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.
LuLiLaEv
member
Re: GTKY: Sentimental Jewelry
Married: 06-2024
TTC #1: Since November 2015
Restarted TTC "count" Oct. 2016
due to previous issues.
***TW***
BFP: 11/4/2016
BFP: 07/17/2024
I also have a right hand ring that is a breastmilk ring. I know it sounds weird, but it's a really special reminder to me of everything we went through.
I also have a bar necklace with our anniversary in Roman numerals stamped on it that my husband gave me for our anniversary that I wear every day and I have one of my grandmas rings but it stays locked in my jewelry box because I'm terrified of something happening to it!
@SaphireSweetie88
The two most sentimental pieces of jewelry that I own are:
This was my paternal grandmother's ring. I don't know what kind of stones the green ones are, but I absolutely love this ring and I wear it all of the time.
This is a tiny heart necklace by Roberto Coin. My ex who passed away got it for me many years ago, and I'm really glad I kept it. I don't wear it because it is from an ex but I'm so happy I still have it.
This is the necklace that my husband gave me for Christmas the year my son was born. The hospital that my son was born in is a giant pink building on a big hill that overlooks the channel that the boats come in and out of in Pearl Harbor. He's an assistant navigator on a submarine and used the equipment on the boat to target the room my son was born in and he had the GPS coordinates stamped on this necklace for me so that I'd have a piece of him and a piece of my son with me always.
William Alexander born 18 September, 2015
Harper Grace born 9 June, 2017
Colton Miles born 9 June, 2017
Bowen James due 19 June, 2019
I was super close with my paternal grandparents who have both passed. Some of my earliest memories are at their house, listening to my grandpa sing and play his guitar. I have one of his guitar picks that my dad drilled a hole it and its on one of my grandmas gold chains. I used to wear it all the time but the clasp broke and I haven't gotten it fixed yet. I kinda of want to transform it into a keychain tho. Might make that a project for DH. It's not valuable or anything but it means a lot to me.
Both my parents grew up without much so we don't really have any "family heirlooms". I wish we did. Especially now that I'm having a little girl l; I want to be able to pass something on to her that came from her family.
Eta - and obviously my engagement ring which I'm obsessed with. DH did good. He also had my wedding band inscribed.
i love my rings but i'm not much of a jewelry person. i love the name plate necklace dh gave me the first mother's day after dd was born - i do wear that everyday, even after 5 years!
Not my most sentimental, but the most recent and "out of the box."
From my husband I have the following:
Dog tags and a Lord of the Rings ring that he gave me when we first started dating. He isn't military, he got the tags at a really rough time in his life in high school. When he gave them to me, he said he did it because I was what meant the most to him now. The ring he gave me as a "promise" ring/engagement ring. It's not my real ring, or the real proposal, but it was in that vein. Unfortunately I was allergic to the metal, so I ended up putting it on the chain.
I also have a seahorse necklace he gave me at our first real vacation together. We went to the beach (OCNJ) for my birthday, and this was my birthday gift.
Just for this Valentine's Day, he gave me this necklace from Kay Jewelers, and he meant to give it to me at dinner, but he totally forgot and ended up giving it to me that night while we were laying in bed.
And of course my engagement ring and wedding band. They look like a set, but they aren't. The engagement ring is sterling silver with white sapphires and an aquamarine in the middle, and the band is sterling silver with diamonds. I chose the engagement ring myself. We had been looking for awhile, and I saw it one day while out shopping, and dragged him up there that night after school. He made me leave so I wouldn't know if he bought it or not. The band was also chosen together. Yes my band is currently missing a stone. I have coverage on it and will get it fixed, but it breaks my heart to not wear it, so I'm waiting until my hands swell up at the end of this pregnancy and I have to take them off anyways.
None of these are really worth any money, but they all mean the world to me.
Friends since 2008
Started dating: July 1st, 2013
Engaged: July 1st, 2014
Married: July 1st, 2016
R born: July 8th, 2017
N born: June 30th, 2019
Baby #3 Due: July 7th, 2022
(maybe I only ovulate in October XD)
I'm not good with jewelry, much to my husband's dismay (I may or may not have misplaced he first necklace he bought me for our first Christmas together). I need a good jewelry box! The only thing I wear consistently now is my engagement ring and wedding band. Everything else I put away so I don't lose it.
