Hope you are having a great week! This Saturday I officially turn 34! It’s an extra special birthday because baby girl will be arriving shortly after. This is the first birthday I have had where I am pregnant. Last pregnancy we conceived Jayden around my 26th birthday. He was quite a birthday surprise! But exactly what we needed. So thankful for these two birthday blessings God has given me. For my first pregnancy I didn’t appreciate my body as I should have. It wasn’t after experiencing two pregnancy losses did I truly appreciate the gift it was to carry life into this world. So for this birthday I wanted to share these beautiful 34th birthday maternity photoshoot my friend Eliana at Gem Galleries took for me in my third trimester.
I love these modern studio style maternity photos! They were definitely out of my comfort zone but love how they turned out! As I get older I find myself appreciating my body more and more as I know it is only getting older. God gave us one body and we have to treat it like the temple that it is and never take for granted the gift of life that it gives us and sustains us. In my thirties I have seen more and more women go through cancer scares, miscarriages, and even unexpected loss. It could happen to any of us, but all we can do is appreciate what we are given today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but today we will celebrate life for all that it is.
Looking back at these photos even though it was only a couple weeks ago I am so thankful I took these when I did. Because now as I get closer to my due date it is definitely getting harder and harder with my swollen ankles, stretch marks, and acid reflux. But these photos will be a constant reminder of the beauty of pregnancy even in the thick of it when our body goes through so many changes. So to all my mommas second guessing if they should take maternity photos, do it. Because you never know if it will be your last. These nine months go faster than you think.
I hope you enjoyed this post and my 34th birthday maternity photoshoot. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! Today I wanted to share these beautiful maternity photos I took before my baby shower, and share my thoughts on overcoming fear and anxiety during pregnancy, especially after experiencing pregnancy loss prior to this pregnancy. It’s definitely something I battle with everyday. Making it to my third trimester is something to be celebrated. Read more below on what has helped me overcome fear and anxiety during pregnancy.
Overcoming Fear and Anxiety During Pregnancy
With this pregnancy versus my first I have taken advantage of all the fun maternity photoshoots because I know I will enjoy these memories to look back to. And more so since I have experienced loss. It’s been a constant battle to not let my fears and anxiety take over and ruin the joys of being pregnant. My first twenty weeks were the hardest. I bought my own personal baby doppler just so I could listen to the baby’s hear beat everyday. It gave me daily reassurance knowing she was still thriving in my belly.
Another thing that helped was sharing my fears and anxiety with my friends and fellow mamas who had experienced the same loss as me, and or were going through the same thing with their pregnancy. I feel like having friends who can relate and confide to helped me so much in calming my fears and anxiety. As much as I loved confiding with my husband, it wasn’t the same as another mom who has been through it.
I also prayed everyday during this pregnancy. I prayed for guidance, reassurance, and also just to thank God for getting me through the day. Knowing that I couldn’t control everything, I had to leave it to God and have faith that whatever happened was for a reason. And that regardless I would be thankful for everything I have been lucky to have so far in this pregnancy. My faith has always been the biggest factor in me getting through some of the hardest things in my life. Faith over fear is my mantra through life. Also being a mom, and having losses has made me stronger as a person. It’s true when they say you never know true strength until you become a mother.
It can be easy to let fear and anxiety ruin such an exciting time in you life. Pregnancy is not easy. There is so much to worry about, and it doesn’t get any easier after having the baby either. But I have found that in order to truly appreciate life, this pregnancy, and all it has to offer I had to stop worrying about the what ifs, the things I couldn’t control. Instead I focused on celebrating the little things, buying baby clothes, having a baby shower, capturing these moments with beautiful maternity shoots, planning a nursery, ect.
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We found this small corner with these gorgeous arched windows and the lighting was just stunning. These maternity photos are a beautiful reminder of everything I have been through. I’m so thankful I was able to capture these. I know I will miss this stage of my pregnancy when it’s over. I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! Today I am sharing what was on my baby registry wish list. As a second time mom there were things I loved and things I would have changed. Also since we are in a smaller rent house storage is limited, so I wanted to make sure to get only things I really needed or that could easily be folded up and put away. Check out my baby registry wish list below!
BABY REGISTRY WISH LIST
BABY GEAR
For baby gear these were some of my must have essentials. I had so many recommendations about these items that I wish I had during my previous pregnancy. I can’t wait to try these out and I’ll give you a full review once baby comes and a can use these items.
