Parenting Philosophy - Part I

I know I have been a parent less than two months. So what am I doing creating a parenting philosophy? This is part one because I'm sure my approach will change greatly over the next several months and years. I will have to wait a lifetime to see if this philosophy actually works. But I wanted to put down a few words about life as a parent of a newborn while Mina's first month is still fresh in my mind. Maybe I can help save myself some frustration the next time around.
For nine months of pregnancy, I was deluded with information on how to raise a baby. Part of this was my own doing as I read several articles that popped up on my facebook news feed. We had two books. One was the Baby Owner's Manual which is a lighthearted book set up like a user's manual for a car (complete with parts list and limited warranty) that actually has some very useful information on what to expect and how to deal with problems. My mom got me the Babywise book - a later edition the same book she read before I was born which explains how to put your infant on a parent-directed schedule to help her sleep through the night and keep baby and parent happy. It was very different than much of what I read online which suggested I feed my baby whenever she was fussy and not expect her to sleep through the night until 6 months at least. For slightly selfish reasons I started out determined to follow the Babywise method (sleeping through the night at eight weeks, yes please!). I figured it couldn't harm my baby seeing as I turned out alright (I like to think I turned out pretty well actually).
At first, it worked out great. But then Mina stopped sleeping all day. The feed-wake-sleep routine of Babywise wasn't working because  my baby wouldn't sleep without a full tummy. If she didn't sleep, she got overtired and eventually fussy which also made me overtired and fussy. I was angry that she wanted to eat so much since that took all of my time away. Then something happened. I realized neither of us were happy. The Babywise routine wasn't exactly working but I didn't want to through it and my prospect of a full night's sleep out quite yet. So I made it work for us. I thought Mina might be happier if she ate when she woke up and before she went back to sleep. I tried it and the result was longer naps and more time to myself. I started taking showers at night after Ben gets home and after Mina's "personal fussy time" since this is when I'm most exhausted and could really use a nice, hot shower. An amazing thing happened. As I grew happier so did my baby and vice versa. Mina is a week shy of 2 months. I am still getting very little time to myself but she is sleeping seven hours at night and the whole family is happy and healthy. I attribute this mostly to the grace of God, an even-tempered baby, and a very loving husband who is also a phenomenal dad. But I have learned some things that I've used to help us get to this place.
First, books and articles are great. So many people have done this journey of parenting before and have already learned many things. You can gain a lot from these resources. However, not only is every baby different but so is every family. No one can say what will work for you. But my biggest realization has been that baby's happiness doesn't come first. Before you all get angry and call me a terrible parent, let me explain. I've found that our family can't function as a pyramid with Mina and her needs at the top; It has to be a circle. It works best when everyone is happy. I remember one particularly difficult night when Ben came home to both mom and baby crying. I handed him Mina and a bottle and said I was taking a shower and going to bed. When I woke up to feed Mina during the night, I felt amazing. I was well-rested and happy. As a result, I didn't try to rush Mina through her feeding and I held her sitting up after to help with reflux. Both of us were happier. So what is my parenting philosophy at almost two months? Find something that works for you because if you are happy and healthy, chances are it will be easier to keep your baby that way too.