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: GTKY 2/13 - The Pizza Edition
or
sausage, pepper, and onion
or
chicken, tomato, onion, and bacon
or
extra cheese
now I want pizza as I eat my grilled chicken and veggies....
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
Pepperoni with black olives
Garden veggie plus pepperoni
YUM
I used to live near a place that did a great arugula, mushroom, and pecorino pizza. The store closed, I moved, and I still think about that slice sometimes!
Now that I eat meat again, I just love plain pepperoni—it’s the taste of my childhood.
Some of my favorite pizzas:
Pesto sauce base w/ mushroom, artichoke and fresh arugula on top
Mushroom, peppers, black olives and onions
Hawaiian (oh pineapple I
Pepperoni or other fancy cured meats, pineapple and jalapeno
Garlic olive oil base with wild mushrooms and truffle oil
Actually I've been craving grandma pizza which I don't think they serve anywhere outside of NY. It's almost like a Sicilian version of Margherita pizza without the fresh basil.
If I'm going to a fancy pizza place, I love leek and artichoke. Or a fancy cheese & honey dessert pizza.
And NO OLIVES. No, I will not pick them out, they permeate everything.
EDIT: @frenchbaby18Your pizza sounds SO EFFING GOOD, I would eat that.
Ugh. Now I'm seriously considering pizza for dinner...
@nopegoat I saw Screamin' Sicilian in the store the other day! My first thought was, "That's my grandpa in a box"
@foodislove DH doesn't like olives either--and I quote, "olives have the consistency of eyeballs and the taste of seaweed tomatoes."
Second to that is pineapple and ham...yummm...
Now I might be ordering a pizza for dinner tonight!!
I’m also a huge fan of chicken BBQ pizza!
Out, I usually order something with sausage or a buffalo or BBQ chicken pizza .
Yum, now I want pizza!
- ricotta/white
- “everything” but no anchovies or mushrooms.
- pepperoni
- onions and peppers
- cheese
@Cbeanz, I like a good grandma pie also. When done right... so good.
PS now I’m CRAVING pizza thanks🤣
Okay, by type.
Newyorkese - Pepperoni and Pineapple (and sometimes Jalapeño)
Siciliana - just cheese, light on the sauce.
Napoletana - Pesto, Ricotta, Pepperoni or Prosciutto. Or a really good Quattro Formaggio.
Romana - Prosciutto, Arugula and Pear or sometime Potato and Bechamel. (If you are ever in Rome, go to Bonci Pizzarium.)
Flammkuchen - Potato, Bacon, Pearl Onion, and creme fraiche.
Those are all the the types of pizza I can think of.
Welp, caved and got pizza, which DH didn’t mind at all. His was a regular crust with bbq sauce, pepperoni, and sausage (blech...not for me) and mine was a heart-shaped thin crust ham and pineapple. (Not pictured: just-ok honey chipotle boneless wings.) DH had so many pizza points that our order came to $3!
@hakele One of my bucket list items is to have an authentic Italian margherita pizza. That Romana pizza sounds heavenly
So: white pizza (usual place does garlic olive oil), fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and normal cheese, plus or minus chicken, depending on the mood.
A local BBQ place is teaming up with Papa Johns to bring brisket pizza to Houston for the next month or so. I’m so curious to try it!
But we have a BYO pizza place near us called 1000 degrees that I love their dough. So we usually just go there.
I mean, do I wish it wasn’t Papa John’s? Yes. But I really want to try this brisket pizza.