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.
avh333
member
Re: Introductions
Due date? March 5th, 2022
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! I have 5 tattoos! One if a diamond mickey mouse in honor of my mom. One is a paper airplane that I got when I first moved far away from family and had my own apartment and full time job. One if kind of 3 tattoos combined of my three dogs paw prints. I have their names written in different family members handwriting. I love them.
Due date? 3/3
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! Oh gosh, I don't know. I'm skipping this one for now.
Edit to fix spacing.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! I'm not very interesting but people are usually surprised to know that I am a huge Lucille Ball fan, especially I Love Lucy. Most people find it odd because it's no old but I love it.
I’m a bump veteran. We have a feb16 boy (5yo) and a july18 boy (almost 3yo). I’ve also participated in ttgp on and off the last 8ish months.
I feel shocked. My husband feels shocked. Lol. The last 4/5 cycles I’ve had, my luteal phase has been 7-9 days. I totally anticipated this being a process. I still don’t believe it. I haven’t called my doctor yet but I anticipate my first appointment being in the end of July.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
hmmmm. I’ve worked for a vet for years and have seen inside all of my pets, from various surgeries. I feel like most people can’t (and wouldnt?) want to say that. Haha.
Due date? 3/5 ish
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself- hummmm, my kids keep me pretty busy. Both my boys were born in different states. (Ga, Va) I am a foodie and already missing my Kim Crawford. ☺️
How did you find out?
I was tracking my ovulation with the clear blue tracker. It had me start at day 10 and I didn't see any changes till day 24. I thought I was ovulating late and then I started feeling nausea at day 26. Took a pregnancy test thinking I was being crazy and it was SUPER dark positive. Guess I ovulated early and was clueless lol
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets? Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
This is my first baby. I have a chihuahua named Gizmo that everyone compliments on being the best behaved small dog ever. My husband and I love being active together, skiing, mountain biking, working out, ect.
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?)
First appointment is August 5th. For symptoms I have constant lower belly twitches/spasm feeling things. I also have random waves of nausea.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
We just finished designing and building our forever home. Due to COVID every design decision got about 1,000x the research it would have if we weren't stuck inside so much. :smiley:
Due date? The nurse said 3/5 but I know I ovulated later so I’m going to say 3/12
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! I served in the Peace Corps in Morocco.
Congratulations to everyone and I look forward to getting to know you! Happy and healthy 9 months to us all!
How did you find out? I was on vacation with family and friends was expecting my period. Even had my husband run and get me some tampons. My cycle is super regular so when I was a day late I just KNEW. I told myself I wouldn’t test until I got home that Saturday but when I ran to a dollar store and saw a test I just couldn’t resist. I took the test in the restroom of a BBQ restaurant :D and it was an immediate positive!
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets? Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
My husband and I have been married for 11 years. I’m currently a stay at home mom who loves reading, traveling, cooking and (seriously) cleaning. I have 2 boys, 1 girl, and 2 dogs!
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?)
First appointment is July 22. I have had very few symptoms and this pregnancy was such a shock that it really hasn’t sunk in yet.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
I honestly can’t think of a single fun or interesting fact about myself :D I’m pretty boring as a person!
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! Fun fact- I love teaching swimming lessons and get to start teaching weekend lessons next Sunday!
Due date?
3/16. Very early, but I'm cautiously excited!
Woke up with sore boobs today at 10/11dpo and took a FRER. Got a pink line pretty quickly! I'll test again after my missed period.
My DD will be 27 months next week. She is the absolute best!(ETA: I am really bad at counting in months now... I was off by 2 months!) I'm very active with my A19 moms! I WFH for a styling company. I've been married to my DH since 2015 and we have two cats!
No appointments yet. I show symptoms very quickly - I found out at 4 weeks last time, 3 weeks 4 days this time. My boobs are sore and I can't seem to finish my food - it all tastes very bland. I'm in a fantastic mood - pregnancy tends to make me a happier version of myself, haha!
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
ETA this part since I forgot! We love to travel and visited South Korea and Japan right before getting pregnant with DD!
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! I love building. We bought our first home last year, a 100yr old renovated cottage. So far I/we have screened in the front porch, i built a screen door for it, built floating shelves and installed some new cabinets, and most recently built a crib sized mattress porch swing. Just got a table saw for my birthday and excited to try it out.
Honestly, a little nervous. We had discussed at length a third but now that it is happening I’m still in shock I think. Also, we moved since my last so I need to find a new doctor so that is first on my list.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
The meal was amazing but was a ton of work! Gougères, foie gras with pickled cherries, tomato sorbet, chestnut agnolotti, lamb with a summer bean cassoulet, deconstructed Caesar salad cheese course and strawberry shortcake. To be fair, we bought the foie gras but made everything else. It was 2 days of cooking but he loved the meal and appreciated the effort.
