belly progress

by Jasmine | Aug 10, 2016 | everything | 0 comments

belly progress

Nine months of pregnancy in 45 seconds

I took a picture almost every day as my belly grew.

Here are the results!

#tbt

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Why? ⁠ This is the seemingly simple question tha

Why? ⁠
This is the seemingly simple question that has made the most dramatic changes in my life. ⁠
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One of my most significant sliding door moments was sitting in a room full of investment bankers in an interview during my senior year of college, and they asked me, "WHY do you want to be an Investment banker?" --> It was like I had woken up for the first time; why? ... well, actually, I don't! I wish I can tell you I pulled off some dramatic NO response and walked out of there strong and empowered; I did that in my head. But in reality, I gave a very BS answer, which was the last finance interview I ever went to. ... It's because of that moment that I pursued my passions for the arts. ⁠
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Since this moment, I ask myself - WHY? Quite often. It's because you can figure out a lot by really thinking about your why. ⁠
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During my fertility journey - it started with: ⁠
Why do I want to have a baby? ⁠
My answers to that why brought things to the forefront that I never realized. Somethings that I could address and achieve without a baby. ⁠
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It also gave me the drive to keep ongoing. After a failed cycle, feeling down and full of meds ... I thought about my "why." and it gave me the strength to persevere.⁠
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In motherhood, it comes in the form of when I am making decisions for my family, in my professional career, and with @jazzkatat - "Why?" - it keeps me grounded and focused on the right priorities. ⁠
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As you can see, I use this in every part of life! ⁠
If you haven't asked yourself, "why?" lately, I encourage you to do so. You might surprise yourself with the answer. It could be a realization that you shouldn't be spending time doing a particular thing or give you that extra strength and push to keep on going because your WHY is a pretty d*mn good WHY! ⁠
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Sending lots of 💛, Jasmine⁠
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#lifedesigner #womenempowerment #transformation #lifecoach #soulsearching #lifecoaching #selfdevelopment #growth #perfectimperfectlife #designyourlife #designingyourlife #fertilitywarrior #ttc #ivf #1in8 #hope #iui #ivfsuccess #fertility #ttcsisters #ttcjourney #ttcsupport #nycmom #nycfamily #momlife #familyselfie

If I allow T to be and do what she loves at a youn

If I allow T to be and do what she loves at a young age perhaps it will save her years of “discovering” her joys in adulthood 💛 — growing up I was repeatedly told I should be a doctor, I had to be a doctor ... I couldnt do this, I couldn’t do that... doctor was the best choice. What do you think happened?
I was taught to not prioritize what gave me true joy, I was pre med in college and I did horribly. Felt lost ... and it was only after college did I finally take the courage to go back and pursue things that I love.
Years pass as I take the time to discover my joys ... imagine if I were encouraged to do this at a young age?
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Princesses and fairy tales ... T's favorite. When T was born, I have to say - I made it a point to not dress her all up in pink and all the "girly" things. ⁠
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Yet, here we are - T wears something pink nearly every day, and her favorite thing is to play princess. Hahaha. ⁠
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What happened? ⁠
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Well, two things - ⁠
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1. As T got older, she started having her own opinions/interests <--- I know! Can you believe it??⁠
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2. The one big thing. I stopped trying to impose my style/opinions on her and listened to what she liked to do. I know it sounds obvious, but it was one of those realization moments with myself where I realized I needed to let go of control.⁠
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Our identities are formed at such a young age. I recently read by age 8, much of the personal identity is established. Crazy right? ⁠
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So, now I ask questions and listen. What are your favorite colors? What do you love doing? Then I do my best to foster her passions instead of hindering them.⁠
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*Although, she has started to critique my artwork, “mom, that should be blue not purple ..” (I'm not sure how I feel about that! lol)⁠
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#nyckid #nycmom #momlife #motherhoodunplugged #perfectimperfectlife #fertilitywarrior #raisingagirl #princessesandfairytales #yourjoy

