm dog tired, baby didn't move at all last night, I drank juice and laid on my side and nothing. He's usually super active at night, so my mind went to worst case scenario. He has since been moving, but now I'm exhausted. So I did what any exhausted person with the day off would do...clean closets out and the basement. Nesting in full effect.
But overnight and today so far seems to be back to normal.
I almost never notice the baby moving as much over the weekend as I do during the week. I think it's because I'm always running around doing stuff on the weekend and I'm distracted. While as during the week I'm just sitting on my ass at a desk all day, so it's pretty easy to notice. I looked down earlier while she was moving and I could actually see my belly moving for the first time. I loved that during pregnancy #1 so I'm excited about it now.
I have a 24oz tumbler at my desk at work and try to have 3 of them a day, which is roughly 1/2 of my current weight in ounces. When I work out in the mornings, I have an additional 12oz or so during the workout, and I also have at a minimum OJ with breakfast and a glass of milk at night (which I claim is for "heartburn" but is actually for "dipping my oreos into"). Some days I have additional water too if I'm extra thirsty. When I was pumping at work after DD was born I remember trying to get in at least 100oz a day and it was hard but manageable. I should probably be doing that now still but my current seat at the office is really far from the break room and I'm lazy, so I usually can only convince myself to get up and refill my cup if I also have to get up to pee or something.
In other news... I moved my desk behind a book shelf in my classroom, so now it is not in the line of sight right when you walk in. You have to walk in and around the corner to see me... so far, I have evaded at least 5 unnecessary hugs from students (don't think I'm awful... I am just in the DON'T TOUCH ME mode because 1. I'm not feeling like hugging and 2. ALL the germs) and several co-workers who love to bitch and complain have come in, turned around and left because the didn't see me. SCORE!
I drink 66 oz of water absolute minimum. Usually much more. I got a 22 oz life factory water bottle with a straw a few weeks ago and that upped my water intake a ton.
Put me in the boat of worrying about baby movements. Last wed-fri I experienced very little movement compared to how much he was moving before. Saturday morning he picked right back up and they've been consistent since. I assume it ebbs and flows with his growth spurts. I remember going through different "quiet" periods with DS1. Still sends me into a panic...
DH: 29
DS: 18 months 4/2/2015
Baby #2 EDD: 6/1/2017
Y'all are making me feel like I don't drink nearly enough water. I'm trying though. I always have water near me but just don't feel all that thirsty. I do increase my intake though if my pee turns too yellow.
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui)
#1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo
#2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015
#4!!!!!!! due June 2017
@awillis13 poor little man. I hope he gets better soon and can enjoy his school break.
@lmudra. I drink 100 to 150 oz. a day. It isn't based on any rule. I am just thirsty ALL the time.
Me: 34 DH: 35
Married: July 2009
BFP: November 2012 after 2 years of TTC DS born August 2013
Diagnosed with PCOS April 2016
3 months of trigger shot with timed intercourse BFN x3
First IUI: 9/17/16 BFP: 9/30/16 EDD: 6/11/17
And +1 on baby movements freaking me out. OB assured me baby is still gonna have slow periods of movement at my last appt but we all know how rational PGAL brain is.