The secret to a show stopping nursery. . .

For the first time in a very long time I actually got a full night sleep last night. This morning I am waking up so refreshed and ready to tackle the day. At this point in the pregnancy, I never thought that would happen. A girlfriend of mine told me about hypno birthing meditations for sleeping. To my complete surprise, it actually worked! You have got to give them a look on YouTube.

Anyway, I have also been told that for the first few months of baby, he will probably sleeping in the bassinet next to my bed. So I still haven't really put a full nursery together for my baby. I am still deciding on what room, how will things fit, etc. I have a little corner in a guest bedroom for his changing table and things but I haven't really done any big decorating yet. Then I came across this amazing resource, Urban Walls.

Hello temporary wallpaper and removable decals! The perfect thing for a temporary nursery. Now, I am obsessed and can't decide which one I want! The decals are just perfect for any nursery, to give a little enhancement without having to makeover the entire space. 

Midnight large star decals

Gold palm leaf decal

Golden twinkle stars

Irregular dot pattern

I find that so many people out there hesitate to do anything permanent with their walls when they are renting. Sometimes landlords won't even allow you to paint, which is a total bummer. So these decals or removable wallpapers are perfect for this situation. Look at these adorable apartment looks. . .

I think this watercolor wallpaper is gorgeous. Having removable wallpaper takes the anxiety out of making a bold statement on the walls. I fully support this move! 

SHOP URBAN WALLS: 

Blissful Belly (part 1) . . .Because each blissful week, makes all the difference

...and here we have it guys. I am 38 weeks into my pregnancy and only two weeks to go till my baby boy should make his debut in this world. I'm eating everything in sight and getting as much sleep as possible, as they say to do. As I sit and reflect on that last 9 months of my life, I can't believe the journey. It wasn't anything I expected. It truly feels almost as if it went by way too fast. I can't help but already want to do it all over again. I know that sounds crazy but I truly have enjoyed my pregnancy. 

To be honest with you, I was sort of expecting to have a horrible pregnancy, from all the stories I was told and because my body is sort of similar to Kim Kardashian...I thought for sure I would blow up to where I wouldn't even recognize myself. None of the things I thought would happen, happened. It actually has been an entirely different experience than I thought. So, I kind of wanted to write a post for you guys where I could share what really happens during pregnancy. At least in my experience. AND WHY, IT IS SO SO SO IMPORTANT to make BLISS a top priority. 

WHY BLISS? Because pregnancy is a roller coaster and if you allow it to, it can actually be the most incredibly spiritual experience of your life. An experience that changes you and makes you into the woman that you are meant to be! So, you will need the blissful moments to support you during your emotional, hormonal and mental changes. And as for the body changes, I honestly thought I would judge and hate my body as it grew and got fatter and fatter (I had some choice moments), but this has been a time I have fallen more in love with my body than ever. I'm even more excited for my body after baby, too. 

When pregnant, you count your life by the week, 21 weeks, 32 weeks, etc. So, I made a point to really cherish and celebrate each week in a blissful way. A blissful week, makes all the difference. 

My favorite app is the What to Expect app. I encourage you to download it asap. It gives you a lot of great advice and you don't have to go searching for what you experience each week, its all right there for you. I decided NOT to read books about pregnancy, I only read a few that I really loved. Feng Shui Mommy was a favorite and so was Skinny Bitch, Bun in the Oven. Other than that I really wanted to just experience things on my own because during this time, I was highly sensitive. 

I, unfortunately, had a LOT of encounters with people in my life who were very negative about my pregnancy. In fact, there are some family members who I don't even speak to. Sure, they probably wouldn't come out and say it was my pregnancy that made them upset or uncomfortable but...it just so happened that once I told them the news, they began treating me differently. Jealousy, resentments, control, manipulation, I got the brunt of a lot of it. It's embarrassing to admit that I have family that could be that petty, but I do. 

However, I knew for me, that I needed to surround myself with only people who were positive, happy and drama free. Once I finally allowed some people to step away from my life and made effort to spend more time with the happy ones, things got WAY more blissful. Your emotions are all over the place during this time so it is SO important to make sure you guard yourself. Say NO to others and say YES to yourself and your beautiful growing baby! 

This whole thing goes by way too fast. I'm sure especially because it is my first pregnancy and I just didn't know what to expect. In my first trimester, some days I was so tired and sick feeling, I just wanted the day to end. I had a rough first 3 months. Around 2 pm everyday, I needed a nap and felt like I was going to throw up every few minutes. I wanted to quit life. There were only a few things that got me through this period...

I ate Altoids like they were skittles. I put drops of Peppermint oil under my tongue when nausea would hit me. I got this pregnancy pillow to comfort me during my afternoon naps and I still sleep with it every single night. I allowed myself to binge watch anything I wanted, whenever I wanted on Hulu & Netflix without ANY judgement. I couldn't stand the smell of ANYTHING, so I created my own fragrances with essential oils and I had diffusers like this around the house burning all the time. My boobs were the first to grow, so I purchased bra extenders because shopping for maternity bras was a nightmare for me, I just wasn't ready for the shift. 

As much as you will want to run to all the people around you who have been pregnant, just don't. People will share with you some really discouraging stories, don't buy into it. Each woman has a completely unique pregnancy and no pregnancies are alike. You are going to see, you get your own experience. So I really encourage you to tune into YOU. 