"Mom, I can't wait for Halloween!! It's my favorit

"Mom, I can't wait for Halloween!! It's my favorite holiday of the year!!" - T says, jumping up and down. My heart sank a little for her, wondering what Halloween will look like this year. ⁠
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In the past, this month would be full of so many activities - from the kid's party at work where they would come home with buckets of candy, play in rooms full of balloons, and haunted houses. Trick a treating in NYC - filled with block parties of decorated brownstones full of lively families and inspiring costumes. ⁠
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This year? Matt and I just shrugged when first faced with the question. As the holidays come up like Thanksgiving, Christmas - these questions will keep on happening. - What will ________ look like this year? ⁠
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What I realized is that this is similar to when we were trying to have a baby. At first, we thought, let's just put everything on hold, and then once we have a baby, life will go as "planned." .. in this case, let's wait for a vaccine and for everything to go back to "normal," ... but why put life on hold? If I had put life on hold with #ttc - that would have been six years! We don't have a definite time frame for when our current situation will change.⁠
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With that, we shifted from not doing much this Halloween to being creative and making the most of what we can do. ⁠
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This weekend, we decorated the apartment for Halloween, searched for decorated brownstones in the neighborhood, and made a haunted chocolate house (here in the time-lapse). The kids were so excited, and Halloween was definitely in the air!⁠
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Next, pumpkin carving .... and we will get creative come actual Halloween day. I have been thinking about a candy/trick a treating hunt in the apt? ⁠
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What are you doing for #Halloween this year? #lifedesigner #lifecoach #growth

We recently visited the DIA Beacon for the first t

We recently visited the DIA Beacon for the first time and absolutely loved it! Art museums and I have a long history. They are a place of inspiration and a place where I would often go to often when I needed to distress and be by myself to think. ⁠
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There is a specific spot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art by the Tiffany windows; I would spend time during High Scool, College, and later during my years trying to conceive. ⁠
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During maternity leave, I brought both T and Lee to the museums regularly. I joke that T had been to more museums as a 4-month-old than most people who live in the city - lol. ⁠
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It does seem like a while since we have had a chance to explore outside our neighborhood and go to a museum. This is actually the first museum we have been to since COVID. ⁠
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Walking through the rooms full of art, holding Lee's hand, and talking to him about the art around us is one of those moments ... a moment I will cherish forever. I hope I never forget moments like these, and I hope many more are to come!⁠
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Have you ventured to the museums?
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Swipe to see one of T and my first museum visits together 💛

Ironically, as I was doodling this photo, the ener

Ironically, as I was doodling this photo, the energy levels went from happy, extremely unhappy and then ended with happy/calm in a very short period of time. Sounds like the emotional waves of a toddler, right? And it was. Let me explain. ⁠
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When I started, the kids were happily playing, and I was doodling. Suddenly, Lee starts crying (as 2-year-olds do) in a fit because he didn't "win" the game they were playing. This turns into a series of crying on and off for about an hour, triggered by every little thing. ⁠
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By the end of this hour, EVERYONE WAS GRUMPY. Lee, the original frustrated one, Matt and I are exhausted by continually calming Lee down and encouraging him to "use his words." .. and T was the last one to fall into the energy downfall as she felt all of our moods sink and followed suit - whining and getting easily upset. ⁠
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Whaaaat just happened? ⁠
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Energy is what happened. We all fell into the energy waves of a 2-year-old toddler. It's infectious. Energy can be contagious in a good way - where everyone gets happy through one person's mood. We should be aware that the opposite also often happens, where we all become unhappy due to one's energy. ⁠
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This becomes incredibly more evident with small kids. I still remember the first time I got upset when T was just two months old, and she instantly responded to my mood. It was a big wake up call! ⁠
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Since then, when I get in a "mood," I hit the reset button by:⁠
1. Making myself aware of it. ⁠
2. Initiating triggers that will help uplift me - exercise, doodling, deep breaths, walks, turning on music to dance it out. ... write something I am grateful for ... ⁠
3. I tell myself - I have the power/control to change my mood - and if I do, I can help others do the same - b/c mood is infectious! ⁠
4. All else fails? Well, if it's based on Lee, a 2-year-old - I wait 10 minutes for him to start laughing again ... lol. ⁠
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The takeaway is - your energy and those around you make such a big difference in your well-being but those around it. It's infectious! ... the good news is that it can be contagious in a good way. So, let's spread those HAPPY Friday vibes out!!⁠
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Happy FRIDAY!!⁠
💛, jasmine

Today, I decided to do something BIG. What was it?

