When I first found out I was pregnant back in December, I knew I wanted to document my pregnancy on the blog, so I began secretly blogging about the first few weeks of pregnancy. Since I didn’t want to publish 17 weeks of weekly updates at once after I announced my pregnancy on the blog, I consolidated my weekly recaps into groups of three, beginning with weeks 8, 9 and 10!
I’ll share them all with you soon and once we’re caught up, I’ll post weekly updates since so many of you requested them following yesterday’s Q&A post. I’m not going to lie – I’ve been loving writing about pregnancy waaay more than I ever thought and love chatting with all of you via the comments section. Thank you again for your words of support!
PBF Baby: Weeks 8, 9 & 10
Note: I wrote these weekly updates each week as they were happening, so you may notice me talking about certain symptoms in early weeks that I am no longer experiencing that I mentioned in my last two Q&A posts… Like clear skin. That was fun while it lasted!
Baby Updates
8 Weeks: Baby is the size of a kidney bean!
(Picture taken on New Year’s Eve!)
9 Weeks: Baby is the size of a grape!
10 Weeks: Baby is the size of a kumquat!
(In retrospect, wearing an A-line dress for a “bump” picture wasn’t the smartest. Oops.)
Weight Gained
8 Weeks: I had not weighed myself in months prior to my 8-week prenatal appointment. I stepped on the scale at the doctor’s office and weighed about 5 pounds more than my “normal” weight, but for the sake of accuracy, I’ll start calculating weight gain from this point since that is what my doctor is doing and also since I don’t know my exact starting pre-pregnancy weight. I hope this makes sense!
9 Weeks: 1 pound.
10 Weeks: 1 pound.
Workouts
8 Weeks: Consistent almost-daily workouts. Favorites: Pure Barre and spinning! I fortunately feel fantastic when I work out and very, very normal, but nausea kicks back in within 10 minutes after I finish and I must eat immediately to keep it at bay. I’m also more energetic in the mornings than in the afternoons (when I’m not nauseous, that is) so keeping up with my usual morning workouts has helped with consistency.
9 Weeks: Consistent almost-daily workouts. I still feel great when I work out, but I absolutely need something in my stomach before a morning workout and must eat something immediately afterward to prevent nausea.
10 Weeks: Same as week 9.
Symptoms
8 Weeks: Nausea kicked in big time this week – mostly without vomiting (lots of dry heaving – mostly in the morning or if I go too long without food… aka more than 60 minutes!), growing boobs, increased appetite (<— like crazy!), clearer skin (woo!), feeling very bloated, always have to pee! Feeling grateful I haven’t felt any major fatigue so far.
9 Weeks: Constantly feeling bloated, two days of pretty major fatigue (It totally knocked me out!), nausea (only one day of vomiting, thankfully – constantly eating helps this most!), constantly thirsty
10 Weeks: First week since nausea started with almost no nausea, always have to pee, difficulty sleeping, increased thirst, increased appetite and physically I definitely feel thicker around the middle but don’t see a bump just yet.
Also, I am not really experiencing the weepy pregnancy emotions I’ve read about, but this week I am feeling all the rage. Ha! For some reason, I feel easily angered, impatient and irritable this week. What a joy, right?!
Food Aversions
8 Weeks: Tortilla soup (GAG – The sight, smell or thought of it makes me want to puke), most cooked vegetables and chicken sausage
9 Weeks: Most cooked vegetables, plain chicken
10 Weeks: All tomato-based soups/chili, anything made with cumin, most cooked vegetables
Food Cravings
8 Weeks: FRUIT (especially citrus and berries), cheeseburgers, cottage cheese, sushi (I miss you!), eggs, oatmeal… And basically all the carbs… Ever.
9 Weeks: Fruit, salty potato chips, egg sandwiches with cheese, nachos, sushi
10: Weeks: Cheddar and sour cream chips (I don’t think I’ve bought these in years, but this week they have become my BFF), nachos (no cumin in the meat though!), chocolate chips, oatmeal, doughy bread
Sleep
8 Weeks: My first week of restlessness. I’m waking up constantly during the night and cannot get back to sleep quickly as much as I try! My mind starts racing and I’m tossing and turning a lot.
9 Weeks: Sleep is off and on. Some nights I feel like I’m awake every hour (most of the time to pee!), but other nights I feel like I am sleeping soundly.
10 Weeks: Waking up constantly. Difficulty going back to sleep most nights.
Looking Forward To…
8 Weeks: Developing a baby bump! After our first ultrasound, I finally felt like I was “really” pregnant and felt an overwhelming desire to have a baby bump, too!