TRANSPORTATION
For transportation there are some items that were a splurge, but definitely worth it in my book. One of them being the Doona travel stroller. It is easy and convenient to travel with baby as an all in one stroller/car seat. I remember how hard it was for me to push a big stroller or even carry a car seat with a baby. Doona Stroller is compact and versatile.
I also opted to get a bassinet egg chair stroller separately for strolling around town. I know it can be a splurge, but having two different travel systems that specialize in different things was something I wanted as a second time mom. However there are less expensive stroller systems that are all in one, if you prefer just one travel system.
CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES
Loving these coordinated sets from Copper Pearl. You can get your bed sheets, burp cloths, towels, and baby clothes to all match or coordinate with the same pattern.
FEEDING
If you are breast feeding or pumping I love Bodily Nursing Bras and Breastfeeding Kit. They have great products specifically made for moms!
BATH TIME
I love this matching hooded towel and wash cloth set from LouLou Lollipop. They have the cutest designs to choose from for bath time!
DIAPERING
For this section I really liked the idea of having portable changing pads so we weren’t restricted to one place. We also got this diaper organizer that we could transfer from room to room since baby will mostly be in our room for at least the first couple months.
NURSERY & DECOR
For the nursery we asked for things that we knew wanted to decorate for baby girl. You can see our Nursery Inspiration here. I am so excited to see everything put together.
HEALTH & SAFETY
I love these newborn essential kits. I never knew about this for my first, but this would have been such a nice gift idea.
TOYS
With newborns you don’t really need a lot of toys, so I only asked for a few items that baby girl could use.
We are so thankful for everyone who came to our shower and showered baby girl. I can’t wait to use these items we got from our shower, and we will definitely be doing a review of items we loved, used, or didn’t love once baby comes. I hope this gives you an idea if you are expecting of things to add to your registry. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! This week I officially hit 30 weeks, and I am sharing a 30 week pregnancy update with you. Can’t believe we are in the third trimester already. I’m soaking in every moment and thankful for every week baby girl continues to grow healthy in my belly. You aren’t going to believe how much she’s grown since her 20 week scan. I’m sharing more of her progress plus her 3-D ultrasound below!
A couple weeks ago I had a 28 week scan for baby girl and to see if my placenta had moved up. My placenta had moved up so thankfully we didn’t have to worry about having to have a C-section, and she was already in a head down position. They also said she jumped from 60% to 75% in growth, and I was measuring a week early!
The doctor also said I had to cut down on my sugar and carbs intake because her belly was in the 90% and she was getting big. They were worried about me having Gestational Diabetes. But thankfully after taking the horrendous three hour test I was ruled not to have it. I didn’t have it with Jayden and thankfully I don’t have it with her. I can’t help it if baby girl loves her sweets and carbs. She is just like her momma.
I can’t get over these cute 3-D ultrasounds of baby girl. Look at that smile and those chunky cheeks! I can’t wait to kiss them and finally hold her. These ten weeks are going to fly by, that’s if I even make it that far. I have a feeling she might come early, but you never know. Jayden almost came a week late!
We finally started her nursery after having our baby shower a couple weeks ago. You can see the full recap of my dream shower here! My dad got us the most gorgeous metal crib and all we are waiting on is our glider and dresser for the nursery. I’m having so much fun decorating her nursery. You can see my nursery inspiration here. We’ve changed it a bit, so you will have to stay tuned for the full nursery reveal!
If you follow my Instagram you can see some of the baby essentials I have bought or gotten from my registry. I will be doing a blog post soon on my baby must haves and registry wish list. Check out these cute yellow baby outfits I got baby girl! I can’t wait to share more baby fashion style with ya’ll soon!
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So thankful and feeling blessed to be able to share my pregnancy journey with ya’ll, especially after experiencing loss. I hope you enjoyed this quick 30 Week Pregnancy Update. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! Today I am so excited to finally share the details of my Baby in Bloom baby shower. If you are following my Instagram then you might have seen sneak peaks from this post! It was a dream come true and more than I could have ever imagined. So thankful for all my family and friends who came and showered baby girl with love. Seven years ago when I had Jayden I didn’t get to have the shower of my dreams. Jayden was a surprise and we were not near as prepared as we are for this one. I knew one day when I had a girl I wanted a shower like this. So thankful for my friends and family who made my dream come true. Check out all the details of my baby shower below!
BABY IN BLOOM BABY SHOWER
I had my baby shower at the Primavera room at the Grove in Houston. I loved the space because of all the beautiful windows and trees! So much natural light! For my welcome sign and the other signage I had throughout my baby shower, including my menus were from Zazzle. There were so many designs to choose from and you can easily make it online and order it to be delivered. This balloon garlandI made myself for under $16.
