Coastal Style

Spring is in full force in Coastal NC and I’d you live in the south you know that Spring = early Summer.

Personally I’m in the weird in between of not being in maternity clothes any more but not quite in my pre-pregnancy clothes either. I’m embracing the size differences and bought myself a summer wardrobe including loose, linens to feel chic and comfortable through the summer while giving my body a little grace.

Here is my summer wardrobe.

Featuring J Crew Factory, Target & Amazon.

Check out direct links to my favorites here: https://shopmy.us/collections/5214376

Birth Story

This was my third time doing this—but somehow, it felt like my first time getting it right. After a second birth that moved so fast it left me shaken and scared of what could happen next, I went into this one bracing myself—for chaos, for panic, for not making it to the hospital in time. Instead, everything slowed down just enough. Every piece fell into place. And for the first time, I felt present for it all.

Something I had never experienced before was prodromal labor which felt like false labor that I experienced on and off for about a week. On several different occasions throughout the week I gave birth, I began timing contractions and intensity for hours on end until they ultimately just… stopped. What a mind game!

Finally on Friday morning, I went to my 8am OB appointment and asked for the first time for a cervical check. I was 4 cm and we decided to do a membrane sweep since it was the day before my due date.

I was crampy for the rest of the day and had a bloody show signaling that my cervix was responding to the sweep. Finally around 8pm I started feeling like contractions were beginning but the timing was inconsistent- similar to what I had already been experiencing with my false alarms.

My mom decided to come over to spend the night with the boys in case anything happened overnight. I decided to try to sleep in case things picked up. At 10:30 I was awaken from my sleep with contractions- a good sign that this was the real deal! We packed the bags and started the roughly 20 minute drive to the hospital. I started to get nervous because I didn’t feel any contractions on the ride there… Was this another false alarm when we arrived I was taken to the interview room where my vitals were taken along with all of my intake information. From there on triage for my first cervical check, it was just after 11 o’clock. To my surprise, I was still 4 to 5 cm! The nurse let me know that she would come back in an hour to see what kind of change we saw. Just after 12, Another check and I was hovering right at 5 cm. Contractions were picking up at this point, but the doctor didn’t want me to stay until I showed that there was progression. I started to get nervous here because I was having contractions and at this point they’ve been going on for much longer than I had experienced before if I were to go home, how would I be able to tell any difference? Obviously, it’s not like I would be performing cervical checks myself ( lol ). She decided to check again in another hour this time I had homework to walk the halls for about 45 minutes to an hour to see if we could encourage progression so up I went while Patrick went down to get a snack (because we were in for a long night) I started walking the halls. At about 2 AM the nurse came in and I had made it to the 6 cm mark (PRAISE BE!) which meant I could be admitted.

At this at this point, it was 2:15 AM when we were admitted I kept walking and had a protein bar working through contractions… Today would be my baby’s birthday! Around 330 I requested my epidural which arrived about an hour later. With both of my previous babies, I got the epidural when I was further along and I couldn’t really feel it nor do I remember the experience of getting it. This time it was relatively early and things were calm so I felt the epidural more than I remember in the past. Around 515 a nurse came to check in and told me some side effects of feelings that can sometimes happen mostly revolving around blood pressure after getting an epidural. She asked me how I felt and I said fine. She left the room within minutes, I got dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous so we called the nurse back and I started throwing up! Obviously, I was mostly freaked out from this. They sat me up and everything of course was fine within minutes.

We tried some position changes and administrate Pitocin after this to get things moving because shocking news I was still at 6 cm from 6 to 6:45 AM. I had a little nap. Then it was shift changed. We had a new nurse come in and a new doctor on call at 7:10. The new doctor and I discussed options and we decided to break my water to encourage the baby to descend putting more pressure on the cervix to hopefully get things moving. I must say this epidural was solid because I did not feel a thing which is exactly what I wanted.

At 10 AM I started feeling the emotional shift started crying which I had read was a sign that it was go time! On the monitor, I could see how intense the contractions had gotten even though I couldn’t feel them. Another cervical check and we are at 10 cm! Because I was emotionally asked for a few minutes to cry, which was mostly just out of fear and exhaustion. Baby girl was born at 10:49 after three pushes.

This is the dream, birth and delivery that I had hoped for and wish everyone can experience!

If 27 Year Old Me Could See Me Now

Another year older, and I keep thinking about how many versions of me existed before this one.

If 27-year-old me could see me now, I don’t think she would recognize this life — and not because it looks perfect, but because it looks so different from what she thought it would be.

At 27, I was living in San Diego, married, walking my dog Charlie along the coast, and convinced I had my future mostly figured out. I dreamed about the family I hoped to have someday and the life I was working toward, assuming things would unfold the way I had planned.

They didn’t.

The years that followed changed more than I ever could have imagined. Life took turns I wasn’t prepared for, and I walked through seasons that stretched me in ways I never expected — becoming a mother, learning to start over, and slowly rebuilding a life piece by piece. There were moments of uncertainty, growth, and decisions that required more courage than I knew I had at the time.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I found myself.

Motherhood reshaped me. Challenges strengthened me. And little by little, life began to feel lighter, more aligned, and more honest than anything I had tried to force before.

Now my days are filled with noisy mornings, little hands, laughter, chaos, and a love I once only hoped I would find. I have two incredible boys, a baby girl on the way, a partner who feels like home, and a life by the coast that somehow feels both peaceful and beautifully full.

Life doesn’t look the way 27-year-old me imagined — but it feels better than she ever knew to hope or dream of.

Why I Finally Started Bliss by Bridget

For years, I told myself I would start a blog someday — when life slowed down, when I had more time, or when everything felt a little more figured out. But if time has taught me anything, it’s that life rarely waits for perfect timing.

So here we are.

Bliss by Bridget isn’t actually new to me. A few years ago, this was the name of my small business I poured my heart into. I started it during a season of excitement and creativity, right before I became pregnant with my second baby. Like many things in life, though, timing had other plans. As motherhood expanded and priorities shifted, I chose to close that chapter and focus fully on my growing family and the season I was in with a career that provided more stability and flexibility.

At the time, it felt like letting something go.

Now, it feels like coming back home to it — just in a different way.

Long before social media reels and algorithms, I was someone who loved documenting life. I’ve blogged before, mostly for myself and for the friends who followed along quietly from afar. Writing has always been how I process seasons, celebrate milestones, and hold onto moments that pass too quickly. Even when life became busy, that part of me never really went away.

This space is my way of returning to that.

Bliss by Bridget is where motherhood, wellness, style, and real life meet — the beautiful moments, the messy ones, and everything in between. It’s a place to slow down and tell the fuller stories behind the snapshots we share online. Here, I want to capture the seasons I’m living through now: raising my boys, preparing to welcome a baby girl, balancing work and family, and learning what it really means to build a life that feels peaceful and aligned.

Starting this blog now feels especially meaningful because life looks very different than it once did. Some dreams changed. Some plans didn’t work out the way I expected. But in many ways, I’ve built something better — a life filled with growth, second chances, laughter, and a deeper appreciation for the ordinary moments that turn out not to be ordinary at all.

I didn’t start Bliss by Bridget because I have everything figured out. I started it because I don’t — and because I want a place to remember this season while I’m living it.

If you’re in a season of rebuilding, growing, slowing down, or simply trying to enjoy the life you’ve created, I’m so glad you’re here.

Welcome to Bliss by Bridget.