9 Weeks: Finding out whether we’re having a boy or a girl. (See 9 Week notes below… I think that’s what prompted this one!)
10 Weeks: Same as 8 & 9 weeks.
Boy/Girl Suspicions
8 Weeks: BOY… I don’t know why but around 7 weeks I got hit with a weird feeling that our baby is a boy! Ryan said I’m crazy. Haha!
9 Weeks: Okay, I may be nuts, but after some internet research, I stumbled upon Ramzi’s Method and read about it for way too long. I then naturally studied our 8-week ultrasound picture which, according to Ramzi’s Method, said we’re having a girl. I am now back to feeling clueless… which is actually where I prefer to be! I’d honestly prefer not to have any preconceived notions about whether our baby is a boy or a girl ahead of time. I can’t wait to find out!
10 Weeks: Back to having no clue!
Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases?
8 Weeks: No. Feeling too nervous/anxious to buy anything yet.
9 Weeks: Nope!
10 Weeks: Nope!
Any Fun Stories?
8 Weeks: We had our first prenatal appointment on December 30 and saw our little one for the very first time! The ultrasound was incredible and my eyes started watering the instant our doctor said, “There’s definitely a little one in there!”
Hearing the heartbeat was unbelievable and made everything feel so, so real. Ryan and I both couldn’t get over how incredible it was to see our baby (He actually gave me a high five afterwards! Ha!) and I commented on how I now understand why moms-to-be share ultrasound photos. Before they looked like grainy pictures to me but now I totally get it. It’s an absolute miracle. I felt way more attached to our baby after this appointment and weeks of waiting to hear my pregnancy confirmed aloud by a doctor.
Also during my eighth week of pregnancy was New Year’s Eve and we were still trying to keep everything a secret from friends at that point. I did my best to disguise the fact that I wasn’t drinking as best I could!
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Have you tried Sprout pregnancy app? My sister used it to tell how big my niece was getting throughout the pregnancy.
No– I’ll check it out! I’ve been using the My Pregnancy App through BabyCenter and enjoying the updates so far. Thanks for the rec!
My mom was totally convinved I was having a girl bc of that method (with the ultrasound) but I have a boy 🙂
I dont normally comment but just wanted to say congratulations! My baby girl just turned one last week and reading these posts brings back all those memories! I hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy. It will feel like forever and then your whole life will flip over when that baby is here and you’ll hardly remember being pregnant at all 🙂
Just a tip, if you havent done so yet, you might want to get a support belt/belly band for exercise. I’m a runner and it helped a lot with supporting my stomach (and back!) and making everything feel secure. Not sure if you plan to do higher impact exercise but, even just every day, it was really comfortable. Good luck and can’t wait to read the rest of the updates. Might be getting baby fever over here 🙂
Love reading all these details-so fun! Brings back SO many memories of my 2 pregnancies! It is such an exciting and special time in a woman’s (couple’s) life. The ultrasounds and pictures make it so fun and real. When you are feeling the baby move a lot you are going to love that! That was my favorite thing! Those aversions are pretty crazy. I could not walk down the loaf bread aisle without feeling sick, the smell of bread was so strong and just killed me. I’d have to hold my breath and grab and run for it. Very strange! Cooking meat was rough too. Oranges and salty chips went over well for me too when I felt really sick. Thanks for sharing these special times with us, good stuff!
I was busy these last days and couldn’t catch up with my emails or blogs subscriptions and I just read the great news!!! Congratulations!!!! I feel like is one of my friends that just told me the great news!! I’ve been reading your blog for almost 2 years and I love your way of seeing things and connecting to people. Your life is now getting even better and exciting! May God gives you, Ryan and your baby lots of health and happiness!! Wish you the best in all your pregnancy and and an easy delivery (if that even exists lol)
I love this!! So exciting!!! Would love to hear how/if your workout routine changes!
Reading these pregnancy blogs makes me so happy! It brings back memories of all the feelings I had when I was pregnant with my baby girl two years ago – the first ultrasound, telling family members, learning the sex. I can’t wait to read all about your experience with pregnancy and to ‘meet’ your baby through your blog!!!!
I am so glad you’re sharing this adventure with us! It is so cool, and I love to see how a pregnancy can affect everyone differently. Seems like you are taking it in stride. Love it!
Congratulations! So happy for you! I wanted to reply based on you mentioning difficulties with clear skin. I struggled with some breakouts during my first trimester and a bit into the second and started using beaute de maman face and body cream for oily skin on my face and loved it! Hope that if you try it you love it too! I know how frustrating breakouts can be! I can also relate to some of the anxious feelings about pregnancy and hoping above all else for a healthy baby — my prayers are with you! Take care!!
hey Julie, just wanted to say congrats on your exciting news! Best of luck with your pregnancy and enjoy this special time in your life 🙂
thank you!!
