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: Baby Names
@sunshineandwhiskey my favorite is Tucker.
@momac1919 I really like Reece Michael, second choice Austin Michael.
@=caenis= I like @kfren's idea, just refer to her as Odile and see if he comes around. It's a good sign that he's already onboard with it as a middle name, so its not like he dislikes it!
This is a fun game! Keep the lists coming...It's so much easier to pick names for other people than for my own babe
@sunshineandwhiskey I personally like Tucker.
@momac1919 I agree with some others - I really like Reece and Austin, but also agree that two syllable names in general sound very nice with Michael. The single syllable names might work better the other way around (my dad is a Michael Charles, for example).
Catherine Violet (my first choice)
Amelia Violet (hubbys' first choice)
Adeline Violet (name of my grandpa's sister that he hates but I so love the name)
Margaret Violet
Astrid Violet
I don't know if we will ever pick a name. My mom and sister don't like the first two. They say we have to many C names now (daughter is Caroline Rose, hubby is Carlos) and they don't think Amelia Violet flows very well.
Also who cares about C names if it’s a name you love.
Second best is Amelia.
I dont think Margaret or Astrid flow very well with Violet due to the T endings.
And Adeline is super rhymey with Caroline.
Married 6/15/13
BFP #1 5/8/16, EDD 12/31/16- DD born 9/10/16 at 24 weeks
~In our hearts forever~
BFP #2 10/14/17, EDD 7/1/18
Husband: 35
Married: June 2007
Son Max born 1/10/17
BFP #2: 10/5/17; EDD: 6/11/18
Wren is also the name of a character in one of my favorite books, Jitterbug Perfume. She's Alobar the immortal's favorite wife from his life as a "regular person" in ancient times. Their society is obsessed with beets, so I'm guessing maybe Eastern Europe. He was king of his tribe, but the local tradition was to exectue rulers as soon as they showed signs of aging. He wakes up one morning and finds his first gray hair - a literal death sentence. The only person he trusts enough to confide in is the cleverest of his wives, Wren. He has always had a soft spot for her. She helps pluck his gray hairs every morning. Eventually she masterminds a plan to fake his death and escape. He goes on to travel the world and discovers the secrets to immortality...but you'll have to read the book for all that.
Probably because of this, I think Wren is a fantastic name. I'd consider it for my LO if it weren't pronounced pretty differently in English vs. Dutch. In fact, I have trouble with the Dutch pronunciation.
Twila was the name of my aunt who passed away at 16, a few years before I was born. Grace is my husband’s cousin who we are both close with.
Our son’s name is Franklin Michael - Franklin after my husbands best friend (his name is just Frank, but we wanted a little variation of it) and Michael for my dad who passed away 10 years ago.
My husband got to pick the first name of our son, so I picked the middle. With little miss, I got to pick the first name and husband picked the middle. We each got veto power if there was a name we truly didn’t like, but in all honesty it was pretty easy for us both times.