Today, I decided to do something BIG. What was it? I got a haircut!
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It sounds ridiculous, thinking this is something BIG, but in these times, it was something that I had put off because I would have to travel outside of my neighborhood (and comfort zone).
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I'm so glad that I did. It felt so good to go out (like old times) and treating myself to some self-care. I also met a friend for coffee beforehand. As I walked out of the salon, feeling lighter (hair-wise), I couldn't stop smiling (under my mask). These small things remind me that although things are not the same, and there is a "new normal," we adjust and make it work.
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It also reminded me that these little bits of normal activity help in big ways during these crazy times.
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It's similar to when I was struggling with fertility - I could let everything come to a stop while I wait for one thing or keep on living and enjoying the things that I can control. ---> a haircut and coffee with a friend I can control.

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Is there something you have been putting off during this time of quarantine? I encourage you to do it! (In a safe way, of course)
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What can you do to make your day better and bring back some of that "normalcy" you are missing?

**special thanks to @kristinskyolsenhair for bringing back the #assymetricalbob and 💛💛💛 **

Beep beep beep .... (snooze), just 5 more minutes

Beep beep beep .... (snooze), just 5 more minutes ...⁠
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Anyone else finds themselves snoozing more often with the weather changes and the rainy weather? ⁠
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This morning, T could barely get out of bed, and instead of motivating her to get up, I asked her to move over, and then we both fell asleep for another 5... 15 ... 30 minutes. ⁠
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I'm sleepy just writing this ... zzzzzzz⁠
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How do you get past the snooze?⁠
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(and yes, it's that phase where both T and Lee climb into bed with us in the middle of the night ...4 people in a queen-size bed = little deep sleep!)⁠
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#perfectimperfectlife #nycmom #momlife #sleepy #wakingup #wakeup #sluggish #fertilitywarrior #snooze #momlife #wfhlife #designyourlife.⁠

Today, I want to share something significant to me

Today, I want to share something significant to me. I have recently been doing a lot of self-reflection and focusing on what I am meant to do and be. ⁠
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For those that don't know, I wear a variety of hats:⁠
🌟 By day, I'm a Senior 3D Lighting Artist on animated feature films (Ice Age, Rio, Ferdinand, Peanuts, Spies in Disguise, and more!) ⁠
🌟 I am an entrepreneur, co-founder of a successful online animation school. ⁠
🌟 I am a certified coach, where I focus on helping the fertility community and women create a life they are inspired to live.⁠
🌟 I am a mom, wife, daughter, sister, and friend

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I've been asking myself lately if I should choose just one path to follow --> an artist on animated films, running an online school, or a coach helping others create extraordinary lives for themselves. But that isn't the real question at all. ⁠
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The question is, What am I meant to be as a whole.⁠
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It's never just one "what," right?⁠
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It's not about choosing one. It's about combining all my unique skillsets and experiences into something extraordinary.⁠
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And this is exactly what I will be doing. I want to invite you to be part of my process.⁠
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I will be freely sharing new methods, thoughts, and ideas that I'm continually developing to help transform your lives. ⁠
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I can tell you that this will be a visual journey combining - ART, coaching, strategy, and fun!⁠ ⁠
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It will be geared towards women, with additional resources for those struggling with fertility. ⁠
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Most importantly, I hope it helps so many. ⁠
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What do you say? Ready to dive into this with me? ⁠
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Give me an 💛 in the comments if so!⁠
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(I can't do this on my own! If I learned anything from all those years of being isolated during my fertility struggles, it's that it's best to be open and share your journey with others)⁠
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