Lifestyle

Our Hospital Birth Story & Baby Name Reveal

By Esperanza on February 14, 2024

Hospital birth, labor & delivery, c-section, birth story, our birth story, newborn baby, newborn, newborn baby, newborn, newborn photography, baby photography, new mom, first time mom, baby boy, lifestyle blogger, Phoenix blogger, The Urban Darling.

At 41 weeks of pregnancy, I still wasn’t dilating or having strong contractions. My doctors wanted me to be induced before 42 weeks, so they scheduled me for an induction on Sunday January 28th at 10 pm at Chandler Regional here in the Phoenix metro. I was disappointed because I really wanted to be able to go into labor naturally, but I was also worried about waiting and any complications that could arise if I did. So my mom and I packed up the car and headed to the hospital with as much positivity as we could muster. I was excited to know that at least we would be leaving with baby boy. Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong with my labor, delivery, and everything that followed after, did… In this blog post I am sharing a recap of our birth story!

What I Packed In My Hospital Bag

By Esperanza on

Pregnancy, maternity, first time mom, first pregnancy, hospital bag, hospital bag checklist, labor & delivery, pregnancy advice, boho nursery, boho chic style, neutral nursery, boy mom, baby boy, boy nursery, neutral desert nursery, nursery design, interior design, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, Dagne Dover.

I thought I would share what I packed in my hospital bag with all the other new moms out there! My momma friend sent me her checklist and I watched some YouTube mom’s videos as well to perfect my hospital bag checklist. Even though I ended up having a C-section, I still used almost everything on this list, except for half the things in my Frida Mom Labor & Delivery Postpartum kit unfortunately. I hope you momma’s find this checklist helpful in those last few weeks while you are getting ready to head to the hospital to deliver your baby!

My Life | Pregnancy

My Pregnancy Baby Bump Growth Updates

By Esperanza on January 24, 2024

Pregnancy, maternity, motherhood, pregnancy photography, maternity photography, maternity style, baby bump, bump updates, bump growth, belly bump, baby bump growth, pregnancy transformation, pregnancy progression, boho chic style, sustainable style, fashion blogger, lifestyle blogger, first time mom, first pregnancy, Storq, The Urban Darling.

Something I really wanted to do during my pregnancy was to capture my baby bump growth each month with a photo, that way I would be able to see/look back on my full pregnancy transformation. It definitely wasn’t easy to do some months, especially as I grew more and more exhausted but I’m so glad I made it happen. The transformation of pregnancy is truly incredible, beautiful, and empowering. I know I will cherish these photos for years to come and maybe baby boy will love seeing them someday too!

My Life | Pregnancy

Third Trimester Update: Pregnancy Symptoms & Must Haves

By Esperanza on January 21, 2024

Maternity, maternity style, maternity photography, 3rd trimester pregnancy, pregnancy, 3rd trimester update, 3rd trimester recap, pregnancy symptoms, pregnancy must haves, boho chic style, boho nursery, neutral nursery, baby boy nursery, boho desert style, neutral boho nursery, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

I am writing this blog post the day before baby boy’s due date (January 22nd), which is so crazy to say! Although he must be quite happy and cozy in there because I hadn’t started dilating at all yet at my appointment last week. We’ll see what happens this week! This pregnancy has felt so long, especially because of everything I have been dealing with in my life. My partner of 10 years was really struggling with mental health issues when we had to part ways over halfway through my pregnancy. Four months later, he is finally getting the help he needs which I am so thankful for and gives me a lot of peace of mind going into the birth of our son.

My Life | Pregnancy

My Full Term Boho Desert Maternity Shoot

By Esperanza on January 14, 2024

Maternity photography, maternity photo shoot, maternity style, maternity photos, desert maternity photo shoot, desert photo shoot, full term pregnancy. pregnancy, third trimester, desert, Superstition Mountain, Phoenix, desert vibes, boho vibes, boho maternity photo shoot, pregnancy pictures, lace dress, bohemian dress, fashion blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

Full term with my baby boy in the desert! These last few months have seemed so long but now we are only a week away from his due date. It’s been a long and tough journey emotionally for those who have been following along with my story, but it feels incredible that I will finally be meeting him so soon. All my life I have wanted to be a mommy while also being petrified of being pregnant and going through labor. Now that I’ve experienced pregnancy, I know what an incredible miracle it is to be the perfect home for my baby and how amazing that feels. That’s not to say it doesn’t come with its challenges of course but every inconvenience has been worth it. I haven’t felt too scared about labor which has been surprising, although I know the day it happens will be tough. I’ve been doing my best to research and prepare myself for it but I know the joy of getting to hold my baby in my arms will wash the rest away.

