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.
brookert615
member
Re: Group 2 (2/8-2/14) check in w/o 8/26
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: Pink!
Baby is the size of a(n): Can of Coke
Upcoming appts: 16 week appt on Wednesday
How are you feeling?: I feel good. Still tired but I havent thrown up in 6 days!
Rants/Raves:
Questions:
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I am pretty happy living here in the northeast right outside NYC. I love being able to hop on a train and be in one of the most amazing cities in the world easily, but also living in a smaller town and having that feel, plus the schools here are excellent. But if language and COL and all that were a moot point, I think I could be very happy in Austria or Germany
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: blue 💙💙
Baby is the size of a(n): chipmunks
Upcoming appts: ultrasound this afternoon!
How are you feeling?: Starting to feel like a normal human again, slowly. I seem to be getting little bursts of energy to get things done, and feeling like myself again. Still get nausea every once in a while but I've had a few days of not throwing up. Hoping that's a good sign that phase is ending.
Rants/Raves: Went to some yard sales this weekend with my mom and scored some baby books and and some cute shelves and storage bins! Hopefully plan on repainting this weekend if I have the time. (We might be moving into our new apartment this weekend which I am super excited about!)
Questions:
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I think if I lived anywhere but the US, I would choose Ireland or Scotland. It's just so beautiful there and everyone seems so happy. I'd live out in the rural farm town, not much of a city person.
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: FO
Baby is the size of a(n): CD
Upcoming appts: Friday gender U/S
How are you feeling?: Good! Normal, energetic, pretty perky about life ATM.
Rants/Raves: I'm wearing a super cute orange maternity top I got at a thrift store over the weekend- this is me looking like a pumpkin and willing it to be fall!!!!! It was 65*F this morning which is cool enough to let a girl pretend!
Questions:
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Sweden. I'd ski the Swiss Alps, enjoy ridiculous amounts of maternity leave, be surrounded by dedicated environmentalists, and enjoy all the hygge in hand knit sweaters drinking coffee and eating cheese by a fire for most of the year.
Team: 💙
Baby is the size of a(n): Hass avocado 🥑
Upcoming appts: Thursday!
How are you feeling?: Pretty decent! Just get gaggy sometimes. Sciatic nerve pain.
Rants/Raves: Last week we put in an offer on a new house and it was accepted almost immediately! But with the contingency, we basically have a week to sell our house 😱
GTKY: I would say probably in the south of France. Warm weather, beaches, French cuisine, close to Italy.... 🥰
edit- spelling
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: finding out
Baby is the size of a(n): dill pickle
Upcoming appts: Thursday
How are you feeling?: ok. Not nauseous unless I go too long without eating something. I’ve been getting awful headaches that are so hard to get rid of.
Rants/Raves: There is so much that needs done around the house and I feel like my husband and I aren’t home enough lately to accomplish any of it.
Questions:
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Italy for sure
Team: Pink
Baby is the size of a(n): Today's "size fact" is boring, but yesterday the baby was the size of a grande iced coffee.
Upcoming appts: 9/6 for one last doppler to ensure everything is fine before we move.
How are you feeling?: Not bad, but I just can't get comfortable. I sit one way, my back hurts. Change positions slightly and my neck hurts. Change again and a different part of my back hurts. Also, I cried yesterday after I asked hubby to try to get a photo for the HDBD thread. I don't know if he's bad at taking pictures, I don't know how to stand, or I genuinely look like that (probably all 3), but every photo came out looking like either normal non-pregnant me or like I am just a giant cylinder of fat (rather than a bump). Needless to say, I will not be posting in the thread; we'll wait a couple more weeks and try again.
Rants/Raves: Only 2 weeks til the move. Still no flights, but everything else is proceeding on schedule.
GTKY: Singapore or one of the Scandinavian countries. There actually is a job in my field in Norway, but it would be like my pie-in-the-sky dream job. I'm still several years away from the experience level needed. Also, the stars have to align, the timing must be right, and you have to commit to a three-year job in Italy first (you must prove yourself), before they'll trust you with the Norway job.
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: Team Green
Baby is the size of a(n): CD
Upcoming appts: Blood work tomorrow and Anatomy Scan at the End of September!
How are you feeling?: Good, Sleeping is getting harder. I am going to order a pregnancy pillow this week. Snoogle, here I come!
Rants/Raves: I am frustrated with not sleeping. I am a good sleeper and the getting up to pee in the middle of the night and side-sleeping is killing me!
