With Michael at 39 weeks – Rita Earl Photography
Thanks for welcoming our newest celebrity blogger, Beverley Mitchell !
Best known for her role as Lucy Camden on the long-running drama 7th Heaven, the actress most recently played Kaitlin O’Malley on The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Mitchell, 32, and husband Michael Cameron have announced that they’re expecting their first child — a daughter! — in April.
You can find her on Facebook, WhoSay and Twitter @beverleymitchel.
In her latest blog, a 39-weeks-pregnant Mitchell writes that she hopes for just a bit more time to finish the nursery — and shares her maternity portraits.
It is truly remarkable how quickly 39 weeks can fly by! At the beginning, it felt like this whole pregnancy thing was going to take forever but here I am, wishing for just a little more time.
We are so excited to meet this little miracle but I can’t help but hope for a few things to be done before she gets here. I know — she won’t know the difference and the only thing she really needs is her parents, but the perfectionist in me wants the house to be just right; the nursery done to the nines.
Michael and I have been busting our buns to complete our home renovation, and it was no small feat considering we repainted every surface of the house, put in new carpet, new tile, new fireplaces, all new furniture, new wallpaper, brand-new windows, all new lighting and re-insulated the whole house.
We really took this house project to a whole new level — I guess when I nest, I really nest!
Lounging in the sun – Rita Earl Photography
It’s funny, you’d think that this large of a project would be incredibly hard on a relationship — teamed with being pregnant, it could be a disaster! — but to our credit, it only made us stronger.
We enjoyed the process, though I will not lie — there were times where it became stressful. Especially when it came to windows — who would ever think windows would be such a big deal?! Let me tell you, they are no joke.
Thank goodness for my friends at Westside Windows and Doors for pulling through in a big way and getting our Marvin windows just in time to be installed and cased before baby girl gets here. Now she has a beautiful big window and it makes all the difference in the room. It is amazing.
And I must say after living in the house for nine years, seeing the changes we have made have truly brought new life into the home. We feel like grown-ups — it’s pretty incredible. Especially all the new furniture — our friends at Arhaus, Dominic to be specific, truly did the most incredible job. I told Dominic that I needed help thinking outside of the box and to get me out of what was familiar.
Love my husband – Rita Earl Photography
It was awesome — I absolutely love the feel of our home now. Sometimes you just need a new set of eyes to see something differently. Especially if you have lived somewhere for a long time and it has always been the same way, it’s challenging to see the potential.
In my next blog I’ll show you before and after photos — I am not quite finished, so you’ll have to wait but I promise it will be worth it! Plus I want to share the nursery and I haven’t gotten that far yet…
I am not going to lie, there were many nights where we just threw our mattress on the ground and slept in our library. It was fun — a little bit of a tight fit! — but it worked.
Living in a construction zone definitely had its challenges. I really don’t care to see Ram Board on the floors anymore and as much as I love all our contractors, seeing them every morning at 7 a.m. is something I will not miss!
With my pups – Rita Earl Photography
We did escape for a few days to the incredible Four Seasons in Westlake and definitely sprung for the most amazing massage that was so needed. The pregnancy pillow was truly the best thing ever and I am so bummed I didn’t indulge more often during my pregnancy. So often I was trying to be the tough girl and didn’t think I needed the pampering, but now here I am at 39 weeks realizing I should have taken advantage.
You don’t get any badges or awards for doing without, so soak it up. Get those massages, get the manicures and pedicures, take care and allow yourself the little luxuries — you deserve it for carrying life. I wish I would have taken a little more time out for myself to relax and kick my feet up.
Another small regret I’m having as I reach the end of this pregnancy is that I didn’t take as many photos as I’m now wishing I did — I wasn’t always the best at documenting the whole experience. Looking back, I don’t know why I fought it and should have had a little more fun with the changes.
However, I did take a moment to do a belly shoot, thanks to an awesome mommy friend who insisted, gifting me with an incredible session.
The baby bump – Rita Earl Photography
I am so glad Michael and I did it. We shot the images at just about my 39th week so I am ready to pop! Honestly, I was a little hesitant and didn’t know how the photos would turn out, but am blown away and so incredibly grateful to have them as we embark on this next great adventure.
There is something I noticed about the shoot that I definitely see reflected in the pictures — I have never been so calm and comfortable in my body. It’s quite remarkable given that I am so awkward, unstable and borderline uncomfortable as I head towards the finish line.
It is still so mind-blowing to me that in just days we will meet the little one who has been tumbling, kicking and rolling around in my belly. I have just finally gotten used to all these little movements and I have fallen in love with them — it’s so crazy to think that they will stop! I just got good at being pregnant and soon I won’t be — it’s a bit of a trip.
I have to end this entry by saying that throughout this entire process, I have fallen more deeply in love with my husband. Michael has not only been my rock, my champion, my hero, he has also been the most incredible man I could have ever asked for.
The whole family – Rita Earl Photography
He has worked so hard in getting this house right for our family. The poor guy has moved everything from room to room at least 100 times — and that is not an exaggeration! — while prepping for paint and all the other work we were doing.
He has been a rock star and there is nothing more precious than hearing him talk to my belly and seeing his clear excitement in response to her movements. It truly melts my heart. I can’t even imagine what the moment will be like when I see him meet our baby girl for the first time.
This is all such a surreal experience but I am so grateful to have Michael along for the ride — the man of my dreams, the love of my life.
So off to the next adventure! Next time I write, I will have a brand-new house and a beautiful little girl. Wish me luck! I am honored to be sharing this incredible experience with all of you.
Can’t wait to meet her – Rita Earl Photography
Thank you for the love,
– Beverley Mitchell
More from Beverley’s PEOPLE.com blog series:
- GALLERY: Beverley Mitchell’s Chic & Cheery Baby Shower
- Beverley Mitchell’s Blog: Is There Anything Better than Belly Watching?
- Beverley Mitchell’s Blog: I’m Having a Baby Girl!
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