I’m a proud mom of two beautiful girls, Rosalia, 3, and Eliana, just 2 months old. Both pregnancies were difficult, made even harder by a heartbreaking loss before Eliana. I was diagnosed early on in both pregnancies with Cholestasis, a rare liver condition that raises the risk of stillbirth if not treated and delivered early.
Eliana was scheduled to arrive at 36 weeks and 3 days, but she had other plans. She made her grand entrance at just 35 weeks and 5 days on Friday the 13th, during a full moon. She spent her first three days in the NICU, but she’s strong. My little rainbow warrior.
With Rosalia, I fell in love with baby-wearing. It kept her close and kept strangers from touching her. So when I saw the rainbow Maya Wrap sling on sale, I knew I had to get it for Ellie. It’s beautiful, has a great pocket, and helps me keep my hands free, especially helpful now that I have two little ones to juggle.
Like any mom knows, raising kids is no joke. Rosalia is bright, curious, and full of energy, and now with a newborn in the mix, most days feel like controlled chaos. I’m currently on maternity leave from my job as an elementary art teacher, and most errands, like grocery shopping, I do solo while my husband works long hours. That’s why I was so thankful when he could join us on a trip to Aldi recently.
While shopping, I wore Ellie in the ring sling, and Rose sat in the cart. My husband stepped away briefly. Ellie started fussing, and I bounced her gently while steering the cart one-handed. A woman walking by commented, “Wow, I don’t know how you’re doing that!” I chuckled, grinned, and said, ‘That’s just part of being a mom!
Later at checkout, that same woman was ahead of us in line. As we stepped up, the cashier hesitated, then said with a sheepish grin, “So, I don’t want to stir anything up, but the woman ahead of you said your baby is fake… and you’re using the sling to steal yogurt.” Then she looked at Ellie and added, “But clearly your baby is real!”
We all had a good laugh.
At home, I posted about it on our local Facebook groupTo the woman who accused me of hiding yogurt and claimed my baby was a doll:My baby is 100% real.Yogurt is like 25 cents.I’m lactose intolerant.”To strangers: Instead of judging, offer encouragement.To parents: You’re doing great. Even on the messy days. Especially on the messy days.