For our table arrangements I bought these white chair covers to cover the black chairs that were included in the room. We also made our own balloon tower center pieces with the faux silk flowers to save money on cost. They turned out prettier than I expected!
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For favors for our guest my friend/ co-hostess Alley got these cute champagne bottles from One Hope and we gifted little macaroons for guest to take home. It was the perfect touch!
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For the main center backdrop I hired party decorator Grace and Co. to create this beautiful backdrop and floral balloon garland. It was stunning and went perfectly with our Baby in Bloom shower theme. I bought the silk flowers to decorate my white peacock chair and the balloon garland. I loved the idea that I can reuse these again for another party.
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For the gifting table I bought this flower wall to put as a backdrop. I also got this diaper raffle kit so we could have a diaper raffle for our shower. These gold frames came in a pack of six and were perfect for the signage and for framing baby girl’s 3-D photos. She looks so precious! I can’t wait to meet her!
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The dessert cart was probably my favorite part of my shower. My friend Nicole who was also one of the co-hostesses went above and beyond with the desserts. We made a cart with all my favorite cravings, from macaroons, to donuts, and it was a hit. Guest brought were able to bring home something a little extra sweet home too.
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So this cake deserves it’s own paragraph because of how amazing it is. Have you seen anything so beautiful? It’s like a work of art. This cake was made by Karen a local baker of Butter Baby Bakery. I love her designs, and not only are her cakes gorgeous but it taste amazing. Another thing I love is how she infuses Filipino flavors into her cake. I ordered the pandan and ube flavor and it was a hit! She even made my Gender Reveal cake too!
Another fun detail of my baby shower was our “Momosas” we offered our guest. It was a hit for all the moms needing a little extra to treat themselves while they were kid free.
Last but not least was the food. We had a set menu that our guest could choose from and the Grove knocked it out of the ball park with their dishes. From the appetizers, to the main course our guest were able to enjoy a wonderful sit down lunch for my shower.
So thankful for these three of my friends above who went above and beyond to cohost my shower. Yash my photographer is pictured on the left, and Nicole and Alley were my hostesses on the right. I couldn’t have asked for a better team by myside!
So incredibly thankful for my family who came to my baby shower.
Look at all these gorgeous ladies and gents! Lucky to call them my friends, and so incredibly thankful for their love and support for baby girl!
Last but not least an extra thanks to my wonderful hubby who spared no expense to make my dream shower come true. Plus he was there to help set up early while I got my hair and make up done and was the only gentleman outside of Yash to help the shower run smoothly.
Yash was able to get these shots of us outside the restaurant in the garden. It was such a beautiful day and you could see all the flowers blooming for spring!
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I hope you enjoyed this post with all the details of my Baby in Bloom baby shower. It was truly a dream come true. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! Now that I am officially in the third trimester I wanted to round up some of my favorite non maternity second trimester bump friendly outfits I have worn through my pregnancy. I love the fact that I can wear these looks during and after pregnancy. Check them out below and let me know which is your favorite!
Second Trimester Bump Friendly Outfits
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Which one of the second trimester bump friendly outfits I shared was your favorite? Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! Today I wanted to share this gorgeous beach photoshoot we did in Hawaii two months ago at Kahana Bay Beach. If you are looking for a local beach that is hidden and not so crowded with tourist with the best views of the mountains visit Kahana Bay Beach in North Shore, Hawaii. They even have a pretty beach swing! Check out more of this beautiful beach below!
This Haku Lei is from Sweet Blossoms in Waikiki. The florist is the sweetest and makes the most beautiful custom leis! If you are in Oahu, Hawaii you definitely have to check this beach out. Thanks for stopping by!
Check out our Oahu, Hawaii family travel guide here!
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Can you believe it? It’s officially spring! I feel like this year is flying by! Today I wanted to share some of my favorite yellow spring dresses with ya’ll. Yellow is my favorite color so I love that there are so many cute options this year. Best part is they are bump friendly too! I am wearing my normal size in these dresses, which means I can wear them after pregnancy too! Check out these dresses and let me know which one is your favorite!
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I wore this yellow spring dress to a friends birthday off the shoulder with heels in this look here. But as you can see it is very versatile and can be worn for a more casual beachy look with these pearl sandals like pictured above. This is one of my favorite spring dresses that has grown with me through my pregnancy!
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This eyelet dress is another cute spring dress, though not technically yellow, I had to throw it in here because it’s so cute! I wore this to the rodeo in this look here with white boots. Which style do you like better, boots or heels?
