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
@EErin86, Yes! That totally could work! I probably would use Amelia at home/Work more anyway. My husband liked Mila and his Russian family would use that. I liked both, but Amelia more
@srachilagani I love that custom!
If its a boy we have no idea
@jaylii We have a last name issue too! Ours is super long so there are some names that I like (ex. Benjamin) that we end up taking off the list because it makes the baby’s name look like a novel!
ETA maybe weird for a boy with the e?
@ashh2018, I also tend to get a more feminine feel from the Rey spelling (probably because of Star Wars), but if you like it better, why not. I looked up the meaning, and it means King, so I think it's certainly defensible as a boy name (which it originally was).
As for me, my DH and I have not really even discussed names yet. I've put together a short list of maybes that my DH hasn't vetoed, and hopefully, one of them will either grow on me between now and September or I'll get a feeling about a particular name before then. My main hope is that we actually know what we are going to name the baby before delivery (unlike with our last two boys).
Girl name (we didn't get to use the first time) is after environmentalists: Abbey Lee
Boy name we are about 70% settled on is after scientists: Henry Mason
MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks
DS born 9/13/16
BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
Choosing a name is one of the reasons I'm not sure I could do Team Green. I want to have something picked and it seems easier to only be looking for one name instead of one for each sex. We did keep DS's name to ourselves until birth and we'll definitely do the same this time.
MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks
DS born 9/13/16
BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
PS - we also have two boys now
AFM- we waited until we saw our LO’s face to finalize his name and didn’t even share our short list with anyone. Naming is SO stressful! I can’t even think about top name picks for this one yet. Maybe learning the sex will light a fire under me. All I know is we’ll probably avoid names that start with A so that it’s not too matchy-matchy with DS.
me: 27 | husband: 35
IR PCOS dx Sept. 2014
married May 2015 --> started NTNP
BFP 6.28.15 - EDD 3.6.16
baby #1 born 2.19.16
TTC #2 in April 2017
BFP 12.30.17 - EDD 9.6.18
Fertility Friend Chart
Even when not pregnant, and before I was even thinking of having a kid, I've been obsessed with this website: https://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager
DS - 02/21/2016
We are officially team blue! Ah! We chose the name Thomas Henry -- Thomas after my dad and Henry after DH's grandfather.
bfp#1-10/29/12,EDD: 7/3/13. nothing found @ 1st u/s, natural mc 12/10/12. "Bean"
bfp#2-5/10/13! EDD: 1/18/14. "Peanut" Arrived 1/13/14. Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis
bfp#3- 9/26/14. EDD: 5/7/15. no heartbeat found @ 1st u/s, natural mc 10/23/14. "Little Bug"
**Psalm 139:16**
Eleanor jumped to #41 in 2016 and 5100 girls total were given that name in the U.S. in 2016. I don't want a top 10 name, but I think it will be hard for us to avoid a top 100 name.
My daughter's name is not popular--we still haven't met another kid with her name, but her nickname others have used as the name, and that's all over the place now. And there are definitely a few pop culture characters with her nickname.
i like your thinking!
It’s so funny because girl names are usually so easy for us and I do have a long list but they are all kinda meh to me.
I’m in love with our boy name and we came up with it so quickly but I’m sure it will be a girl just because isn’t that how it usually works? Haha!
I do look at popularity but I don’t think it’s an issue like it was in the 80’s and 90’s.
Names are so varied now that you rarely have multiple children with the same name.
Although, you do see similar names!
It’s so funny in my daughter’s Kindergarten class they have a William, Will, Wilkes, and Warren.
DD is Elizabeth "Ellie" Hazel
Both kids middle names are family names on DH's side.
We're thinking if #3 is a boy, he'll be Charles "Charlie" James or Catherine "Cate or Catie" Jean. The boys name has no family ties but Jean is both DH's moms name and my moms middle name.
Married to DH for 6 years (together for 16)
DS born 12.13.14
DD born 10.15.16
BFP 1.24.18, MC 3.13.18