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: FTM questions for STMs Sat March 4
About me:
Married 6.26.11
BFP 12.23.13, EDD 9.2.14 - baby girl, born too soon at 22w6d due to a placental abruption on 5.5.14
BFP 8.4.14, EDD 4.15.15 - rainbow son, born at 30w4d due to a placental abruption on 2.8.15, healthy 3 y/o now!
BFP 2.28.17, EDD 11.8.17 - baby girl, miscarried at 11 weeks on 4.21.17
BFP 11.28.17, EDD 8.8.18, delivering in July - another rainbow baby boy!
While every birth, and every epidural is different, mine was at least what I believe to be just right, I was very numb for little while which allowed me to rest for an hour or so which was appreciated after a long day in labor, it wore off enough by the time to push that I was very nervous to begin pushing but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I could feel what was going on and knew when to push without the severe pain I was expecting.
I also have a weird weird way of not progressing once I get to the hospital. I think it's the stress. With both of my labors, once I got to the hospital, I stalled for hours. The epidural helped me both of those times and allowed me to progress to 10.
YES I felt this way too! Giving birth was easy for me, I had humanity's greatest epidural, but the days afterward were AWFUL. I tore BADLY and didn't want to sit, stand, lie down, or exist for a while there.
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
platelets that actually got diagnosed as ITP (an antibody destroys them always but is thrown into hyperdrive with an immuno-suppressing condition like pregnancy). My OB and hematologist had me on prednisone for the second half of my pregnancy and finally got my platelets within normal range and wanted to induce me while they were there. By the time I got to the hospital and OB broke my water, anesthesiologist said my blood work and just come back and my levels were too low for an epidural. I ended up doing the whole thing while on pitocin but with zero pain meds.
Was pretty rough. That said, now that I know what it takes, I'm all about planning for it this time around. I'd love to avoid prednisone during this pregnancy - nasty stuff to be on for long periods of time.
Mommy to four +1, EDD November 9th!
Come visit my new blog @ sixpickhappy.wordpress.com!
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
1) They're free with insurance
2) I know they contain everything they're supposed to since they were filled by a pharmacist
3) They have never made me sick (you're actually supposed to take them without food)
4) They could taste a LOT worse. Mine aren't coated so they just kinda taste chalky until you swallow but it doesn't bother me too much.
5) They have zero fishy taste and you don't have to take additional fish oil with them (I cleared this up with my Dr yesterday)
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
About me:
Married 6.26.11
BFP 12.23.13, EDD 9.2.14 - baby girl, born too soon at 22w6d due to a placental abruption on 5.5.14
BFP 8.4.14, EDD 4.15.15 - rainbow son, born at 30w4d due to a placental abruption on 2.8.15, healthy 3 y/o now!
BFP 2.28.17, EDD 11.8.17 - baby girl, miscarried at 11 weeks on 4.21.17
BFP 11.28.17, EDD 8.8.18, delivering in July - another rainbow baby boy!
My DD slept in our room for 6 months and was a crap sleeper. My DS went in his own room in a RnP from day one and he was a dream sleeper. Team own room here.
You should be fine - the biggest concern with cat boxes is of course feline toxoplasmosis from the T. gondii parasite, but this parasite can infect all mammals and can also be acquired by handling raw meat or eating unwashed produce. The reason why it's such a big deal with cats is because cats are the only animal where the parasite completes its lifecycle and produces oocytes, which increases the risk of transmission to other animals or humans. The cat can become infected by eating the feces of an infected cat or another infected animal - so if you have an indoor cat, as I do, your risk factor from kitty is minimal. That said, the best way to reduce your chances of infection from a litter box is actually to clean it *more* frequently (as in daily or more if you have multiple kitties) and wash your hands immediately afterwards, which is good advice anyway bc yucko.
Married Since: 7/29/2012
omgosh
@pawcall did you use the RNP bassinet or sleeper?
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
TTC since August 2018