The best advice I ever received during my pregnancy was to NOT GOOGLE OR SEARCH ONLINE FOR ANYTHING. I learned that in order to treat my body the best I could to support a healthy pregnancy, I needed to tune into my body, my self and my heart. I learned that I am the only one who knows what my body needs. 

Listening to opinions and negative stories from other women was a big "no, no" for me. During pregnancy, I was on the watch list for depression while pregnant. My doctor sent me to the resident therapist at the hospital. Apparently my anxiety and fears from listening to too many stories was getting the best of me. I have not typically ever dealt with depression so it was a huge shock to me. I cried a LOT! All I needed was that one chat with the therapist who told me to just stop listening to other people. For me, it was that simple to rid myself of those anxieties. 

I decided to make this pregnancy a time for myself, to fully enjoy and embrace anything and everything that comes with it. Good or bad. I spent so much time really thinking about myself, my childhood, my life and reflecting on what kind of parent I want to be. I took a couple of self development courses during this time because one of my biggest worries was being a good parent. I really opened myself up to God and Spirit to show me anything I needed to know. AND I journaled my heart out. 

The process of all the spiritual growth changed me completely. The person I was when I got pregnant is completely different than who I am today. Being fully present, not going out too much socially, not drinking champagne, not spending money on things that don't matter...all made me see a different side of myself and the things that really light me up at a soul level. It's interesting who you become when your priorities change. This is what I poured into my book, The Blissful Living Journal. I share all the things I've used to align myself with the greatest version of who I really am and who I really want to be. 

Let me not forget to add, anger & rage are part of the experience, too. There are some days you will just have a flood of negative emotions just wash over you and you almost don't even recognize yourself. Don't fight those feelings. Tap into them. I learned this through pregnancy, working with your negative emotions instead of against them makes you more connected to your inner self in a deeply beautiful way. In the Blissful Living Journal, I give you prompts with how to work with your negative and emotional triggers, so that you can ride them like waves to your happier feelings. For me, this was a must during pregnancy or someone might have gotten hurt. heehee. just kidding. 

Everyone told me they thought I was having a girl. Even looking up on some woo woo Chinese calendar said I would have a girl. Intuitive people would say they felt I had baby girl energy. I was craving chocolate cake every morning. I was totally convinced I was having a girl. Then I got the call after my blood test, IT'S A BOY!!!!!

Oh my gosh, I was devastated. I thought to myself 'I'm such a girlie girl, what am I going to do with a boy???' I cried for two days. Then all of a sudden, I felt my first kicks in my belly and it was almost like God took all that sadness away from me and I fell so in love with my little boy. I became obsessed with being a boy mom. 

I was all of a sudden bombarded with my friends with boys who love their mom so much and I couldn't wait to have a boy of my own. It's interesting how God naturally changes your heart week by week. When you begin to go into your second trimester, you'll start to get these protective instincts just come to you. It's as if your spirit just naturally learns to be more prepared to have strength for your baby. Take for example my fear of labor and childbirth. I have always been so terrified by the whole thing. For me, it was like one morning I just woke up and felt ready for it. Of course, I am a little nervous about it but the majority of that fear just went away. 

It is truly miraculous how you develop your heart and spirit through pregnancy. Our bodies are meant for this. If we tune into the peace within and go with the flow, it is a beautiful experience. You become such a Wonder Woman. Don't fight the flow. Don't worry or stress yourself. Don't resist your cravings. Those are the things that will block you from all the bliss during this time. 

As your body changes, almost daily, I encourage you to really amp up your self care routines so that you feel good about this wonderful time. Even before I was pregnant, I took great care of myself but once I got pregnant, I noticed I had much more fun with it. I put a little extra into it knowing I may not have all the time in the world for much longer. 

I would buy fresh flowers and put the petals in the bath with lavender bath salts to help me sleep better. I would take these Garden of Life Organic prenatal vitamins which were my absolute favorite. I could feel the difference when I spent a little bit more on these. I stopped feeling the pressure to blow dry my hair and just let it roll out naturally. I put this hair mask in my hair and leave it on overnight and it gives your hair some bounce, fullness and wave. Get yourself a birthing ball, I have become obsessed with mine. As your posture changes, it is really good to sit on this ball while you work or hang out around the house. And you will want to take it with you to labor, too. 

If you need a heating pad for your back, I highly suggest you get one asap. I have at least 3 all around the house because they have been so good to me. I like the XL sized ones. Treat yourself to a prenatal massage at least once every two months and if your insurance provides it, see a physical therapist for things to help support your body changes. For spot pain, which I had in my upper back, I used Salonpas patches and oh my god these were a game changer. Obsessed! 

For most of my pregnancy, I would wake up every morning and go for a 30-45 minute walk. Because pregnancy is such an up and down experience, In the routine, I found so much comfort. I decided to spend the time listening to uplifting and inspiring podcasts. This was such a game changer for me because I would look so forward to my body movement time that it didn't even feel like working out. 

I would also incorporate mantras, affirmations and visualizations into my morning walk. I would visualize a healthy pregnancy and at this point of my pregnancy (38 weeks), I have only gained 21 lbs. I don't have swollen feet, stretch marks, or any of the scary side effects. I truly believe I manifested my blissful pregnancy by slowing down and taking time for me. To get myself through the week, I would pick a new mantra, read a new non-pregnancy book and take a new perspective on the week. Chakra meditations have definitely helped me, too! You can find so many on Youtube, but right now I love this one. 

STAY TUNED for PART 2 of this Blissful Belly post. I'll share more of my must haves and all things pregnancy.