I am the proud mom of two healthy, beautiful girls: Rosalia, age 3, and Eliana, who is just 2 months old. Both of my pregnancies were joyful, yet challenging journeys. I also experienced a heartbreaking loss before having Eliana. With both pregnancies, I developed cholestasis—a rare, high-risk liver condition that, if untreated, can increase the risk of stillbirth by 15%. Careful monitoring and early delivery were crucial to keeping my babies safe.
Eliana was scheduled to arrive at 36 weeks and 3 days, but she had other plans. She made her grand entrance on Friday the 13th under a full moon at just 35 weeks and 5 days. Though she was a bit early, she was healthy. She did spend her first three days in the NICU due to her prematurity, and I will forever think of her as my little warrior rainbow baby.
With my first, I discovered the joys of baby-wearing. It was a lifesaver during shopping trips, letting me fill the cart while keeping my baby calm—and keeping curious strangers’ hands away! When I saw a new rainbow ring sling from Maya Wraps on sale, I knew it was perfect for my rainbow baby. It quickly became my favorite carrier—not only beautiful and easy to use, but it even has a convenient pocket for essentials.
Parenting is no easy task! Rosalia is bright, full of energy, and always needing attention. Adding a newborn to the mix can feel overwhelming. I’ve been home with both girls while on maternity leave from my job as an elementary art teacher, often handling errands on my own. My husband works full-time, far from home, and spends weekends making improvements to our house. I was incredibly grateful when he could join us for a recent grocery trip to our local Aldi.
Everything was going smoothly—Ellie in her ring sling, Rose riding in the cart—until an unexpected moment turned our ordinary shopping trip into a funny story. As I steered the cart toward the dairy section, a woman remarked, “Wow, I don’t know how you’re handling that!” I laughed it off, saying, “That’s mom life for ya!”
Later, while loading our groceries at the checkout, the same woman—who had been ahead of us in line—made a startling claim to the cashier: she suggested that my baby was fake and that I was trying to steal yogurts! My husband and I couldn’t help but laugh when the cashier added, “But obviously your baby is definitely real!” After bagging our groceries, I even took a selfie with Ellie in front of an Aldi sign, still laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Once home, I shared the story with my local community on Facebook, writing:
“Well, I don’t usually do ‘To the person who…’ posts, but this one has me cracking up, so here we go: To the lady who told the cashier at Aldi I had a fake baby and was trying to smuggle yogurts out of the store—1) My baby is 100% real. 2) Yogurts are like $.25 at Aldi. 3) I’m lactose intolerant and don’t consume dairy at all. Thank you for the laugh, though. I really needed it because I was up all night tending to my (again, 100% real) baby.”
To strangers: when you see a parent juggling multiple kids, offer encouragement instead of judgment. A smile, a thumbs-up, or even a helping hand can mean the world. And to parents: there will always be misunderstandings or people acting in ignorance. Even when you’re sleep-deprived, overwhelmed, or emotionally drained, try to see the humor and the love in the moment. Parenting is hard, but you’re doing an amazing job. YOU GOT THIS.
