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: Names
Married: 6/2016
TTC #1: 12/2016
Benched due to deployment- Off the bench 8/8/17!
If it's a girl, Rhiannon Marie. Marie for my paternal grandmother, and I adore old school names.
I also like Ava, Olivia, Aoife.
Boy names are harder, I think. You want them to roll off the tongue well, but still sound masculine. I'd like to incorporate my father's name, Thomas, as he passed away last year. So far Ethan Thomas is the leading name we've both agreed on. Or I'm wondering if I should incorporate my maiden name as a middle name, as I'm an only child and the name ended with me.
I also like Rowan, Henry, and Finnigan.
Me: 37 Him: 38
Married 11.07.2015
For a girl, we’ve talked about Sydney Gail. We met because of a trip to Australia and Gail was his mother’s name (she passed 8 years ago).
I now really want to try the tinder name game app! We also met on tinder, so should be fun!
The tinder app is perfect because there's no room to make a case for a name you like or hate! It's binary - yes / no. And then when you both find one you like, bingo!
BTW I love the names you've listed!
Me: 37 Him: 38
Married 11.07.2015
If we end up with a 3rd boy, which I feel like we will, we have no idea. Our fist is Clayton which is my husbands middle name and our second is Westley, named after princess bride lol. Boy names are hard! And all our family names are names I don’t really care for.
uses first-middle combo in school.
DH:45
DSD: 20
DSS: 18
Team green baby due: Aug 6th, 2018
I loved the Virgin Suicides too
Married 9/28/13
DS born 11/12/15
EDD 8/13/18
@kc0711 What about Larson, and you can always call him Lars for a nickname? I went to school with a Larson, and he wasn't picked on.
We had the names picked out for awhile, but he told me last week he felt like it was “too easy”. So we talked about names for an hour or so and he said “nevermind. I don’t like any of these names as much as the ones we already picked.”
@ashleyandjody our last name ends with son, so it kind of knocks out any first names that end in son (mason, Madison, etc)! I really like the name Larson, but it just doesn’t go well with our last name.
@derbysquirrel you make a good point, not many people will call him by his first and middle name. Born and raised in the south, I use first and middle name a lot, but I know that is not how most people will be. Lars is growing on me some, I just don’t know if it has grown on me enough to name a baby that permanently!
@mrsbubbles-2 we are in the same boat! I really like Dominic, but it is a lot of name with Adonis as a middle name. Darn those middle names!
We have ave a Peighton Elizabeth and a Jordan Brooke.
Graham was our boy name last time- I still like it.
Im drawn toward Andie if another girl- H is Andrew and my brother is Andrew. So a nod to them since this will be the last baby. My dad is Joseph, and I coach a girl named Joey, so that has me thinking.
:waiting for all the eye rolls:
@mrs_drc_rn Finn is on my short list. Not sure about DH though
DH:45
DSD: 20
DSS: 18
Team green baby due: Aug 6th, 2018
For a boy DH has always wanted to use his MN which is also his dad's MN, Allen. I'd be fine with that using one of my grandfather's names as the middle...Michael or Walter.