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Another one of my favorite yellow spring dresses is this pretty puff sleeve floral maxi. It’s so feminine and flowy and grows with my bump. I can’t wait to find a matching dress to match baby girl in.
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Last but not least is this comfy yellow everyday maxi, It is so soft and perfect for the beach or running errands in. Which yellow spring dress outfit is your favorite?
Hope you are having a great week! Today I am sharing a full review and travel guide of our stay atFinest Punta Cana. Last year we did a fun family trip to Finest Playa Mujeres and were beyond impressed with everything on our stay there, that we decided to visit the newest Finest All Inclusive Resort for All Ages in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This time we decided to take advantage of their adult only section by booking a babymoon with just me and the hubs. Check out our suite, what we did, where we ate, and everything you need to know about visiting Finest Punta Cana below!
Getting To Finest Punta Cana:
From Houston we took two separate flights to get to Punta Cana. We had a stop in Miami before heading to our final destination. Our flights were only two hours long so it wasn’t too long for this pregnant mama. From their we took a private car provided by Seasons Tours at Finest Punta Cana to the resort. You can book through the resort to have someone pick you up from the airport and take you to the hotel. The drive was less than 40 minutes long.
The one thing we almost forgot to do that is required before entering the country is filling out the entry form. It is something required outside of any specific COVID requirements, and similar to most foreign countries you visit.
Private Pool Suite:
During our stay we stayed in the Excellence Club junior suite with the private pool. What I love about our suite was it was in the adult only side next to the adult only pool and steps from the beach. Last year when we stayed atFinest Playa Mujereswe brought Jayden and we were at a Finest Club category suite, which is the upgraded family friendly side of the resort and was very nice too!
Our suite was equipped with everything, a jacuzzi, a large walk in closet, robes and slippers, and a huge waterfall shower. It had all the amenities from top shelf liquor, a full mini bar with snacks, and even toiletries in case you forgot to pack yours. Our bedroom was very spacious with it’s own seating area and the beds were so comfy. I never wanted to leave our room, let alone our bed! They came everyday to tidy up our room, and every night for turn down service which was the perfect touch when coming home from dinner. I can only wish this was something I could have in everyday life.
Finest Punta Cana thought of every detail you could imagine when it came to their suite. I never wanted to leave. And as a preggo momma it was exactly everything I could ask for, including the amazing room service!
Resort Grounds:
I said this before at our previous stay atFinest Playa Mujeresand I will say this again, I have never been to a resort as immaculately kept up as Finest Resorts. The landscaping, the rooms, the pools, the restaurants, and common areas are so clean and well taken care of. You can tell they have a lot of pride in their resort and it shows. I can be a little OCD about certain things especially traveling pregnant during COVID, and I not once had any anxiety over the cleanliness of things at Finest Punta Cana.
A special addition to this resort are the cute flamingos!
We might not have spent our time in the family friendly area, but we did walk through it and let’s just say they out did themselves! I loved all their play grounds, their kid friendly pools, and even their kid friendly playrooms at restaurants to keep the kiddos entertained! It made me kind of sad I didn’t bring Jayden this time around, because I know he would have loved it!
How beautiful is their adult only pool that over looks the beautiful ocean and beach! I love the design and swim up bar and pool beds. They had a fun activity every day so you never get bored! I especially loved the live music from the saxophonist to the violinist. I could hear them from our suite and it was the most soothing music, perfect for those afternoon naps.
ONE SPA:
Not going to lie, this might have been my favorite thing about the resort. I would highly recommend if you are going to book a spa treatment at their Spa. This was the most luxurious spa I had ever went to. I wish I could have spent the whole day here. My husband did the hydrotherapy and I did the mama to be massage treatment. It was the best massage I had ever gotten and I would 100% recommend! Plus you are really getting five star treatment there and you never feel rushed because you are on vacation so it’s even more relaxing!
RESTAURANTS:
Ok, I lie, the food might be my favorite thing about this resort! It’s honestly so hard to choose a favorite thing because everything is impeccably done! I don’t think I had one bad meal while we were there, and it felt like you were dining at a five star restaurant every night! There are probably around ten different dining restaurants to choose from. You can check their app to see which one is open on which night, so it’s good to plan ahead. Unless you stayed there a whole week it would be hard to go to every single restaurant. There are so many different choices and variety. It was hard to choose a favorite. All I can say is if you can try it all, you won’t be disappointed. The food is fresh and delicious!
