BUMPDATE PART 1

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I did an IG story post w/ the little “Ask Me A Question” widget and screenshot the most commonly asked questions I received so that I can answer them! I didn’t want to bore you all with like a regular bump date – I wanted to answer your questions specifically! I mainly got the same questions over & over so I got a really good idea of what all you guys were curious about!

First of all, if you are new here our pregnancy reveal post is HERE & our gender reveal is HERE.

I’ll go ahead and jump right into the questions…

Question #1: When are you due? I’m due this spring! Yay! I have people ask why I don’t give specifics like what week or what the exact due date is and there are a couple of reasons. We [our family] share a lot online and there are certain events, specifics, special moments, etc. that I believe should be kept private. I love sharing trips, fashion, silly moments, happy moments, sad moments, etc. but there are a lot of things that we find to be very special. While pregnant with Luke we made a decision early on to just keep it to ourselves and looking back on it – we were very glad we did – but not just for privacy reasons. First of all, people behind hiding keyboards sometimes say some… random or not kind comments. Every female carries babies differently and/or gains weight different or in different places – and on-lookers will use that as a chance to say something unkind. Like ‘are you sure you are only 19 weeks?’ or ‘wow, you don’t have much of a bump for 26 weeks!’ [both are just examples] – which can make any pregnant person self conscious or cause them to worry/compare. Pregnancy is already rough enough not only physically, but mentally  -so  the unkind comments do not help. The day I announced that we were expecting a girl left a  comment on my social media saying “we already knew you were pregnant – you are much fatter – it is obvious.” I literally laughed out loud because at the time I’d gained maybe 4lbs max and it did not have a bump yet – and I actually didn’t bloat this pregnancy so I didn’t have a bump to hide! But to answer the questions – Baby Girl Gemma [BGG] is due this spring! ?

Question #2/3: How has this pregnancy been different as far as symptoms go compared to your pregnancy with Luke Bear?  Did you have issues trying to conceive with either pregnancy?  Well, honestly, they are VERY similar. To the point where I thought it could be another boy! To be totally transparent, pregnancy is very hard on me – extremely hard in fact. I didn’t share much about it while I was pregnant with Luke because I was so worried to come across as ungrateful or to sound like I am complaining. However, I learned quickly that many of you expecting mamas or just mamas love hearing the ‘REAL’ side of it. I’m not the girl that misses being pregnant. Before I even realized I was pregnant with BGG, I was very sick and honestly didn’t think it was pregnancy related. I’d been traveling every week – hopping to different time zones back and forth, plus my work load, plus busy Luke Bear, plus building the new house so I kind of wrote it off as ‘stress’ + God’s way of telling me to take a break. I found myself very, very tired and I couldn’t find the energy to go to the gym or do as much. I was extra hungry & the back pain was on a whole new level. It was strictly lower back pain and it was over the top bad. My dad loaned me a brace because I was having so many issues. When I finally took a pregnancy test – it turned so quickly. And you are probably wondering why I was not taking pregnancy tests sooner so I will address it because I had this question asked a lot… So, I experienced a lot of heartache when trying to conceive the first go-around. I’ve written about it in past posts but taking tests and getting negative tests was always such a bummer. I would be late and be 100% I was pregnant and I’d take tests and they’d be negative. Due to this, I am not one to rush into that and get my hopes up, ya know. It’s just a way to protect my emotions. And not to mention, I’m busy and stressed on so many levels I always chalk any sickness up to ‘okay I need to rest.’ Anyway, back to question #1, the two pregnancies have been very similar. I think I am much more tired this go-around which is not uncommon since I chase Luke all day! And my back issues are much, much worse. I didn’t have to see a Chiropractor while pregnant with Luke but I do now. I also got my first migraine during the start of the second trimester of this pregnancy and those are new for me too – and not pleasant. I feel so badly for anyone who has to experience those regularly – they are debilitating and awful. Both pregnancies have made me super hungry and loathe grilled chicken/veggies!! I don’t just crave sweets either since it’s a girl – I crave salty things too and carbs as well… carbs???. Also, I am not like most people who feel better after the first trimester – in fact it just goes downhill the further along I am. I remember when I was rolled out of the operating room [C-section] I got to see Luke and I felt like a brand new person!! They took Luke to do some things and I had some urgent e-mails – John warned me about – and I asked if he could respond but he didn’t know how so I grabbed my laptop and went to work! And when I went home, I was getting ready daily and up and around and people  on social media would ask questions like “why are you not cooped up in your house – thats how I was!” and I really didn’t know why I didn’t feel the need to do that. I was warned that c-sections are a harder, longer recovery but I think pregnancy was wearing me down so badly that I felt like a new woman simply by  not being pregnant. Luke was a big baby and his size was the the reason the doctors said I’d probably have to do a c-section. Oh also, I don’t think I have talked about this at all but I had GERD while pregnant with Luke and it caused me to throw up and not be able to sleep. My acid reflux is very bad this go around but I am taking medication for it this time and its taming it a LOT. I only wake up once a night now! 🙂

