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: Weekend Wambulance 6/2 - 6/4
my weekend wahmbulance is just DD's dance recital this weekend..we just finished up 2 long rehearsals the past 2 nights that got us in bed close to 11, then back up for work at 7:30 now two nights of recital, that and being pregnant is just too much. So exhausted.
And pregnancy brain for making me forget underwear in my change of clothes that I needed for after I did water day with my preschoolers, had to go to dollar general commando in my maternity jeans to buy undies.
@baycamp good for you standing your ground, poor little guy I hope his arm feels better, and I second @ElizabethSchuyler on. Asking for your money.
@DuchessOfCambridge I hope you get some relief soon I have had headaches for two weeks but thankfully no migraines
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
@jess0211 Cars suck. We have to get a 2nd one when we move back to the States and I'm not looking forward to it, especially since I'll no longer be working.
@Baycamp I'm a FTM so take this with a grain of salt, but my friend put her son in jeans without underwear or diaper. Wet jeans feel horrible.
@cottingham3 We're moving soon and I'm in local groups for our soon to be new town and see all the baby deals I'm missing out on, including CDs.
TTC since August 2018
Again, I am glad he's okay. He's been home for 2 days recovering and should be 100% okay in a week or two. I'm glad we have insurance. I'm just feeling super whiny tonight about getting all this sorted and figuring out wth car we're going to buy him as our car was totaled. Ever see that Subaru commercial where the car is all banged up and everybody keeps saying "They lived."? That is basically my husband and our Subaru Forester - which I'm convinced saved his life. We're renting some kind of car tomorrow for him and we most likely will have a check for our totaled car by Tuesday so things are moving forward relatively easily. I've just been a stressed out mess, I guess.
Potty training mamas, I put a doggy pee pad under my son in his carseat because we have over an hour commute and refused to let me put a pull up on him for the car ride while he was still learning.
I used to get migraines about once a week prior to pregnancy. Then got maybe 3 total my first trimester. Now they are happening pretty frequently
Dead.
AFM: Pregnancy brain came back this morning. I made pancake mix with olive oil instead of canola oil. My pancakes tasted funny. :'(
DS: 18 months
Dx DOR AMH .2
<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Pregnancy"><img
Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
Also UO, but I actually really enjoy getting cavities drilled and filled. After the novocaine shots are finished I can just sit back and relax, and I feel basically no pain after it wears off.
Married for two years to my Honeybear and expecting a little Honeybee on our homestead in Belgium.
Yesterday I was admitted to the ER with 2nd degree chemical burns to my face. It was a workplace accident. I was kept overnight for observation and discharged today. By the grace of God, none got in my eyes, even though it sprayed across my nose, cheeks, and eyelids. I ran immediately to our emergency shower and eyewash station screaming for help. It was the most frightening and painful experience of my life, but I am OK now and they expect I will heal without any scarring, provided I practice proper wound care and avoid direct sunlight FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. So much for my summer plans and tentative babymoon in Newport. I guess I can still make it work if I wear a high-SPF sunscreen and a big hat, but damn, a year is a long time to not feel the sun on my face
I guess the upshot is that I told the EMTs I was pregnant while I was in the ambulance so it was part of my information when I was admitted and went through triage straight to a trauma room. The nurses asked me some questions about my pregnancy, including whether or not I had had any complications thus far, and then one of them asked me if I wanted to see the baby to reassure me that s/he was fine. I nodded; I could hardly even speak at that point, I'd been screaming and crying so much. But nothing else mattered once I saw that perfect little baby moving around like crazy, kicking and bouncing and touching its little face. Fetal heart rate was good, I forget what it was but it was in the normal range. My last ultrasound was around 13 weeks, and yesterday I was 17 weeks. It was amazing to me how much had changed in just a month.
But hey just FYI if you want a bonus ultrasound, don't have an industrial accident and get acid all over your face. Just ask your OB/GYN if you can have one.
Married Since: 7/29/2012
omgosh
Married Since: 7/29/2012
omgosh