One of my favorite part about the resort is their smoothie bar. You can get an endless amount of healthy juices, smoothies, and my favorite coconut water! I had it three times a day, it was so good and fresh!
Ya’ll how amazing was this breakfast we got for room service at our hotel? If you are having a lazy day you honestly never have to leave your hotel to get good food!
THE BEACH:
I loved the beach at Finest Punta Cana. It is beautiful and well kept. The food and drink service is very convenient. We could have stayed out there all day! They also offer beach massages, and other beach activities like boating, and parasailing.
COVID & Safety
Safety wise the resort is gated and security guards at the gates that only allow registered guest of the resort onto their property. It was the same way in Playa Mujeres, and we felt very safe during our whole stay there. Honestly we didn’t worry about our safety at all while we were there.
As far as COVID precautions go. Everything is very clean and sanitized. Workers wear face coverings, and testing is done at the resort. We didn’t have to wait in lines or make a reservation and we got our test results that day. Entering the country you do not need to get a COVID test or have a vaccine card. However they do randomly ask or do random temperature checks.
I can’t say enough great things about Finest Punta Cana. It was one the best resorts we have ever been to next to their second location at Playa Mujeres. Finest resorts is one of a kind, and I would 100% recommend going if you are planning a trip. You have everything you need in one place, so you never have to leave! I wish I didn’t have to leave! But I will be planning my next trip there soon, maybe next year as a family of four! I hope you enjoyed this travel review of Finest Punta Cana. Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you are having a great week! Today I wanted to share three ways to style this bump friendly white button down shirt dress. It’s officially spring break here for us so we’ve been busy at home. If you follow along on Instagram then you know what big changes we had this past weekend. I’ll be sending a full recap if you missed it on my newsletter this week, so if you haven’t subscribed make sure you do so you don’t miss out! Until then check out this versatile button down shirt dress and how I styled it three different ways. Scroll down and let me know which one is your favorite!
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For the first look, I went for a Clueless Cher vibe with the yellow accents. Some say it gives Blair from Gossip girls vibes, but I’m an eighty’s baby so Cher from Clueless will always be one of my favorite style icons. I got this sweater vest and button down dress for a steal under $20! The vest is a great way to accessorize this basic button dress, and coordinates with my favorite yellow beaded head band. Check out this houndstooth vest and green argyle vest that also make great vest options!
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The next look is another vest option with this leopard print vest. If you don’t like heels these Chanel espadrilles are a great comfy alternative. I found these similar espadrilles for half the price! I’m a big fan of mixing high and low items to create a look, and with the right accessories you can really make an outfit stand out!
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Last but not least as we head into spring a simple braided sandals with this white button down shirt dress is another great way to style this dress. I found these Amazon dupes to my Schutz sandals for half the price!
A white button down shirt dress is a great everyday staple to your spring wardrobe that can be styled many ways. Which style is your favorite?
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Hope you are having a great week! Today I am rounding up my favorite bump friendly bikini sets with you for under $25. With this pregnancy I have been shopping on a budget because I know things may not fit me in the next month. But these bikinis are bump friendly since most of them have adjustable ties. However, I do suggest sizing up one size for some of these because not only has my bump grown but so has my breast. And if you want more coverage up there definitely size up! Check these styles below and let me know which one is your favorite!
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These bump friendly bikini sets under $25 are such a great find and great quality too. I can definitely see myself wearing these after this pregnancy as well. If you are looking for budget friendly bikinis for spring break definitely check these out. Which style is your favorite?
I hope you enjoyed this roundup. Thanks for stopping by!
Check out our recent Oahu, Hawaii family travel guide here!
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Hope you had a great weekend! The Rodeo is officially here in Houston and I’m here to share these cute knee high white cowgirl boots and how I styled them in two different looks! I love these boots for spring and they are great to wear outside of the rodeo too. Plus they are under $50 and great value. Check out these outfits below!
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For the first look I paired this denim dress with these white cowgirl boots. Nothing says country rodeo like denim and boots. This dress is super comfy and loose fitting so fits perfect over my growing bump.
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For this next look, I did a more casual look with this drawstring hoody dress for under $20. This outfit is great if you want to be hands free with this Gucci belt bag. Plus it’s the perfect small bag to bring to concert venues that limit certain size bags.
White cowgirl boots are definitely trending for spring and will become a staple in your closet with you are going to the rodeo or not. Do you see yourself adding white cowgirl boots to your spring wardrobe? I hope you enjoyed these looks. Thanks for stopping by!
Check out this cute rodeo outfit inspiration with this $10 asymmetrical dress!
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Hi friends,
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