Nicole is a first time mother caring for her baby, Auden, who has a disability. She discusses the challenges of caring for a baby with special needs, like using a special bottle to feed him. Nicole also works as a waitress to support her family, but finds parenting stressful with less time to cook or clean. She accepts help from her family like babysitting from her mother. Nicole still makes time for family and enjoys nights out when possible despite her new responsibilities as a mother.

1. A FIRST TIME MOM
Charlene Ellis
Cultural Anthropology 101

2. Family Time
Just like any other mother Nicole bonds
with her child.
“Every day I am bonding more and more
with him. I love it, I am learning new
things about his personality and
watching him grow all the time.”

3. Taking care of the baby
Taking care of a baby can
get pretty stressful, but
taking care of one with a
disability adds even more
stress on top of that.
“Feeding my baby, Auden,
can get pretty frustrating
because I have to use a
special bottle to feed him.
He can’t suck on the bottle
himself so I have to
squeeze the milk into his
mouth for him. But a dirty
diaper, is a dirty diaper,
and in that department he
is just the same as any
other baby”

4. Waiting Rooms
Nicole has to make trips to the Children's Hospital
in Los Angeles once a week because her baby
was born with a disability.
“It is pretty inconvenient having to take
him into the hospital every week, but I
know that it’s for the best in the long run
and am more than willing to do it.”

5. Chores
Nicole not only takes care of her baby she
also takes care of household responsibilities.
“I used to clean my apartment in no time at all, but
now it takes me hours! I never knew that it would
take me hours to clean my studio apartment!”

6. Work
Nicole works as a waitress at IHOP to
help support herself and her baby.
“Working as a waitress is a minimum wage
job, but the tips really help so I am grateful for
that. I really love the regular customers who
come in and who I have developed
relationships with. A few of my customers
gave me multiple gifts for the baby before he
was born!”

7. Dinner Time
Nicole has noticed a change in eating
habits ever since Auden was born.
“I have never ate so much microwave
food in my life. I used to love to cook home
cooked meals, but now I just don’t have
the time!”

8. Animal lover
Nicole has both a kitten and a puppy
that she loves
“I'm an animal lover, and some people
think I'm crazy to have a baby, a kitten, and
a puppy all at the same time, but my
animals bring me so much joy! And they are
good for relaxing to.”

9. Night life
Even though she has had a baby, Nicole
still enjoys a night out when she can.
“Even though I don’t party any more like I
used to, and I don’t plan on going back to
those ways, I still do like to go out and enjoy
myself with family and friends!”

10. Grandmas help
Nicole accepts the help from her family
when she needs it.
“Babies are a lot of work, and my mother has
really helped me out with baby sitting when I
need her, or when I just need to relax. I don’t
know how she did it with four kids though,
hopefully some one was there to help her!”

11. Family Time
Nicole's older sister recently had a baby as well.
And Nicole still finds time to bond with her niece,
and the cousins get to bond as well.
“Family is extremely important to me,
and I love how my sister and I had
babies so close in age, we are both first
time moms and we get to experience
new mommy things together all the time.
It has really brought us closer. I love
spending time with my niece and I love
that my niece and my son can bond
“together as well.