Question #4: How do you find the energy to do all you do and even get ready? This is something I get asked a lotttttttt! I laugh because it’s all smoke and mirrors – I absolutely do not get ready daily. I will go 3 days consecutively without a stitch of makeup every week or so. I use filters on my stories to hide how exhausted I look!! ??‍♀️ BUT! I will say that I feel so much better on the days when I actually get ready and make an effort. Its definitely not easy to do, but I make myself do it and I am always glad that I did! Once I get ready [makeup, hair, outfit] I get more motivated to knock stuff off of my to-do list. I am not nearly as efficient as I typically am, but I just force myself to stay busy and active. My work load has a lot of components… meaning that yes I do have to get ready and get dressed and take photos, travel, get on calls, etc. but I also have a lot of computer work that I do and I tend to not get ready as much on those days. I don’t have a team of people working for me so I handle a bulk of my business on my own which is honestly great for me because staying busy does make the time go by faster. Overall, in general if I can just force myself to get ready, I get SO much more done and I just feel better about myself in general.

Question #5: Skincare while pregnant – acne/dryness/etc. – tips?! I was shocked by how many of you asked about skincare! I thought I was the only one who struggled with and skin while pregnant! Everyone talks about this ‘pregnancy glow’??✨ and its a mystery to me! My skin goes drastically downhill while pregnant. Not matter how much water I drink – it just gets drier and drier. I will say a lot of the questions were about acne and I don’t get acne now that I’ve done Accutane but man, I bet I’d have insane hormonal acne had I not done Accutane. I have no tips for that but I am so sorry if you are dealing with this!! My skin issues are basically I get dry, porous, dull, and bland – just not good skin! I have to be VERY proactive about this and not skip my routine in order to keep these issues at bay. My main tips are to INVEST in good skincare. If you take good care of your skin upfront you won’t ever have to work harder to recover, ya know? So I try SUPER hard to drink tons of water. I actually started this last June and noticed a big difference [read THIS post to see my water cup!]. Also, I am ALL about double cleansing my skin – I use THIS to melt off my makeup, then I use a gentle, hydrating cleanser with my Clarisonic to exfoliate. I use THIS mask 2x per week – especially after a flight and I SWEAR by these masks! AM & PM I use THIS Hyaluronic Acid + THIS moisturizer + THIS oil. If I ever fall asleep without doing my routine I notice that my skin is not as good so I try to do it before I get super sleepy. [These products are amazing in general if you are dry and want brighter, more luminous skin! Also, THIS blog post where I gave my mom a makeover is amazing for those who need a fresh look!] PS. I do try to get a Hydrafacial each month if I remember!

Question #6: Did I breastfeed Luke / will I breastfeed BGG? Yes & yes! Again, I share a lot on here but some things I just prefer to keep to myself, ya know?! I have no issue with anyone nursing in public but it is SO not for me. People would always ask why my clothes were not nursing friendly and honestly I don’t prioritize that since I don’t nurse in public. Luke was a major eater – so I would nurse, pump, and also supplement. I remember being so discouraged that I didn’t make as much milk as ‘everyone else’. I remember a girl posting how much milk she got from pumping for 30minutes and I cried… only bc I made the mistake of comparing myself which was not smart. I always know better than to do that! So – just FYI – if you are like me and are down about not production – take it easy on yourself. A fed baby is the best! So I plan to do the best I can with Baby Girl Gemma! I am also prepared not to be as hard on myself.

Question #7: How did you know it was time for baby #2? Are you scared? I got this question in many variations and honestly – I think every couple is a difference scenario. What is right for us is not for everyone AND most important God’s timing is what is most important. If you followed me back when we were expecting Luke I  shared details on timing. John did 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency. We are both extremely career oriented – he loves my job and I love his job – we support each other – and we really wanted to be established before we had children. Not only established in careers but we wanted to be financially stable. We LOVE kids and wanted kids soon into marriage but set goals and worked to meet those before we started trying. I am really pleased with the timing – Luke was born at the end of John’s residency program. We are 30/31 and we always knew we wanted more kids and didn’t want a big gap between them. My brother and I are 3 years apart and my sister and I are 8 years apart – we are all VERY close but I wish we were all 2 years apart. I think it would have been fun to be in the same school together. So when Luke turned one we started making a “plan” or timeline – but we knew it was all in God’s hands. We definitely would not want them closer together [than 2 years] just because Luke is a WILD boy! I mean, since mo 14 he is on the GO all of the time! It’s so cute but very exhausting! He loves other babies and is so good to them so I have a feeling he will be really sweet to her! I do think it is intimidating but I have many friends who have kids with the same gap and they love it!

Question #8: Where do I shop for maternity clothing? I actually don’t wear much maternity – very little. I’ve talked about it a lot but I think it is overpriced and often not that cute! I blogged my outfits 5 days a week while pregnant with Luke and most of it was regular clothing but up a size after week 24 or so. I will say if you feel like you have to wear maternity I love H&M & ASOS maternity sections. I wear THESE leggings mostly [size small] and THIS brand of designer maternity denim. And I had people ask about shoes and I like wedges & heels best. I’ve always preferred a bit of a heel – it just feels better. Lately though I’ve been living in THESE tennis shoes – they are amazing.

Question #9: Stretch Marks?! Honestly, I think stretch marks are hereditary. I see the thinnest girls who don’t gain much weight while pregnant – they get them! I didn’t get any with Luke but I take a nightly bath with bath oils/salts and then I lather up in thick body butters and lotions. I didn’t stick with one brand really either – I just used products that were the most hydrating and nourishing.

Question #10: Baby Must Haves / Strollers / Etc. I did a post HERE where I talked about the MUSTS – the things we used and abused! The things we loved and would re-purchase. We will be using those again and we are going to do a different set of monitors I think! I want something a little more high tech. Also, we had 4 strollers [still have them] but we loved them all! I do think we may get THIS double stroller.

Question #11: Baby Girls Name? Nursery Theme? So, we probably won’t share a name until she is born! I think its such a special part of having a baby and who knows – we could always change our minds! We’ve tossed some names around and have a few we like a lot but we are not sure yet! Someone asked Luke’s middle name – it is David after my Dad! 🙂 As far as a nursery theme goes, I am not a ‘theme’ person really. I feel like you get locked down when you choose a theme. I like to just buy what I like and what ‘goes’ ya know?! Luke’s nursery didn’t have a theme at all and I ADORE it – it is so classic! I love super feminine & ultra girlie and glam looks so I am sure it will be very different. I wanted Luke’s to have the ‘Prince’ vibe and it totally does so maybe hers will be similar?! I have no idea! I am not ordering anything until we have a date nailed down for moving into the new house!