Questions: None as of right now.
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Sydney
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: 💙 (NIPT - is that what that blood test was? - and second ultrasound revealed evidence of a boy - yay!)
Baby is the size of a(n): CD
Upcoming appts:
Sep 19 (third OB appt... I am a little behind, had a bunch of work travel get in the way of getting to the clinic for my second OB appt)
How are you feeling?:
I have not had morning sickness or nausea yet. Just really really tired in the first trimester. Still tired and starting to succumb to all my emotional roller coaster feels. Anyone else having emotional hard times and wanna be each other’s cheerleader?
Rants/Raves:
Really hard for me emotionally to keep working a really demanding job. But rave: at least I don’t have to suffer thru morning sickness yet!
Questions:
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
Honestly, I’ve been to a lot of places and I just wanna live where I live now. California.
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: finding out
Baby is the size of a(n): lightbulb
Upcoming appts: Friday 16 weeks!
How are you feeling?: Better today... I actually called the nurse yesterday with abdominal pain, and by the time she called back, I had a BM and felt better. Oh this constipation sucks
Rants/Raves:
Questions:
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I don't really care, I just want a big, clean house with a pretty yard and no neighbors in sight haha! Grew up in apartments and live in a tiny house with neighbor issues... I can dream
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: blue!
Baby is the size of a(n): lightbulb 💡
Upcoming appts: One more week!
How are you feeling?: Super exhausted these past few days. No other symptoms of note lately.
Rants/Raves: I’m loving the Isabella Oliver dresses I got from ThredUP! They make me feel chic, which is fun when I otherwise feel far less svelte than 4 months ago.
Questions: Anyone feeling baby yet? I’m so anxious to feel him move. So glad I get a doc appointment in a week to confirm all is well.
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Perhaps Thailand. Inexpensive and gorgeous, with tons of lovely travel options nearby.
@craftywitch, loved your recommendations on selfies bc DH is shit at flattering a lady in a photo. So true 😂
I'll have to check out those dresses, I love thredup
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: 💙
Baby is the size of a(n): CD
Upcoming appts: September 3rd
How are you feeling?: My hips huuuurrrrtttt 😂😂
Rants/Raves: I want egg salad, but no one can make it. And I dont want store-bought egg salad.
Questions: None at the moment.
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Probably Italy
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: Finding out September 22nd or when I find the envelope DH hid LOL.
Baby is the size of a(n): Chipmunk minus the tail lol.
Upcoming appts: September 18th for OB appt and then AS on September 28th!
How are you feeling?: Good. Still waves of nausea, still pretty exhausted but over-the-moon excited to be in the 2nd trimester!
Rants/Raves: Long weekend but it will be super busy! Bridal shower, bachelorette party and then to work on the "garage" for our gender reveal and then it's our anniversary!
Questions: Would I totally screw myself if we waited to secure a daycare until December? We will be moving but the exact area TBD based on what we find.
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Somewhere in the Caribbean
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
@alseltzer Yay on turning back into a human lol! What a great score on shelving and storage bins! Hope you're able to get them all repainted and be able to have a smooth move!
@craftywitch Oh, I love some cute thrift finds! Too cute about looking like a pumpkin!
@daffodil_shoe So so happy about selling the house!!! How is all of that going now?
@clee5711 Totally with you on having so much to do but no time to accomplish any of it!
@noxacanthus So sorry the HDBD pictures made you sad! Glad everything is proceeding on schedule for the move, hope you get flights soon!
@burr1371 I'm with you on finally pulling the trigger on a pregnancy pillow lol.
@latebloom22 The emotional roller coaster is real! I'm cheering for you, girl! Sorry work has been tough!
@emlwalsh Ugh sorry about the constipation! It is NO FUN! Glad your abdominal pain went away, though!
@um_thor Good luck at your appointment! Oh, ThredUP looks so fun!!!
@hellonurse0802 Hope you can get your egg salad, soon!
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
Team finding out/pink/blue/green: finding out. Tomorrow!
Baby is the size of a(n): avocado
Upcoming appts: ultrasound tomorrow, check up on Monday
How are you feeling?: well. The overall fatigue is largely gone. I took a break from social media, because it was so overwhelming, but I feel well enough to ease back in
Rants/Raves: -
Questions: -
GTKY: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? I’m happy where I am. Finland was wonderful though.
@FakeFinn That’s always good to take a social media break! So exciting you’re finding out tomorrow! 🎉
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's
Diagnosed with PCOS & Hashimoto's