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'I'm just madly in love': Maria Menounos calls motherhood 'heaven' as she welcomes daughter via surrogacy

The former E! News host said she is 'manifesting' her life as a wife, journalist and mom to her newborn daughter Athena

LOS ANGLES, CALIFORNIA: Maria Menounos has reflected on her beautiful journey through motherhood. While speaking about her partnership with RXBAR, the former E! News host told People Magazine that she is 'manifesting' her life as a wife, journalist and mom to her newborn daughter Athena "since the get-go."

"When I was manifesting my baby, I would feel all the feelings of her being in my life — walking, holding her hand, pushing the stroller, seeing my dad with her. I was constantly focusing on what I wanted," the 45-year-old told the outlet. 

Maria Menounos considers 'manifesting' to be a powerful tool 

"Anytime a bad thought would come in, like fear or anything like that, I would swish it away with what I wanted. I was like, nope, what do I want? This is what I want. So, manifesting is a really powerful tool for us to be able to focus on what we want," the 'Heal Squad' podcast host said. 

"I think manifesting has been with me since the get-go. I know I've manifested everything in my life — sometimes the good and the bad, because what you're thinking constantly, you create," she shared.

"That's why these bars are so great for people because you can create your life every single day, every morning, you grab that bar, you write down what you want. And you're kind of etching it in the universe."

Maria Menounos welcomed her baby girl via surrogate

"I think all moms are going to have those moments [of doubt] and it's one of the things that I'm focusing on, which is why I have on my bar, 'be present for family,'" Menounos noted.

"I want to remember — in those moments when the doorbell's ringing incessantly and someone's calling me for this or for that and the emails are popping in — that I don't have to panic because I am stressed from trying to please everybody. I just have to take care of her," she said. 

"It reminds me when I'm feeding her to be present with her and not be emailing at the same time. That's why I love this bar we've created here because it reminds me every day that that's what I want," Menounos continued.

"And so I'm getting used to the fact that I might miss the UPS driver at the door. So what? What's going to happen? She needs me. That's what I need to do."

Maria Menounos calls motherhood 'heaven'

The podcast host called motherhood "heaven". "It's been heaven. Heaven, heaven, heaven. She's such a smiley, happy baby," the new mom said.

"We are so blessed to have a healthy baby. I know that can't be taken for granted at all, so every day, we pray and we say thank you to God for her health."

Menounos also said that she has been enjoying outside time with her daughter in the morning, adding, "It's a really important health thing I do, sitting in the sun every single day."

"I wake up at sunrise and I go outside with her sometimes, when the timing works. I give her her first bottle outside in that morning sun when I can, so that she's getting her Vitamin D," Menounos shared.

"We say our prayers together and thank God for bringing us together, every day. We say the 'Our Father,' and then we come inside and get our day going."

"So those are like my moments. Her in the morning is the best. She's so happy and giggly and smiley. And I'm just madly in love. It's crazy," she added.

Maria Menounos on welcoming her newborn daughter 

The CEO of the online podcast series network AfterBuzz TV said "Me, Kev and my dad were all in the room", when it came to welcoming their baby girl.

"The plan was that I would grab her instantly, so the doctor was like, are you ready? If you see the video, I'm like 'I'm ready, I'm all ready, I'm ready. And I'm panicking, just so excited. So she basically grabbed her and put her right on my chest instantly," the new mom said.

"It was the most surreal moment of my life because the hospital staff was so amazing and so peaceful. They're like, 'Are you ready?' And I'm like, 'Wait, a life is about to pop out of this surrogate and she's real and she's in your arms. What you've been focusing on and dreaming of is now real and in your arms.' It was the most amazing feeling ever."

Maria Menounos and her surrogate still keep in touch

"We text all the time," Menounos said about keeping in touch with her surrogate. "They came to visit about a week after Athena was born. They are family for life. They've given us the greatest gift and we love them."