Cori Broadus, daughter of Snoop Dogg, is revealing more about the challenges and joys of being a NICU mom.

More than six months after welcoming her first child with fiancé Wayne Deuce, Broadus is reflecting on her daughter Codi’s strength as she continues to remain hospitalized following her premature birth.

“That girl is so feisty. That’s a feisty girl. She’s so resilient and strong,” Broadus shared exclusively with Usweekly while attending the launch of Choc Factory at Thirteen Lune in Los Angeles.

“She just has so much character. The doctors and nurses always tell me, ‘Your baby got her mind. She’s smart. She’s alert. She knows what’s going on. She can hear. She can see. Yeah, the circumstances are not what you thought they would be, but it could be worse.’ That girl is just a sweet little firecracker.”

Cori and her fiance welcomed their daughter to the world in February, three months before her due date. Per the Mayo Clinic, babies born before 28 weeks are considered extremely preterm and can face health challenges including breathing difficulties, feeding issues, and trouble regulating body temperature.

For Cori, being in the NICU has been an emotional rollercoaster. “The NICU is a different type of experience, just like you gotta know to know, and it’s not an easy place to be but the support is amazing,” she said in honor of NICU Awareness Month. “Sometimes I go in [the NICU] and I can’t stop crying, and I apologize. They’re like, ‘What are you [apologizing] for? This is normal. If you wasn’t crying, we would be worried. We’d be concerned, so just try to just stay close and just keep hope alive.’”

The new mom told the outlet that “hope” is a daily part of life.

“This morning, I had a moment because this baby who got there after I had my baby, she went home today, and I broke down,” she shared on Sept. 13. “Of course I’m happy. I’m ecstatic [for them] but it’s like, ‘Damn! You guys get to go home. Our baby is still here.’ But then it goes back into my faith. You got to trust in God and trust His plan. Everybody’s plan looks a little different. She’s gonna get home. Our journey home just looks a little different than the next baby and so forth.”

The 26-year-old’s faith has helped her navigate life’s challenges, including a stroke at 24 and a lupus diagnosis at six. “What really got me close with God is after I had my stroke. I told him, ‘God, if you get me out of here, I’m gonna tell the world about y’all and tell the world you’re real.’ And He did exactly that. And He gets me through,” she said.

Outside of the NICU, Snoop Dogg’s daughter is building her self-care brand, Choc Factory, designed to empower customers and highlight natural beauty. “When creating this business, I wanted it to be authentic. We created this safe space brand where everybody feels like they have a place where they belong,” she shared.

Looking forward, Broadus said she can’t wait for Codi to come home. “I always say she’s my surprise miracle baby. Doctors told me I could never have a baby. Yet she’s here. She’s so beautiful, and I just love her, and I can’t wait for her to get home,” she added.

Photo Credit: Cori Broadus