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: Introductions!
Happy to be here with all of you and can't wait to see our bellies grow!
I have my first appt tomorrow with my GP and I'm really nervous because it's so early. Last pregnancy I went in at almost 8 weeks so I was able to see a heartbeat and it eased my mind but I'm only 5w1d and 8 weeks seems like ages from now!!
Any moms from Jan 2016??
My name is Laura. I'm a 29 year old student and I'll be a stm. My son was born Jan 16,2017 and is 4 months old, so it looks like I'll have a pair of Irish twins on my hands! I got my bfp at the end of April, so my due date is Jan 5th, 2018. I might end up with a scheduled c-section though. My ob brought it up because of the way my last pregnancy progressed. I'm excited to be here!
Edited for clarification since I kept falling asleep while writing this.
I just got my BFP on Friday evening. I am 42 years old and the Mama of 3 #GrossBoys ages 15,12, and 10. This was totally unplanned and totally unexpected..... but somehow I just know that if I lost this little bean, I'd be heartbroken. According to this app, my EDD is January 24.
I am hoping to have a sticky little bean!
I still can't believe that I am doing this again!!! And oh my word.....my boobies are so sore! I forgot about that part. Can you tell I am all over the place!???!?
Looking forward to getting to know you ladies!!!!
DS2: Jan. 2016
DS3: Dec. 2017
Baby #4 on the way!
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
I got my BFP on Tuesday May 2nd! Took tests 3 days in a row and did a digital just to be sure. My EDD is January 12, 2018. I am a FTM and am so excited to be on this new journey! We tried for 4 months before we got our BFP.
I am looking forward to getting to know you all, I am new to groups like these but am excited to have you ladies to turn to!
My name is Alexandra. I got my BFP today with an EDD of January 30. DD is 5 (11/11) DS is 3 (2?14)
My name is Emily, I got a faint positive 05/22 and a darker one this morning 05/23, and my due date is Jan 29. I'm a STM, with a 16 month old son. With my first baby I was super overdue, and found myself floating into the next month's group quite often since I also had an end of month due date, so I'll probably be going back and forth between Jan and Feb! Really excited to be doing this all over again!!
ETA: I'm 27 in a couple weeks, and I live in Canada
Blessings!
Also, wanted to say a huge thank you all the TTGPers that have help me so much over the past few months.
BFP#3 5/22/17 | MC 6/17/17 at 7w3d
Hi everyone. My name is Mary Cecilia (or MC for short, both are my first name-- I know, it's confusing) and I have been lurking a bit or the last two or three weeks but only because I couldn't figure out how to reply to this thread. There's a kink in the app on my phone I think.
Anyway, I am 27 and my husband and I married April 2016. We are due January 13th and this is our first pregnancy. We are extremely excited and had been trying since November. We just relocated from the Bay Area to Sacramento in February and just got a new pug puppy in April (already had one- 6 1/2 year old Golden). We relocated because I got a new job as a probation officer and so there have been a lot of adjustments the last few months and I know more to come.
My family is having some tough times this year which began in January with my sister's health declining and peaked in April when she was put on Hospice. This baby has been a bright light for many people (will be 3rd grand baby on my mom's side, first for my dad, first for my husband's family). Though risky, we have told a few people pretty early and plan to tell more close family in the next week. We live in California but most of my family are in KY and FL and we see them so infrequently that we are kind of clinging to the few times we will be able to deliver the news in person even though I have read everywhere how unwise it is to do so this early.
We have had a phone appt but our first in person appt is June 6th which will be week 8 for us. I think we will get to hear the heartbeat which is SO exciting. I have been blessed not to have too many symptoms, beside an unsettled feeling in my tummy but I wouldn't exactly call it nausea. I have stocked up on some sea bands just in case, though. It's been so great to read everyone's intros and I can't wait to get to know all of you more as the months go on. My husband's parents live locally for us but I anticipate it will be a challenge for me to experience all of this so far from my mother and sister who I am very close to. Just taking it as it comes and praying for healthy development. Nice to meet all of you and can't wait to ride this journey together.
I saw there are several bookworms here, I am too - I love fantasy and scifi especially.
I just got my BFP today and my EDD is January 31st. I may hang out in Feb 18 as well when it opens up as I was a week late with my son!
This will be our fourth. We have an adopted 7year old, and 6 year old, and a bio 4 year old. We had a MC in March of 2016 and makes me nervous but I know it is nothing compared to what a lot of you have gone through on here!
I'm a SAH and homeschool mom in WA state and look forward to getting to know all of you! I still can hardly believe this is real!!
My name is Marsha and I am 33 and from outside of Philadelphia. I am a FTM and got my BFP about a week ago. I am so excited and the hardest thing right now is not telling anyone. EDD 1/30.
Congratulations to all!
Im a STM, edd January 29. I just got a BFP 5/23 after over 2 years of trying and 3 rounds of femara! My daughter will be 3 at the end of June.
Looking forward to getting to know y'all!