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: Questions thread
My in-laws didn't know until after the baby arrived and weren't allowed come see her until the next day.
The last thing I wanted was a bunch of people in and out of my room when I was trying to figure out breastfeeding etc.
My mom worked at the hospital though and was able to check in daily afterwards which was nice because I had to stay around 4 or 5 days due to some complications post delivery.
This time around my in-laws will know because we may need them to watch DD until someone else can come get her but I'm hoping our hospital keeps the no visitors rule so no one can come see us haha
I looked up our hospital's policy on visitors last night. Right now, moms are allowed one support person and one visitor (over 18) while recuperating. I'm thankful that my husband and I will have some space because of this policy but my kids are going to be really disappointed that they can't visit their new sibling right away.
we aren’t allowing visitors. My kids will be allowed to come meet their brother, so whoever is watching them is the lucky one that can see the baby in the hospital! Other than that- once we are
settled at home people can come visit.
I felt the same way with my first baby. I will also say, just be on the watch for postpartum anxiety, for me not wanting anyone else to hold the baby or be around escalated into PPA of me being nervous they wouldn't do stuff right. Not that it's not also perfectly normal to have a preference of it just being you and your husband with LO. But just wanted to share that too. My sister did end up coming out for the first couple nights and helping and it was helpful because I had a really horrible birth injury and needed some extra rest. It was helpful but I was also glad she left after a couple days. I didn't really see anyone else until a couple weeks had gone by and I was feeling a little better.
@ematurn23, we chose not to circumsise our son. I just didn't see the value in putting him through pain for a limited purpose. We haven't had any type of hygiene issues with our son (now 6.5)
We were on the fence with our first son & literally in the middle of the night after I had my son our nurse came in and talked to my husband and I about the benefits of keeping our son intact. I knew deep down I didn’t want to circumcise him, but that really convinced me to leave him be the way he was made ... perfect
There are tons of really great resources available these days (Your Whole Baby) and research to back up keeping little boys intact. The biggest thing is just to leave it alone- don’t retract! And make sure your pediatrician knows that as well. Sadly, many are still misinformed.
https://www.yourwholebaby.org/basic-intact-care
I do agree that it's something that can still happen in the future if you decide NOT to circumcise. My uncle was circumcised as an adult. I will also add a few personal experiences. My brother has always resented that my mom didn't circumcise him. He was embarrassed. He's fine with it now as an adult, but he always gave her a hard time about it as a teenager. It's becoming more and more common NOT to circumcise, so I'm sure it won't be as much of an issue with our kids' generation. And last anecdote: my sister is an ER nurse. She has seen a LOT of older, uncircumcised men with cleanliness/infection issues (granted, that had to do with age and a general lack of hygiene). That was what convinced her to circumcise her own boys. Obviously she and I are VERY controversial in our family for that choice (my mom was horrified), but to each their own!
That was a novel...