I’m a mom of two little girls. Rosalia is three years old, and baby Eliana is only two months. My pregnancies weren’t easy. I had a rare liver problem called Cholestasis both times. It’s a condition that can be dangerous if not watched closely. Because of it, both my girls had to be born early.
Eliana was supposed to be delivered at 36 weeks and 3 days, but she decided to come early. Her birth came unexpectedly on a Friday the 13th, with a full moon overhead, before reaching 36 weeks. Even though she was healthy, she had to stay in the NICU for three days since she was born early. She’s my little fighter and my rainbow baby after a loss I had before her.
When I had Rosalia, I loved baby-wearing. It made shopping easier and kept people from touching her. So when I saw a rainbow ring sling on sale, I bought it for Eliana. I love it. It’s pretty, simple to use, and has a nice pocket.
Being a mom is no joke. Rosalia is smart and full of energy. She always needs attention. Now with a baby in the mix, some days are just plain hard. I’m currently on maternity leave from my position as an art teacher at an elementary school. I usually take both girls grocery shopping by myself. My husband works full-time and helps with home stuff on weekends. I was happy he came with us on a recent Aldi trip.
At first, everything went okay. Eliana was in the sling, and Rosalia sat in the cart. My husband walked away for a minute. I pushed the cart with one hand and bounced Eliana with the other. She was starting to fuss. As I turned around, a woman saw us and said, “Wow, I don’t know how you’re handling that! With a grin, I said, ‘That’s the mom life in action.
We checked out, and the same woman was ahead of us in line. Eliana was crying, Rosalia was grabbing items, and I was trying to hide Christmas gifts. The cashier looked at me and said, “I don’t want to start anything, but that lady said your baby is fake and you were stealing yogurts.” Then she smiled and added, “But your baby is clearly real!”
We all laughed. When I got home, I posted on our town’s Facebook group. I joked about how yogurts are only 25 cents and I don’t even eat dairy.
To other parents: People will judge. Don’t let it get to you. Laugh when you can. You’re doing just fine.
