Soulful, gorgeous (like beyond!) and warm, Cassie, recording artist, model and founder of newly launched Ventura Records, is about to add mama to her impressive calling card. 

Here, this incredible mother-to-be, shares what it was like to get married while pregnant (hello designing a dress around your bump!), a dream for her daughter, what she is most nervous (and excited) when it comes to becoming a mom, plus her plans for her newly launched record label. In other words, the woman is the epitome of successful, and living the good life, with her oh-so-new hubbie, Waffles (the dog), and a baby on the way. @cassie

I am feeling great, but I’m a little scared of labor. I keep reminding myself that our bodies are meant to do this, and in the grand scheme of things, it will be over in a blink of an eye. In general, I keep hearing that parenthood goes by fast, so I’m trying to make every effort to enjoy each moment and all the stages, no matter how uncomfortable.

We’re having a girl! I’m due at the beginning of December!

In today’s world, it’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing; so I want her to grow-up to feel confident in who she is and stay her course. I hope to help guide her in this by always being supportive and listening. Kids say what is on their minds; sometimes, it just may not be directly. I think that it’s our job, as parents, to tune in and pay attention to what they’re thinking and how they feel.

My husband is continuously saying that he wants her to play sports and be tough and I, of course, want her to take ballet (ha!), but at the end of the day, she’s going to be whomever she wants to be, and we need to encourage and support that. I mean, who knows, maybe she’ll be a football-playing ballerina!

It’s crazy; I LOVE it! Leading up to the day, we were both nervous and had jitters because of the stress around planning, not the marriage itself. As soon as I saw him waiting for me down the aisle, all my nervousness melted away. It feels as if it was always meant to be.

At first, I was NOT down with the idea of being a pregnant bride! I dreamed of having champagne and dancing at our wedding! However, once I weighed the amount of time we would have to wait (hello, birth, and breastfeeding), I realized what I cared about was being his wife and our family, not about whether I was pregnant or not at our wedding. In the end, we had a beautiful intimate ceremony on a bluff overlooking Malibu during sunset. Everything was perfect.

I’m still getting used to saying “husband!” It’s so fun and solidifies everything. We also have a 1-year-old, 110 pound Rottweiler named Waffles, who is entirely part of the family. Legit, we’re a little crew with the whole set-up.

Thank you! We custom made the dress and catered everything around the bump. I wanted a super romantic flowy style with voluminous sleeves and worked with my stylists Marni Senofonte and Deonte Nash, to create the perfect dress. We pulled a lot of different references and inspiration and designed and made the dress in under a week. I think the whole process took about 72 hours. We added a slit to show some leg and off-set the belly!

The good old fashioned way! While it wasn’t “planned,” it also wasn’t unplanned. We were open to having kids and had just started to explore the idea when I got pregnant. It was my husband (still getting used to saying this!) that noticed I hadn’t had my period in a while. When he said something to me, I was like, “Who pays attention to that?!” Apparently, he does. So, I took a test, and it was positive! We were both over the moon!

One thousand percent it would be, “Ngiculela-Es Una Historia” by Stevie Wonder. It’s my favorite song. It also happens to be the song that was playing right after we got married.

Honestly, I didn’t expect him to propose as we were already planning to get married, but he definitely surprised me. I went to pick him up at the ranch in Compton, where he was working with the Compton Cowboys, and Stevie Wonder was playing. He came out on a horse with the rest of the team and told me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. I was speechless. It was the most magical night of my life.

I always assumed that becoming a mom was going to be this stressful, scary thing, but I haven’t felt that way in the slightest. Instead, I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to be her mom. I am very much looking forward to having a girl. I would have loved a boy as well, but it feels so special to have a little girl.

Before pregnancy, I wasn’t a “sweets” person. I would never order dessert, and I didn’t ever crave candy, but now I can’t get enough of both! I can have sweets all day from morning till night. I try to have fruit as often as possible, but sometimes it’s tough to resist the bad-for-you sugar.

While I’ve always been thoughtful about what I’m eating, now I’m extra tuned-in knowing that whatever I eat, she’s eating too. Overall, I have turned it up on the veggies and fruit, plus I make sure to get protein throughout the day. I’ve found that having smaller meals more frequently versus larger meals is ideal, and I’ve tried to cut down on sodium — perhaps only to be replaced by sugar — as it makes me less puffy. Lastly, I’ve been drinking raspberry leaf tea religiously. From what I’ve heard, it’s supposed to help with labor and healing post-birth.

I’m doing my best. I started off ready to be a person that worked out throughout pregnancy, but I’ve had my peaks and valleys. When I do make it to the gym, typically I do about 20-30 minutes of cardio, plus a series of planks and squats. Planks are perfect when you’re pregnant because it keeps your core strong without the crunch. I also sit on the yoga ball to open my hips whenever I’m at home.

Definitely. Post-baby boot camp! We have a gym in the house sponsored by Hemp Hydrate, so I will be in there as soon as the doctor gives me the okay.

That said, I want to do it healthily and give myself enough time to heal beforehand. There’s this insane, unnecessary pressure we put on ourselves to snap back with a flat stomach and abs immediately after pregnancy, which is ridiculous. It took nine months to make a baby, with the stomach stretching and organs shifting; it’s going to take a beat to get back to a pre-baby body.

I’ve been getting lymphatic drainage massages and LOVING it! I tend to swell a lot (because of sodium!) with different foods, and this has been hugely beneficial. I notice a real difference in my face and legs after I get a treatment, I feel lighter overall. It’s a good feeling when you’re carrying all of this extra weight that you aren’t used to.

We’re planning to have her in LA at the hospital with my doula who is also a friend. I want someone there with us who can advocate for me to the doctor and nurses. The best advice I’ve received, be open and prepared for anything to happen, so that’s where my head is. I’m taking labor and delivery classes in about a week, so I’m sure I’ll make more decisions after those classes.

I just started my label Ventura Music this summer! Currently, it’s just me on the label so that I could get my music out into the world. You never know what could happen though, maybe I’ll bring other people onto the label in the future. For now, I’ve enjoyed the experience of learning what it takes to release my music independently. I love the freedom in it.

At the very least, I plan to take two or three months to be home with the baby and focus on healing my body. After that, I’ll see how I am feeling. 

I fantasize about mornings together and waking up with her.

I don’t want to lose myself in becoming a mom. Of course, I will do anything for her, but I also want to remain true to myself. I want her to grow up watching me do my thing. I want her to see me making music, building my business, being a mom, a wife, a force, and be inspired by it all. I want to lead by example so she can grow up knowing that she can do anything and be everything her heart desires.

The HATCH handbook has been such a reliable guide and has normalized everything for me. It says flat out: This is parenting. It’s going to be fucked up, and you’re going to learn as you go. And that’s OK.

The best bit from this book was to remember while everything might be new to you, it’s newer to the baby, and you have to be sensitive to that.

A big thing for me, before getting pregnant (even though my pregnancy was unplanned/planned) was getting my body in check healthwise. I got into a healthier routine overall. I stopped drinking, began to eat better, and got more rest. I think it’s really good to give your body breaks from unhealthy habits. We all have them, it’s just so beneficial when you do, not only for your baby but for you.