{A few things I’ve learned throughout this pregnancy + maternity leave FAQs.}

My goodness, life really has changed for our family compared to one year ago. Last year at this time we were preparing to travel to Tanzania with Compassion International. Zack + I were researching the vaccinations we’d need, what to pack in our suitcase, trying to guess how our hearts would be changed. Also, what is Shaun Groves [our trip leader] really like? ;) Never ever ever did I imagine I’d feel so scared getting on that first International flight to Amsterdam — I wasn’t sure how God was going to use this trip to change me — only to come home feeling so changed, and so unsure how this would translate once our suitcases were unpacked a few days later.

But, everything that God wanted to show us appeared in the form of two pink lines one afternoon in late June.

We knew very early on in the pregnancy {I was only 4 weeks along} that we had our little miracle Tanzania baby on his or her way. And now it’s just a matter of days until we meet face to face :) As my body starts to prepare for delivery I thought it would be fun {tee hehe} to share a few things I’ve learned throughout this pregnancy, along with some FAQs about taking a maternity leave when I run a handmade shop + blog as my full-time job(s).

Ready? :)

{34 week bump}

WHERE DO YOU SHOP FOR MATERNITY CLOTHING? I only have a few pieces of maternity clothing and they are from Target, Gap + Motherhood Maternity. I tried to pick out maternity items that were versitle; I can make a lot of outfits with a pretty small wardrobe, and I didn’t want to accumulate too many pieces that I’d only be able to wear while pregnant. Around 20 weeks it became very uncomfortable to wear my Bellaband with non-maternity pants, so I officially made the switch to maternity pants around that time. My favorite maternity pants are skinny jeans from Motherhood Maternity + Gap and skinny cords from Gap. Leggings (non-maternity) are still comfortable and I love to wear them with stretchy tops or a long tank + flannel shirt when hanging low at home. As for tops, I have gone maternity for most of what I own. Tank tops are super comfy to wear + provide an extra layer of warmth. Tanks also help lengthen the non-maternity shirts I can still wear, like the tanks I have from Target {they are a juniors XL}. When I need something dressier I love the sweaters Gap maternity has, along with this sparkly tunic from Motherhood Maternity. Two of my best tips for buying maternity: 1.) find your maternity size in-store, then shop online {Gap + Target have amazingly affordable items and their online selection is fabulous} and 2.) pair a maternity tee/tank with a non-maternity button up cardigan. I’ve been able to work in so much color + fun print combos because of these two tips :)

DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE A MATERNITY LEAVE? IF SO, HOW WILL THAT WORK SINCE YOU HAVE A BLOG + SHOP? Oh yeah! I have some posts/shop updates pre-scheduled throughout my leave, and once we settle into a little bit of a routine with Baby I’ll be sharing baby updates now + then. Of course my blogging schedule may look a little bit different, but I’m embracing the beauty in that and am thankful for your support during my maternity leave :) My seriously amazing, AMAZING assistant Cambria will oversee things while I’m snuggled up with our brand new baby + family visiting. As for my shop, I have an assistant that ships all of our orders, so there won’t be any delays with the shop or orders mailing on-time. I also have some guest bloggers in the queue and I’m really excited to share their posts with you :)

{36 week bump}

WHAT SCHEDULE CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE SINCE BECOMING PREGNANT? I’d say I’m now even more aware of how I spend my time, especially online. Sometimes it’s been helpful to take Twitter + Facebook off my phone, other times it’s simply getting out of the house to work on a blog post/project. I think it’s important to find a solution that’s unique to your family. In the beginning I was very, very tired — almost all the time. That only lasted for a couple of months, but now that I’m nearing my due date I’m feeling more tired more often. I’m very grateful to become a mom and still be able to run my handmade business and write my lifestyle blog, but there are no doubt going to be changes. Even simple changes, like making sure I’m resting a little bit each day, has helped so much. It’s been a really eye opening experience, but being realistic about our family’s needs has been the biggest change to my schedule and will continue to be once Baby arrives.