My Life | Pregnancy

15 Must Haves During My Pregnancy

By Esperanza on January 3, 2024

Pregnancy, first pregnancy, pregnancy must haves, maternity style, maternity outfits, third trimester, third trimester outfit, must haves, boho chic style, boho bedroom, boho nursery, first time mom, neutral nursery, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling, neutral room, neutral bedding, pregnancy must haves, Phoenix, Phoenix blogger.

As I am writing this blog post, I am actually at full term (37 weeks) which is so crazy! This pregnancy has felt so long, but also very fast at times as well. I wanted to share some of the products that really got me through my pregnancy for all the other first time mommas out there who are curious about what they will need. These are my top 15 pregnancy must haves although I left a lot of things of this list that I only used for a little while or in a certain trimester, etc. Check out my first trimester recap and my second trimester recap for more tips and check back for my third trimester recap as well!

Holidays | Tucson, Arizona, USA

Visiting Tombstone, AZ At Christmas

By Esperanza on

Christmas, Christmas tree, Christmas photography, Christmas town, Christmas photography, Christmas decor, maternity style, maternity photography, cowgirl chic, cowgirl style, western chic style, historic town, Tombstone, movie set, Arizona, Tucson, Phoenix blogger, cowboy style, The Urban Darling, fashion blogger, travel blogger, lifestyle blogger.

Over the Christmas holiday, my parents took my sister and I to Tombstone to explore this historic, cowboy themed town! My mom had already taken a few friends to this tourist spot but the rest of us had never been so it was very exciting. The town was decorated for Christmas with a big tree in the center which I of course had to get some photos with! It’s about an hour southeast of Tucson so you can easily add it to your itinerary if you are planning a trip to Tucson or southern Arizona.

Holidays | Pregnancy

8 Months Pregnant At The Christmas Tree Lot

By Esperanza on December 16, 2023

Christmas, Christmas photography, Christmas tree lot, Christmas trees, Christmas photo shoot, maternity photography, maternity photo shoot, maternity style, Christmas maternity photo shoot, fashion blogger, Sezane, Sezane style, parisian chic style, retro style, The Urban Darling, third trimester.

The holidays have been a little hard for me this year needless to say, after having spent them with a partner for the past 10 years and now spending them very pregnant and single. As hard as they have been this year, I know the holidays will be very joyful when I get to spend them with my baby boy in the years to come. I have been so exhausted lately but I still trekked out to a local nursery here in the Phoenix area to shoot some pictures on my tripod to remember the Christmas I was 8 months pregnant with him and I’m so glad I did! Even though my camera charger blew out when I plugged it in to try to sneak in a few more photos. Tis the season lol.

Gift Guides | Holidays

My Holiday Gift Guides For 2023

By Esperanza on December 9, 2023

Holiday Gift Guide For Her, Holiday Gift Guide For Him, gifts for him, holiday gift guide, gift guide, gift guide for the home decor lover, home decor, holiday gifts, gift ideas, Christmas gift ideas, gift guide, gift guide for her, gifts for her, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, Christmas gifts, lifestyle blogger, fashion blogger, shopping guide, holiday guide, The Urban Darling, home decor, interior design, boho chic style.

I am currently nearing the end of my third trimester and I have been so exhausted! I feel like I have so much left to do to prepare for baby’s arrival but I always enjoy making these holiday gift guides so I decided to try and put a few together for you guys while there is still a little time left to place orders to arrive in time before Christmas. I hope you find these gift ideas helpful while you are doing your shopping for loved ones this holiday season!

My Life | Pregnancy

My Boho Baby Shower Decor & Outfit

By Esperanza on December 8, 2023

Baby shower, boho baby shower, boho decor, baby shower decor, baby shower food, baby shower outfit, baby shower backdrop, backdrop, boho backdrop, baby shower ideas, balloon arch, balloon garland, baby shower balloons, bohemian style, maternity style, maternity photography, boho style, boho chic style, boho decor, lifestyle blogger, fashion blogger, The Urban Darling.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my parent’s held a baby shower for me at their home in Phoenix where I have been living for the past several months now. We wanted to have the baby shower when my sister and sister in law were in town so it worked out that they could be there since they live in California and Oregon. My mom invited several of her friends from the community and it was so nice of them to come celebrate the baby and I! I spent several weeks prior to the baby shower getting all the decor together, coming up with ideas for the food, games, etc. My sister arrived early in the week to help me get things together and she, mom, and sister in law helped me get everything ready for the party the day of!