Congrats! I am about 8 weeks pregnant right now and it is comforting to read your Q&A posts. I am just starting to experience the REAL nausea…it has been an awful week! I too was given the green light to keep exercising as usual, but this week I have just felt crappy. We have our ultrasound Monday, so I am anxious for that! Can’t wait to keep reading your updates!
congratulations!!! i had a lot of anxiety around the 8 week point and wish you lots of love and stressless sleeps!! <3
First of all CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
And being from Kentucky, the old wives tales say if you’re pregnant with a boy you will gain weight mostly in the hips and butt. If it’s a girl you will gain mostly in the stomach.
Either way, I hope you all are blessed with a healthy little one!
Soooooo excited for you guys!!!! I feel like I know you!! I talk to my hubby about yall. Haha ( he may think I’m crazy, I always say ” u know my friend or well blogger friend”) anyways congratulations!!!
Any tips you have for disguising not drinking would be greatly appreciated! 🙂 I know this is a challenge I will face someday because I come from a family that likes their wine
I found out about my pregnancy last year before Easter Sunday… when my hubby was out of town!!! I just couldn’t wait to take the test (silly me). I didn’t want anyone to know before I told him so when we were served wine I accepted a glass and just didn’t drink it. I played by holding the glass and moving it from table to table – I guess it worked because no one asked. Then I did similar things at a party, traded beers with my hubby (I’d walk around with a full bottle & then trade for his empty). These seemed much easier than trying to lie and say I wasn’t feeling well. My friends and family know me too well.
Kelly, this is what I worry about too! My poor sister in law had to lie on a family vacation & say she was taking a new medicine because she wasn’t expecting & obviously couldn’t drink. & I remember that at one family dinner on Sunday, I turned down a glass of wine because I had a few drinks the night before, & my fiance’s family were shocked!!
take a dark ale beer bottle into the bathroom with you and fill it up with water…no one will be the wiser!
Thank you ladies!!! I’m keeping these all for when I have to be secretive 🙂
Yay! This is so exciting!!! I love your tiny bump pics 🙂
I absolutely love reading these! I hope you post about your pregnancy ALL THE TIME!! Also, I think there is something to mother’s intuition (especially if you don’t have a preference but just a feeling). I felt boy immediately when the pee stick dried with my now 2.5 year old boy! Pregnant again and feel girl but that could be wishful thinking;) XO You are ADORABLE!!!
LOVE reading all the pregnancy updates! Keep them coming 🙂
HUGE congratulations to you and Ryan on the exciting news!! My husband and I have been married for almost 2.5 years and I’m getting the itch for a baby. I just told him that one of my favorite bloggers is pregnant so he’s in trouble 🙂 Excited to follow along with your journey!
eeeee!!! 🙂 🙂 and thanks so much for your congrats!
So exciting! I can’t wait to hear more!
I am so excited for you and your pregnancy. Truly a gift from god!
I am also very excited about the Carrie Underwood giveaway. I could REALLY use some new sports bras and tanks. Mine are on their last leg..
Must. Resist. Baby. Fever.
🙂
don’t resist… 🙂
I just had a baby last June and reading all your updates brings back such great memories!
I love this line! I really love both pieces you wore in your post. I’m always looking for longer tanks for layering and that shirt looked so comfy! Love your outfits!
I am so happy for you! Have been reading your blog for quite a few years now and just love it. Pregnancy is amazing! I am 35 weeks with our first and it has been a crazy ride! I was super nauseous like you in the beginning but mine luckily mostly went away in the second trimester. I could not even eat a vegetable at all! Carbs and cheese allllll the time that first trimester. I also noticed my anxiety was/is sky high. All of a sudden I was just SO worried about this little baby in my belly and everything was freaking me out. I think it has gotten better over the weeks but I still definitely worry about her often. I just try and remind myself that worrying doesn’t help anything and my stress probably stresses her out – just have to pray for peace! Can’t wait to hear more from your updates!
thank you so much for your comment! and congratulations to you!
