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.
yellingbanana
member
Re: UO 🥗🍊🍇
i enjoy reading and understand the unmedicated/low-intervention birth thread (and give props to all you ladies), however, i want ALL the pain meds and want to be as comfortable as possible because i am terrified and not good with pain!!
My UO: I don’t like name alliteration. It bothers me. Idk why.
@yellingbanana I also dislike name alliterations. My husband wanted our son to be JJ. It took me months, I hated it so much, just because it was an alliteration. He chose names just based on them starting with a J.
But now I've calmed a little and it is easier just to type the 2 letters than his full name.
I guess my UO is pet names/names of endearment for your kids. I call my poor son so many things that I'm surprised he can associate himself with them. He has 3 official names, one for each language, plus the alliteration, then I get lazy and he gets J and Jo. And forget about the endearing terms, I'm sure I have more than 10. Poor kid.
@mrosek91 i dont mind this opinion---still one of my favorites either way and i eat equal portions of candy vs cookies so it doesnt affect how many i eat in one sitting lol
@littlelibelula and @yellingbanana i dont know that this bothers me too too much, but it definitely depends on the specific letters/sounds. my last name starts with an F so i knew right away we were excluding any names with an "f" or "ph" in them. however, i don't find JJ to be bothersome. so it depends!
*Rainbow 8/2015*
*Expected Rainbows 12/2018*
*Loss of Twin 5/2018*
@asf0613 don't get me wrong, I like Twix and I eat them. But if I ask you to bring me chocolate, it better be something it is mostly chocolate.
I’m with @mimser (see, I’d make a great Canadian!)
I'm definitely the opposite. We wash and reuse plastic cutlery. Less now that I'm married, but growing up, all the time.
maybe that should be a FFFC
My UO... Parks and trails that have banned dogs due to the "environmental impact" of them pooping in the woods.... This may be contrary to my previous hippie declaration, but all the other animals poop in the woods, why can't my dog?
@caroduke I'm with you on this--I get annoyed when people make a big deal about dog poop near wooded trails, but don't seem bothered by horse poop ON the trails. I always make sure to follow the pack it in/pack it out rule and clean up after my dog, but at the same time if my dog poops well off the trail, is it really a big deal?
“As it turns out, not all animal poop is equal. The waste left behind by wild animals is actually beneficial to the ecosystem because those animals consume resources and nutrients from the ecosystem. Those same resources and nutrients are then returned to the ecosystem in their waste.
This is not the case with dogs and other pets, which typically eat nutrient-dense commercial pet foods. When your dog poops in the preserves, or anywhere for that matter, they are leaving behind waste with high quantities of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that can cause imbalances in the ecosystem. “
Also the bacteria and worms end up in our water system!
*Rainbow 8/2015*
*Expected Rainbows 12/2018*
*Loss of Twin 5/2018*
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021