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 Great Name Thread!
DS - 7.5
DD #1 - 6
~ mmc 7.11.2018 @ 9w ~
DD#2 - born 12.24.19
@kayjay44 my family is from Norway
DH is insanely picky and doesn't like anything unique or "foreign" sounding.. One whole side of my family is Sigird, Borgehild, Astrid,etc. so I have a different opinion on what "foreign" is
Girls: Caroline, Lena, Marit, Eva. I love Christiana, but it know it won't go over well.
Middle name is Michelle, and i won't budge as its after an aunt who passed away recently.
Boys: Steven/Finn, Henry (nn Harry, which is a family name, but cousin has a variation already), Kurt/Curtis. We'll have an awful time if it's a boy. We couldn't come up with one when I was pregnant with #2, but she was a girl, so we lucked out.
Contradicting what I said before, we have two girls names and a unisex name. Winnie, Lila, and Erin. We have over 30 weeks left to come up with more, so time will tell.
BFP 6.8.2018 EDD 02.18.2019
With our our son we had a girl name (Charlotte Elizabeth nn Charley) but no boy name until I randomly decided on Elliott after sobbing through Pete’s Dragon. This time we have a boy name (Lucas James) but no girl name
BFP: 6/2/2018 | EDD: 2/8/2019
Rowan Joseph
For a girl I have no preference right now but my SO wants Luna and the middle name will be Jean regardless.
He wants to use the name if this one is a boy, and I do like the name, but it kind of feels wrong to use it. Then I think I'm being silly... especially since we don't know that we would have even had a boy.
Cate, Eve, Claire, Quinn are girl front runners.
Reid, Tate, Jack, Luke are boy front runners.
MMC 2.12.11 @ 8w
PVM 5.8.12
GWM 3.17.15
RPM 2.21.19
Rudy and Marie are after DH's grandparents who are the reason we had a wedding and are now buying a house. They have both passed so this is our way of showing appreciation.
PS. hope I'm using the abbreviations correctly! If not, I apologize.
Douglas is my dads name but otherwise they are just simply names we both like.
For a boy, we are lost. I’m loving Waylon, Sterling (DH said no), Wyatt, Jameson, and Jagger. Thoughts?
Girl contenders are Claire and Anna. We love Claire but finding a middle name is tough. Elizabeth probably sounds best but that's also my niece's middle name. Not sure that's a big deal. Other middle name options for Claire are Charlotte, Rebecca, Allison, and Evelyn. Anna would go with Marie (Anna Marie is my grandmother's given name), Grace or Claire.
Big brothers are Eli, Benjamin and Jack.
BFP 6.8.2018 EDD 02.18.2019
Our potential name list keeps growing. The one thing we've agreed on is Zilas is a firm no, even if I like his backpack too (dinosaurs).
DD has dubbed LO Lulu Practical (?) if a girl and Crunch if a boy.
For a little while she switched to Flower (g) and Coconut (b) but now she's back to her originals.
Sorry, DD
Lucien Alexander.
Constance, Lynn, Nancy, Ruth, Lorraine
I absolutely love the last 3 for a girl but DH has vetoed -_-
TIA
Maybe I can give him the name Non or anti-capitalist. I know it's not spelled the same, but it just makes my skin crawl. </end hormonal hippie rant>
DD born 4/1/2023
Baby #3 EDD 11/21/2024