{33 week update}

WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU? Probably trying to know the plans God has for our family. Some days I have to let “not knowing” be good enough. Other days I feel a stronger sense what changes we should make and what we should continue to do. I never realized how exhausting — like seriously, exhausting, being pregnant is on our bodies. I’m sure moving across the country at 14 weeks didn’t help, but… it’s a part of our story ;) Another challenge includes work life. For almost three years I’ve been able to work as often as I wanted/needed, but come Delivery Day that will change. Choosing a spouse that will always support your dreams has been an incredible lifesaver for me. Zackary, you’re an amazing husband and I’m so grateful to have you help me navigate this new role of mamahood :)

WHAT HAS BEEN THE EASIEST FOR YOU? Knowing this baby is a blessing straight from the Lord, and He will provide…

IS FINDING A COMFORTABLE SLEEP POSITION REALLY THAT HARD? Ummm, yes :) Pillows are my new BFF, although it gets a little crazy re-arranging them when I’m half asleep but needing to flip sides. And I can hardly roll myself over. Let’s just say I’m glad it’s dark in our bedroom, haha ;)

WHAT ARE YOU CRAVING? Fruit, fruit, fruit! Fresh fruit, dried fruit, frozen yogurt, regular yogurt, juice. Oh, and candy!

HAVE YOU HAD ANY WEIRD CRAVINGS? No, praise the Lord…!

{28 week bump}

WHAT IS IT LIKE LIVING IN A TOTALLY NEW CITY + STATE? WAS IT HARD TO MAKE FRIENDS? Even though Los Angeles is the largest city we’ve lived in {we’ve also lived in Minneapolis + Detroit} I definitely know it’s been the easiest city to make friends — only because so many of you recommended us to your friends! THANK YOU!!! Zack was also more advanced with his career when we moved here, compared to when we moved to Minneapolis, so he had a lot of industry connections as well. The first couple of months were definitely very hard, but I think it was harder because I had so much re-building to do with my shop. It was a very challenging time for me professionally. After a couple of months we started looking for a church and have been attending Mosaic LA since December. Thank you Sarah for the recommendation :) We also visit Alissa + Kyle about once a month, they’re so fun! :) And lastly, a lot of our friends are midwest transplants, so that has been really comforting to see them and share life together.  

WE LIVE IN A SMALL APARTMENT, TOO. ANY TIPS? I’ve heard really great things about the PUJ tub and I’m super excited to test it out once Baby arrives. It hangs flat to dry {such a huge space saver, some of those baby tubs are HUGE and they don’t collapse}, and so we’ve got it hung on the back of a door. We bought this piece of furniture to use as Baby’s dresser {placed horizontally}. It can double as storage for larger items, plus transition into a bookshelf/toy storage in a couple years. We’ve opted out of a highchair and will use a table version when it’s time. Our closet has amazing built-in storage/organization, which helps so much. I highly recommend looking for pieces that offer maximum storage options. We have this baby bouncer, which can slide under the couch if it’s ever in the way. And I recently shared our shared bedroom + nursery space, which includes even more links to the products we are using to save on space + make our nursery look extra cute ;) Lastly, we’re going to hold off purchasing anything large or bulky that we don’t need right now.

{27 week bump}

ARE YOUR FAMILIES COMING TO VISIT ONCE THE BABY IS BORN? HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE “WHEN”? They sure are! My parents are coming out to visit first, then Zack’s parents + sister are visiting. It was tricky to decide when exactly they should purchase their airfare, but we finally decided to have my family come a few days after Baby’s due-date, and Zack’s to come out a few weeks later. They’re coming in shifts and it will be lovely to have so much help while they’re here.  

WHAT BABY NAMES DO YOU HAVE PICKED OUT? Sorry, we’re not telling ;)

{20 week bump}

Any other pregnancy questions? Leave them below, I’ll do my best to answer them in a timely manner ♥