It’s time for another instalment of our From Our Families series…, where we meet some of the parents using Onoco and see how they’re using the app on their individual journeys! Today, we’d like to introduce you to Emily and Nate.
Thanks so much for speaking to us today; could you give us a quick introduction to your family?
Hello! My name is Emily, I am a practicing marriage and family therapist. I'm married to my wonderful husband Nate, who works as an autobody technician at a shop that focuses on restorations. We have been together for 6.5 years, and married for almost 3 years. In September 2024 we were blessed with our beautiful baby girl, Dylyn. We also have two springer spaniels, Millie (4) and Milo (3). Our little home is definitely full of chaos but we love it and wouldn't have it any other way! What's one thing you wish someone had told you before having kids?
It's hard to even try to explain, so I understand why no one was able to warn me, but I wish someone would have tried to tell me about the intense happiness and sadness you feel as your baby gets bigger. You're so happy and proud of them for reaching each milestone. Yet at the same time, each milestone is like another step away from how little they were when you first brought them home. Like, it's so exciting when they do something new for the first time, but it's also a reminder that they will never be this little ever again. How long have you been using the app, and how has it helped you?
When I worked in a daycare, we used an app to track the babies’ diaper changes, bottles, naps, etc. and would send home the report daily after the babies got picked up. I found this super helpful and knew that I would want something similar for myself when I had my own babies. As my due date approached, I looked for app recommendations from a few different mom groups on Facebook that I am a part of. I got a handful of different app recommendations and decided to try them all. We ultimately decided that Onoco was the best fit for us. So we have basically been using the app since we brought Dylyn home from the hospital!
One of the main reasons we went with Onoco was because I wanted my husband to be able to use the app. I didn’t want to be 100% responsible for tracking Dylyn’s day- especially if I was going to take a nap while Nate watched her. So it was important to me that we could share that responsibility. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that we could share our account with our nanny, so she is able to use it during the day too! This gives me some peace of mind when I’m at work- knowing that I can check in and see how much she’s eating and sleeping, just knowing that she’s being taken care of :)
Onoco has been so helpful in taking a big part of the mental load off my shoulders. We use the app religiously, so I don’t have to remember the exact last time I fed Dylyn or how long she’s been awake, I can just look at the app! Also, I can use the app during doctor appointments- I can look back on her patterns/stats to get the most accurate information, rather than relying on my memory or guessing.
Who is in your "family village"?
There are a ton of people in our village! We both have very supportive parents/families who want to be involved. We have several friends and coworkers who are part of our village as well.
Tell us a funny story from your parenting experience. We bet there were loads!
Probably one of the funniest stories we have to date is from Dylyn’s first time painting pumpkins in October 2024. I was holding her while Nate painted her foot and then pressed the pumpkin to her foot (we were painting ghosts using her upside-down footprint). Dylyn let out the longest, juiciest fart EVER. After she did it the second time, we realized she was pooping. She let out a few more grunts as she finished her bowel movement, and we realized we should probably check to make sure that it wasn’t leaking out… it was. We use cloth diapers, and decided with her last diaper change to loosen the diaper a little more (just one snap bigger) which we later realized was a mistake. It leaked out the side/leg of the diaper and was dripping on the floor. It was definitely the hardest I had laughed since she had been born.
What does being a good parent mean to you?
I think it's hard to define being a good parent. There's already a lot of pressure on parents to be perfect, but I think it's important to know that you're always still learning. Kids definitely don't come with instructions, and everyone is going to make mistakes. So to me, I think being a good parent means that you're willing to learn from your mistakes. I think a good parent is someone who is able to be flexible with their expectations, and also tries to focus more on the positives than the negatives.
What would you say to anyone considering downloading Onoco?
Do it! This app is so easy to use and convenient! It has so many helpful features, it offers some peace of mind when baby is at daycare, and it eases the mental load! I couldn't recommend this app more. Definitely 5 stars!
And finally, we love to finish on a fun one – how would you describe your life or your family life with one movie or song?
Right now, I think that the first verse of “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” by Darius Rucker pretty much sums up our current family life
Thanks so much to Emily for sharing her experience!
If you’re an Onoco user and would like to share your story with us, please get in touch - and if you're not, now's the time to download! Simply visit the App Store or Google Play.