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.
zuuls_mom
member
Re: The Big Nursery Thread!
We’re waiting to buy big kid furniture for DS, then we’ll strip him of his furniture and start the new nursery. How cute is this rug?!?!?
I've kinda settled on mythical under the sea. Because apparently I'm extra. But little mermen and sea dragons and narwhals etc. Colors are teal, lime, dark blue. Maybe accents of purple and orange. (Again, I know I'm extra most days but I just cant help it!)
I think I finally picked out a set of cribs too. Why do they never say how high each mattress setting is? It's so frustrating!
I am SO excited to get started. I’m doing the same theme for either boy or girl, but we are still waiting for the AS next week to be in the clear since we had no genetic testing. This is a very small room, so I’m hoping to do with it what I can.
I already have my grandma’s old french provincial dresser that I plan to rehab to look like this which will serve as a changing table
Then I want to do a vintage rabbit theme so I’m planning one small wall with wallpaper and the rest a warm light gray. A dark brass crib and lots of rabbit decor. Once we find out the sex we will add pops of color in the bedding and such. The only thing we have purchased is the shelf in the spoiler.
https://www.westelm.com/products/ceramic-nature-rabbit-table-lamp-w2417/?pkey=s%7Cbunny%20lamp%7C8
LOVE that theme. I toyed with a Peter Rabbit theme but wasn't in love with any Peter Rabbit decor I was seeing and knew the second it got out that his nursery was "Peter Rabbit" I'd be getting loads of bunnies with blue jackets. I think your theme is much closer to what I was actually trying to accomplish.
Now I'm back to square one. I'm trying to fuse natural wood tones (this crib and dresser) with soothing grays, whites and navy, but trying to avoid the room looking too "rustic". Do you guys think that will be impossible with the furniture I've picked out? I struggle with decor.
Anywho, here is the crib I just bought! We're still going with the vintage floral theme and I can't wait to start buying decor!
Married 8/16/13
BFP#1 DS 11/13/16
BFP# 2 MMC dx @ 13w 10/30/18
BFP# 3 Preemie DD born at 38w (IUGR) on 8/28/19 weighing 5.5lbs. Our little miracle
It's a Wes Anderson theme and him and baby will share a room until we move. I'll get him a twin sized bed once the baby needs the crib.
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
Cant wait!
@duewithpu2 Your inspiration pics are gorgeous. I love that crib. Can't wait to see how it turns out!
@zuuls_mom love the crib. I can't remember if you are crafty or not, but Liberty London floral prints are my fav. You could make some pillows or maybe drapes or something.
@nomangos23 agreed with Lilly. I see some classic story book characters. Winnie the pooh would be adorable!
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
@septoctkids Wayfair! It's the Mistana Veendam 5 in 1! Closeout sale too so it's wayyyy discounted!
Married 8/16/13
BFP#1 DS 11/13/16
BFP# 2 MMC dx @ 13w 10/30/18
BFP# 3 Preemie DD born at 38w (IUGR) on 8/28/19 weighing 5.5lbs. Our little miracle
P.s. thoughts on the crib sets? I feel like they're so expensive and for what? A fitted sheet, a bed skirts, and a blanket that will end up in the closet since they can't have it in the crib....seems silly. Am I missing something?
@nightdreamr13 I would skip the crib bedding set. I went with separates instead. I bought a few sheets in the pattern/ color I liked that went with his theme and went with a solid crib skirt. I say go with separate pieces.
I had originally thought of doing a Harry Potter theme. MH loves the idea too. He even told his mom that it was our theme, even tho we never 100% settled on it. So now we’re getting a HP themed baby shower… which will be awesome but at the same time I’m anticipating a lot of HP gifts that I won’t like. But then I started thinking it might be too hard to do the wall mural that I like. So I started looking around and started liking the outdoor adventure theme (not wildlife theme, big difference!). I thought I could still throw in some HP stuff, like the wood lamp of the deathly hollows, and the flying keys as a mobile, and the wood light switch with Lumos and Nox on it. Idk! What do you guys think?
Some of the HP stuff again:I do like this bear rug!
The last 2 picture is how I would do the walls. The top part of the wall is dark green. And the crib we got is similar in shade.
Married: 8/2015
TTC #1: 4/2017
Testing: HSG, U/S, BW, and DH's SA all normal
DX: Unexplained
8/2018: Clomid + TI = BFN
9/2018: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2018: Clomid + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
12/2018: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone \\ Cancelled due to cyst
1/2019: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD Sept 30th, 2019
10/7/2019: Healthy baby boy!
TTC #2: 12/2020
2/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
3/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
4/2021: Surprise! Natural BFP! \\ EDD Jan 6th, 2022 \\ Chemical, betas not rising
8/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
9/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
10/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD July 29th, 2022
I like the idea of the mountain decals (which will be easier to install!) with the lamp, mobile, and switch. Maybe hang his (or your!) "house colors" in the form of swaddles from sweet little wooden hooks as decor? I'd say the HP decor would be subtle but evident!
Our nursery will be pretty small, so I want to keep the design clean and simple. We're planning to do something similar to this (thanks Google), with some little pops of navy:
DS has a wilderness/camping themed room and we painted this wall for him. It was SO easy.
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
I'm hoping to get to a BBB to physically handle one and snag them with a 20% off coupon too.
Married: 8/2015
TTC #1: 4/2017
Testing: HSG, U/S, BW, and DH's SA all normal
DX: Unexplained
8/2018: Clomid + TI = BFN
9/2018: Clomid + TI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2018: Clomid + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
12/2018: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone \\ Cancelled due to cyst
1/2019: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD Sept 30th, 2019
10/7/2019: Healthy baby boy!
TTC #2: 12/2020
2/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
3/2021: Letrozole + TI = BFN
4/2021: Surprise! Natural BFP! \\ EDD Jan 6th, 2022 \\ Chemical, betas not rising
8/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
9/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
10/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFN
11/2021: Letrozole + IUI + Progesterone = BFP! \\ EDD July 29th, 2022