Due date?
March 6
We were on vacation out of the country and was supposed to start my period the day we were leaving to come back. It didn't come, I figured it was due to travel or something. I waited a few more days after we got home and finally tested. Boy were those lines dark.
I'm a first time mom. I work in health care and my husband is an engineer. We have too many cats. I met my husband during covid, moved in with him essentially 2 weeks after we met, and got married a few months later. We like to hike, backpack, kayak, and read
First appt is July 29. I have had really consistent cramping and some nausea/vomiting. It still doesn't feel real, yet.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
One of our cats we actually found behind the drywall in our house. Somehow this little dude got into the basement and up behind the drywall between our bathtub and wall. We still haven't replaced the drywall from where we ripped it out to get him out.
Due date? 3/16
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! I went to high school in a very small town and was a volunteer firefighter for the fire department. All of my teachers knew about it, so the fire horn would blare (the station was right across the street from school) and I would just run out of class and down to the station to go on the call. Happened once in the middle of a physics final!
Due date? March 12
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! Hmmm…I never know what to say for these. I love to run and it helped me get back in shape after having my daughter. I’m still a workout junkie but had to take some time off for the ivf cycle. Hoping to get back to it with some prenatal workouts and some gentle yoga!
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself! I am still breastfeeding my daughter and only have had one PP period, and that was 2.5 mos ago. I am so curious to see what my due date will actually be.
Due date? 3/3
Had a loss in April and very thankful to be pregnant today after a year of TTC. Found out at 10dpo, but we’ve been treating it pretty business like for now, just not ready to fully embrace it all out of fear of another loss.
DS turned 2 yesterday and I can’t wait for him to be a big brother
Crap, my first pregnancy all over again with nonstop puking. But, happy to know the baby is ok in there. I go for a dating ultrasound on the 15th!
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
Right now it's looking like March 13th
How did you find out?
We had taken a test on June 31st right before I left for vacation with my family that was a digital negative, but throughout the vacation, I noticed my boobs got HUGE and I had some dark spotting that turned out to be implantation bleeding! My husband picked me up from vacation and I made him stop at a store so I could secretly grab some tests. I got two really quick positives that night and I surprised him at the house we're renovating in our expected nursery.
Tell us about yourself (Other children/pets? Job? Things you like to do? Spouse/partner?)
My husband and I got married on May 29th after 4 years together and this is our first! We have two cats, Cooper and Nova who love to cuddle. I run, read, and binge-watch bad reality tv in my spare time.
How are you feeling? (First appointment? Any symptoms? Emotionally?)
My first appointment isn't until August 2nd, but we started telling our immediate family yesterday because we both can't keep a secret. I'm very excited, but nervous. I just started experiencing very mild morning sickness/food aversions (eggs) today, but otherwise, it's just been the implantation bleeding and the huge boobs.
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
We just found out my husband's best friend conceived their 3rd on our wedding night, so we'll be having kids very close in age! I'm really excited about having someone that close going along the journey at the same time as me.
3/20 but if all goes well it will be an RCS probably around 3/6
I have 2 girls (7.5 years and 2 years). I'm a high school teacher. I love drawing, playing guitar, and being anywhere that is near water. We have a house bunny (a Holland Lop) who my girls adore. I have been with SO for 20 years but we are not married...he is also 12 years older than me:)
Feeling insanely nauseous, which I love!
TW
I had 2 losses between my girls, 14 weeks and 10 weeks, and I've had 2 early losses this past year, the last one at 7 weeks in January, so seeing such strong lines and feeling like dirt are making me hopeful. So emotionally I'm stressed and worried that this won't stick, but I'm feeling cautiously optimistic:)
End TW
GTKY: Tell us a fun or interesting fact about yourself!
Add me to the still breastfeeding club! Also @gembud and I shared our last BMB and we had the same EDD so I'm so happy we get to do this together again ❤
@smoresdoeuvres Your passtimes sound like mine! I wake up early to work out (because it's the only time I get to myself) and dream about binge watching TV shows!
@rachelredhead My youngest was born when I was 40:) I'm 42 now and will be 43 when this little one comes along so I am with you on the AMA life!
I don't know if it from lurking or perhaps we interacted on TTGP, but I definitely knew your name when you introed @Panaceia!
@Panaceia congratulations!! I'm so happy to see you here ❤️❤️❤️
@kgg2241 I have definitely been in and out of TTGP so it's probably from there! I've been here on and off since I got pregnant with DD1 in 2013.
@smoresdoeuvres I do the same during naps and night time...sometimes I can even fit in an episode on my iPad when the girls are playing...at least until one of them starts trying to kill the other one!