I do have one familial piece, my grandma's wedding band, which has her initials engraved on the inside. My mom is keeping it for me now (because I didn't want to lose that too). Her mom gave it to her, her youngest daughter, and my mom gave it to me, as I'm her youngest daughter. It's nice because most things get passed on to the oldest.
Married: Oct 2015
Baby G born June 2017
TTC#2: July 2018
BFP #2: 2/6/19 MC 3/14/19
BFP#3 from IUI #2: 6/30/20 EDD 3/9/21
Of course my rings are sentimental. But in the second photo are two dimes. Dimes that were in my husbands, great-grandmothers shoes on her wedding day. They were then passed down to his grandmother who wore them on her wedding day, then his mother, and then me! I'd be devastated if something happen to my rings but they're insured so I'm not too worried. However, I've had nightmares about losing these dimes numerous times! They're so sentimental I don't know what I'd do if I lost them especially after all the generations who have managed to not lose them!
ETA: the dimes went in the left shoe of both the bride and the groom!
DS1 - 7/2011, DD 12/2012, DS2 - 4/2014, MMC - 12/2015
The top band is my actual wedding band, which I rarely wear bc the bottom $20 tungsten band is more comfortable!
And yes I know I need a fill! Lol
Highly monitored internet and no cell service in the office, so I'm postin' and ghostin' while I'm workin'
I have a bracelet that was my late grandmothers and then my parents gave me a very pretty ring for college graduation that I love! I will also say my engagement ring and wedding ring just because they mean so much to me, my husband did a great job picking them out. I will have to look for some photos!
uhm I have never heard of a breastmilk ring and totally thought @manillabar was crazy for asking if it had milk in it! Boy was I wrong! Now I'm bummed I didn't get one sigh because that was one of the hardest journeys/things I've had to endure to date. I weaned my son a couple months ago but he still asks for it multiple times a day.
Possible tw
My most sentimental piece apart from my wedding ring is a gold bean necklace from Tiffany's that I got after my loss last year. I don't take it off or ever plan to. The bean is around the size baby was measuring. I don't ever share what it is or means since it just looks like a cute necklace - so it's kind of a personal commemorative piece that also helps ground my feelings.
Married: Oct 2015
Baby G born June 2017
TTC#2: July 2018
BFP #2: 2/6/19 MC 3/14/19
BFP#3 from IUI #2: 6/30/20 EDD 3/9/21
My most sentimental piece of jewelry is my grandma's wedding ring. After she died, my mom and I discovered that it was a perfect fit for my ring finger. When I took it in to get cleaned, my jeweler discovered that it had etchings that had faded away. He was able to recover most of them, and he replaced the shattered rubies with pink sapphires (my grandma's favorite color). Don't mind my extra swollen finger!
I don't wear much jewelry other than my engagement ring and wedding band. DH and I had been together for almost 2.5 years when we got engaged. We were still in the process of getting his divorce finalized so I thought that our engagement was a ways off when he proposed. DH picked my e-ring out by himself. He had my best friend do some 'investigating' to find out what I wanted for my e-ring. It was the second ring that he looked at and he got it 3 months before he proposed! When he proposed I was so shocked he had to ask me twice if I would marry him!
When we went to pick out our bands, I really loved the idea of having matching wedding bands (my grandparents were married for 58 years and had matching white gold bands). I also really loved my e-ring and didn't want to add more to it that a wedding band would take away from it. These fit together perfectly.
Married: 6/2016
TTC:6/2016
BFP: 11/22/2016 | EDD: 7/29/2017
The funny thing is we're not Irish. (Or at least I thought we weren't until I got my ancestry DNA results which revealed I am 25% Irish.) I guess that's where I get my freckles. Now the ring makes even more sense to me...even though I still wear it on my right hand.
The most sentimental jewelry for me is one of my bracelets. My husband presented me with it when our first baby was born. Our daughter was so active in my tummy, so we called her "our butterfly" my whole pregnancy. And when I saw this bracelet with butterflies, I burst out crying. I have so many nice and warm memories every time I wear it.