Natalie Joy has only been a mom for a few months, but she's already soaking in this time with her daughter, River Rose, whom she shares with husband Nick Viall.
"Motherhood is better than anything I would have ever expected. She's perfect. I couldn't have made or thought of a more perfect baby. She's everything I could have ever wanted," the 25-year-old, who partnered with Autotrader to support their new campaign, tied to the announcement of the Best New Cars of 2024, exclusively tells Morning Honey.
The social media star, who married Viall, 43, in April, already knows what she wants to talk to her daughter about.
"I would love to teach her independence and strength and standing up for what you believe in — all of that cliché stuff. It's so important. I know Nick has this list, including teaching her boundaries. She's going to know how to take over the world, and I can't wait to see the woman she becomes. It's also going way too fast. How is she almost four months old? This is insane!" she says.
"I want her to follow her gut and trust everything she believes in," she adds. "I want her to feel like I did when I was growing up. My mom made me feel like I was the stronger person in the room no matter what. I just want her to know that as well. The outside noise is outside noise and your family loves you, you're a great person and just encourage her to be the best version of herself she can be."
After leaving the hospital in February with her baby in tow, Joy immediately went into mama mode. "My mom stayed with us for the first two months of having her. She was in the hospital with us when I delivered, and it felt like she was my little sister and this was our mom taking care of us. When my mom left, I was like, 'I can do this! We've got this.' I was pretty shocked they send you home with your child — it's like, 'Best of luck!'" she quips.
Since Joy was able to rely on her mom, it helped her become more confident. "She raised four children, so to have someone who had all the experience was so great. She also didn't push her opinion or try to tell me if I was doing anything wrong. Just to have her support made it very easy. We didn't prepare much, we didn't go to any classes, we just trusted ourselves and it worked out great!" she admits.
Fortunately, the brunette beauty has a great partner in theBachelor alum. "We definitely had each other's back in a lot of ways," she shares. "I feel like it took me being able to say, 'I trust Nick and his instincts with her.' I feel like that's really hard for a lot of my friends to do. He loves her just as much as I do, and I know he has the same intentions that I do. He's changed way more dirty diapers than I have! He jumps up in the middle of the night. He loves fatherhood, and it's so sweet to watch."
Some milestones like a wedding or new baby can lead people to buy a new car, which is exactly what Joy and Viall did. In honor of their Best New Cars of 2024 announcement, Autotrader is joining forces with Joy to support their new campaign.
"I am extremely excited. It's a very genuine partnership. When Nick and I were in the depths of wedding planning, we were having to make 40 decisions every single day, and we were closing in on the end of my pregnancy, getting ready to welcome a baby in this world so we knew we needed a new car. I was so stressed," she recalls. "I had no idea who to turn to or what to do. We looked to Autotrader, and it was so incredibly helpful because of the list they put out every single of the best new cars. They do all the research for you. That's what I needed because I didn't have time to figure out what I wanted."
"I also really like how it wasn't a bunch of family cars or mom cars. They had trucks and sedans — something for everyone!" she continues. "It made that time in my life very, very seamless and easy to just look at this lost and be like, 'Oh, I like that one. Let's go test drive it.' I'm so thankful for Autotrader.
The social media personality ended up going with the INFINITI QX60, as she really "wanted" a lot of space now that they've expanded their family. "I had no idea how much you need for a baby. When we got the strollers and car seats, I was like, 'I need a bigger car but I don't want to feel like I'm driving a bus,'" she shares. "I want to still be able to parallel park. I want to have all the safety features. I've never had heated seats, so I also wanted that."
Additionally, Joy will help three lucky winners start their new life chapters stress free and share how easy Autotrader makes car shopping while going through exciting transitions.
Through a social media giveaway, three consumers will win a collection of accessories, practical gadgets and a $2,000 Visa gift card, all selected to enhance the driving experience while covering those additional expenses following a car purchase. Consumers can sign up for a chance to win on Joy's social platforms starting May 23 through May 29.
"All you have to do is post a photo with your new car and tag me and Autotrader!" she says.
For more information, click here.