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: The Official Name Thread
DD was due December 28 so we knew there was a possibility she would be born around/on Christmas day. It started as a joke, but we started telling people if it was a boy, we were going to name him Ebenezer and call him Ebby.
The further the pregnancy got, the more Ebby started to grow on us....and....yeah.....so it was probably a good thing it was a girl...
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
Your story reminds me of this girl I used to work with. She was born on Christmas and her parents named her... Christmas.
@MamaStreeter I like June as a middle name with Hattie, and I really like Hattie (it reminds me of Parenthood too @kkerner87!)
@kkerner87 I love both Sebastian/Bash and Wyatt. I don't think anyone would think of the Kutchers down the line.
BFP: 10.3.16 | CP: 10.11.16
BFP: 12.14.16 | CP: 12.14.16
BFP: 1.23.17 | EDD 10.6.17 -- DS born 10.7.17
BFP: 9.9.18 | EDD 5.23.19 -- DD born 5.24.19
BFP: 9.1.21 | MC 10.1.21
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
@natleilynn my name started off as a joke and my parents actually named me it. I'm named after a large and well-known country that most of us live in.... #LetFreedomRing #StillBetterThanChristmas
Claire Noelle
Claire Beverly (Beverly is my deceased grandmother's name)
Clara Noelle
Zoe Louise (Louise is my living grandmother's name)
Zoe Grace (our niece's middle name is also Grace... does that matter?)
We have a few other ideas, but these are the best ones at the moment.
Clara Noelle sounds pretty but it makes me think of the nutcracker. If that doesn't bug you, it's cute!
Zoe Louise would be a second pick
Oct. '17 June S.C. "You Had 1 Job"
Baby Boy due October 2017
@dogperson11 That is hilarious! And most people won't know his middle name, so it won't matter
I think I agree with @jessirh though.
@dogperson11 I'm tossed up on the Jack Daniel thing!! That is pretty funny though.
We have a few girls names picked out:
Sidney Elizabeth
Gwen Elizabeth
Sidney Reese (dh's fav!)
Reese Margaret P (both our grandmas are named Margaret but I'm not sure I like it. I like the name just not sure if I want to do family name.)
Sidney Margaret
Reese...other middle name?? Lol.
why is naming a human so hard
Me.30 DH.31
BFP 2/3/17...edd 10/13/17
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
Me.30 DH.31
BFP 2/3/17...edd 10/13/17
+1 to naming a human is hard!
Eta tag @jasmuin
Oct. '17 June S.C. "You Had 1 Job"
Either:
1. Hallie Anne
2. Haleigh Fitzgerald
Last name begins with a M.
Fitzgerald is a family name so it would have some meaning. Anne just sounds kind of nice with Hallie. It was the middle name I first thought of when i thought of the name Hallie.
Spelling of Hallie / Haleigh is still up for debate... I am kind of an partial to just "regular," if you will, Hallie and BF prefers Haleigh.
What do you guys think? Also, we're planning on keeping our name a secret until she is born... I hope there is no one on here that knows me lol.
Oh but, BF spilled the beans to his mother yesterday! After a full weekend with my entire family I kept my lips zipped and only 15 minutes with her he told her the name. Oh well. She said she wasn't going to tell anyone.
@ariz17 to me, Haleigh looks like it would be pronounced like "Haley," not like "Hallie."
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
@ariz17 I prefer traditional spellings (even though my middle name is leigh lol) personally. I think with the "leigh" trend you set yourself up for people wanting to say "lay" instead of "lee" for whatever reason. Also just to throw this out there, with Hallie Anne the initials end up being HAM. It wouldn't bother me at all, but I know some people take these things into consideration
I've largely been avoiding this thread but now that we know it's a boy the discussions have begun! We spent awhile last night talking. I already had my list of top contenders and out of those DH is STUCK on Jameson. Like, he fell in love with it, would fill out the birth certificate today, and write it on a billboard to top it off.
so I'm thrilled he loved one of my top three names, though a little bummed he shot down my first pick lol oh well. My only slight hangup is the whiskey reference. I don't want people thinking we named our kid after a whiskey (that DH is a big fan of, to boot). So I'm hoping if I just let the name sit with me awhile it won't bother me down the road.
Out of my list of middle names, he also loves Liam (again, would put it on the billboard as well). My only concern is Jameson Liam sounds like a bit of a mouthful. What do you think? I like the idea of a good flow (he thinks it flows, I don't really). He also pointed out we rarely ever use DDs middle name (like...ever) so it really doesn't matter that much which is kind of true haha
*O17 June Siggy Challenge - You had 1 job!*
also what was your 1st name he shot down?
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
I heart YNAB
---------
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times,
if one only remembers to turn on the light."
- Albus Dumbledore
I agree with you that Jameson Liam doesn't flow. I love both of those names though.
Oct. '17 June S.C. "You Had 1 Job"
He said Levi was only name for pants.
Sigh.
He said he would let the idea of Jacob sit with him for a bit but he had serious hearts in his eyes for Jameson so I'm 99% sure that's what it will be. I agree, he will likely end up going by James, etc, so I shouldn't worry too much about the whiskey but I guess I should throw in we also have a pretty Irish last name lol
I do like William and Wesley as middle names, however, we decided long ago on this kid's initials (we like themes apparently) so we gotta go with a middle name starting with L.
I do really love Liam so I'm willing to look past the flow issue but also open to suggestions.
*O17 June Siggy Challenge - You had 1 job!*
Jameson Lennox
Jameson Lewis
I like Liam too though!
@purplestarz
Oct. '17 June S.C. "You Had 1 Job"
I like Jameson Wesley too!
L names i can think of (if any of these have family ties somehow):
Lucas
Logan
Landon
Lawrence
Leonard
Lincoln
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails