Bumpdate – 8 Months – Auburn Artisan

8 months?! Only one month to go!!! I honestly cannot believe it! 2020 may not have gone the way anyone would have expected… But I am just thankful that I get to bring a little bit of sunshine into the world this year with Scarlett! Truly, the rainbow at the end of the storm! ❤

Q: Symptoms?

A: I really started feeling pregnant this month with lots of new, glamourous symptoms. I am at the point where I cannot sleep, sit or stand comfortably. And I am way over bending over at this point. Everything feels like a chore, but I know this too shall pass! I am very grateful to have has the easiest pregnancy ever! There are so many people that I have seen really struggle through pregnancy, so I am pretty thankful that I have felt relatively “normal” during my pregnancy. These little minor inconveniences are nothing considering all that my body is doing right now! So, I am going to take it in stride and try to enjoy what little time I have left with her in my tummy!

Frequent Urination – I honestly think I spend as much time in the bathroom at night as I do sleeping in our bed. And I cannot go for long walks without feeling like I need a bathroom break 2 or 3 times. Definitely a pain in the butt considering when I do go I only go a little, but hey, she is literally squishing my bladder right now, so it’s to be expected.

Heart Burn/Indigestion – This symptom hasn’t honestly been too bad! I only get it every now and then depending on what I ate. I used to religiously eat hot sauce on everything, but have since quit to try to limit the heartburn, so maybe that is my saving grace?

Hip Pain/Sciatica – By far the worst symptom that I will remember about this pregnancy. I cannot sleep comfortably at all with my hip pain, and honestly the more I lay down the worst it gets. So much for “enjoy your sleep before the baby gets here”. I haven’t really had sciatica in months (thank God) but my hip pain can totally go away now- thanks!

General Back Pain – I have officially gotten back pain other than my lower back/hip pain/sciatica that I have experienced all pregnancy. I definitely notice that it has to do with my posture now that my belly is sticking out much more. Now, I have to do the typical “arms supporting lower back” pose that all women do when they are pregnant. I guess this is my official initiation into the pregnancy world.

Braxton Hicks – Braxton Hicks are “practice contractions” that some women get in preparation for labor where your stomach hardens a bit as your uterus contracts and relaxes. I have gotten these off and on throughout my second and third trimester (particularly while I am walking) but they haven’t been too bad! More just a weird feeling than anything! My doc said that for some women they can be really painful, but so far mine haven’t been at all!

Lightning Crotch – Hey, I am not going to sugar coat it… Pregnancy is not as glamorous as you may think! Haha I was having a weird, almost nerve pain every so often that literally felt like a shot of pain starting in my uterus, going through my cervix and all the way down. When I asked my doctor about this, she literally said, “well, what you’ve got is a case of lightning crotch.” Sweet. I guess I am relieved that this is a normal symptom mama’s experience, but at the same time, not too thrilled I get it haha

*always remember to address any concerns you have with your doctor- no matter how trivial they may seem! It is always better to be safe!

Q: Movement?

A: Yes!!! She loves dancing around in there- and kicking mama in the ribs… Oh well! I am really going to miss all her little movements in my tummy when she is born! Definitely the most magical part of pregnancy!

Q: Food Craving?

A: Still nothing out of the ordinary! Unless you call “Pickle Pizza” (a pizza with pickles on top like pepperonis) out of the ordinary… haha! But I have been a pickle lover from the start, so I don’t consider that a pregnancy craving at all for me! Other than that, mostly just ice cream! But it’s summer, so I mean, you kind of have to ice cream! Right?!

Q: Food Aversions?

A: Not at all! I have stopped eating some of the things that were giving me indigestion (stuff like hot sauce, like I said earlier) but that is really just a personal preference, not really an aversion per se. And I still have not really tried coffee again… but I am just afraid to chance it at this point!

Q: Gender?

A: Girl

Q: Name?

A: Scarlett ❤
Middle name(s) have been decided! I could not decide between 2 names we had picked out (or use both), so I literally told Ian that he could decide for us – and he did! Saving the middle name reveal for her birth!

Q: Have You Started Showing?

A: Yes!!! This month I was FINALLY asked when I was due by a stranger! Yay!!! Although, after I told her when I was due, she promptly said “oh, you aren’t very big.” *rolls eyes* At least I had my moment! Haha I still am not nearly as big as I expected I would be, but as long as she is growing in there I am happy!

Q: Best Moment So Far This Month?

A: We have hardly gotten to see anyone, since we announced that we were expecting. I mean, we have been stuck in quarantine since the beginning of March- only leaving the house for work or doctors’ appointments. It is quite depressing to have such exciting news and not being able to celebrate with anyone. But this month we finally ventured out and were able to see some of our favorite people! It was so nice to socialize and see people that we hadn’t in months! There are still lots of people I would love to see before I give birth to Scarlett, but I am just so thankful that this month we were finally able to celebrate in person with a few friends and family!

Another highlight of this month was our maternity shoot!!! We had such an amazing time taking pictures and celebrating our baby girl! Ian and I had never actually had professional pictures taken of us (other than at our wedding) so it was fun to get to do this together! And it made me fall for him even more! Stay tuned! I am going to write up a post all about our maternity shoot sometime this week!

Q: Worst Moment So Far This Month?

A: I do not recall many bad moments this month, other than seeing all the hate, fighting and selfishness that is happening in our world right now. At this point, I have limited the amount of news, Facebook, and other outlets that I tune into, strictly for my sanity. Pregnancy is supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life, so I am going to choose to focus on the good right in front of me ❤

Q: Looking Forward To?

A: At this point I am just looking forward to it all!!! I have always dreamed of becoming a mother one day, and now that I am so close to that dream coming true, I cannot help but look forward to every little thing!!!! Though, more than anything I am so excited to look into her beautiful eyes for the first time. So surreal that in just over a month (or less??) we get to meet our daughter.