Love the pics and updates! Such an exciting time for you both! 🙂
Julie! I know you’re (literally) getting thousands of comments, but I just wanted to tell you how happy I am for you and Ryan (and Sadie!) You’re going to be the most precious pregnant lady ever! I wanted a baby bump as soon as I knew I was pregnant – it’s so fun! Enjoy it!! (Even the shitty parts)
Thank you!!! And I have to say I’ve LOVED all of your pregnancy posts SO much! Thank you for being so open and honest! <3
Hi Julie,
I’ve been a fan of your blog for the last four years so I feel like you’re an old friend! Your baby announcement is wonderful news and I’m excited to follow your adventure. Congratulations to you, Ryan, and big sister Sadie! 🙂
Whoohoo, congrats Julie! Looks like I’m just 2 weeks behind you at 15 weeks! So reading your pregnancy posts will definitely be on my agenda, and I’m so happy to share this time with you and your blog 😉
I’m also a fitness instructor (spin & group strength straining) so I’ll especially look forward to your updates about how your workouts and teaching is going. So far, I’ve been able to carry on almost normal, just cutting down a little on the intensity. Planning on teaching as long as I can!
Big thumbs up!!!
So excited for you guys! We are pregnant with our second and still feel the excitement as we did with our first. Our first is a boy and our second is a girl. We couldn’t feel happier with it turning out this way. Can’t wait to hear what you guys are having!
I am so excited to hear that you are expecting. My husband and I are expecting a baby a month after your little one, we living Charlotte too! I have also had a ton of nervous excitement and anxiety surrounding this miracle….but it so helps reading someone else that is going through the same thing!
mawwwww all of your pregnancy posts are making me want to have another one again soon! Despite my horrible “morning” sickness my first trimester (aka vomiting and dryheaving all day and sleeping on the floor under my desk in my office during my lunch break), I actually loved pregnancy… I miss it! Our little girl just turned 6months this past weekend and I’ve been so emotional about it… they grow up SO fast!
Congratulations! What an exciting time, with the move, new jobs, the house, and now your little one. My “little one” will turn 14 this year and is several inches taller than me, but I still remember the excitement of expecting. Food tastes and your body get so weird while you’re expecting – not bad, but just so different in some ways. Some of my food aversions and preferences changed forever during that time – fried rice was a favorite indulgence thatI haven’t been able to eat since, but I started loving raw tomatoes and oatmeal for the first time in my life (to the point I still eat them a few times a week). And my commute was a nauseaous hour long back then, and the only thing that controlled my tummy for a few months was a McD Filet o’ Fish. Desperate times, and all that.
Have a wonderful time through all this. It’s great you are writing to remember things.
Congrats! I’ve been casually following and borrowing recipes for years! I can definitely relate to the weird sleep patterns and inability to get back to sleep. What really helped me was magnesium (of course check with a dr first, but mine has cleared it with each pregnancy) -I’d take it at night about 20 minutes before I wanted to sleep and it was amazing for helping me relax and then not only get to sleep but STAY asleep.
Good luck to you over the coming months, it’s such an exciting time!
Congratulations!!! I don’t “know” you but feel like I do and have been patiently waiting for this announcement, just like I would for one of my dear friends! This is such an exciting time, and it only gets better! Can’t wait to hear if it’s a girl or a boy!
Congrats, Julie! I’ve been reading your blog for a few years now, and was so thrilled to read your baby announcement post…especially because I’m expecting too! I’m 13 weeks along, so just a few weeks behind you, and I cannot tell you how comforting it is to read your updates – I feel so much better about the things that have had me up at night, the weird symptoms (or lack thereof!), cravings, etc. I am so excited to continue to get your updates over the next several months – best of luck and congratulations again! xo, Cait
I just found out I’m expecting and I was SO psyched to hear your news and know that I’ll be able to follow along with you! I’m only 7 weeks, so I’m SUPER interested in hearing all your week-to-week posts. Congrats to you and Ryan! SOOOO happy for you guys!
I love all these updates! Keep ’em coming! 🙂
I’m not going to lie, if I weren’t already pregnant (& due around the same time as you), I’d totally be having baby fever. You’re such a good writer & make it seem so real & special (which it is)! <3
You know what gobsmacks me? And this is something that I’ve only experienced as I’ve gotten older, it’s this: that humans just make other humans. Like, you can make bread, or you can make a pie, or you can make a decorative sign, OR you could MAKE A HUMAN. Bam! “Just thought I’d make a human today!” The fact that this happens, seemingly from just nothing, is nuts to me. I’m now an adult who is in awe of the human-making process. Congrats to making a new human! A person will be in this world because of you guys! High five yourselves and Ryan all over again! Maybe high five Sadie’s paw! Toss it in there!
I like this format – seeing weeks 8, 9, 10 as a wrap up, it makes noticing the shifts and subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ongoing changes more visible.
I’ve finally added the “from mn” to my signature, as I comment frequently, but I am a Kim. And as a Kim, I am 1 of millions. (In my high school Spanish class alone, I was one of 4! And this book/movie wasn’t out then, but if it WAS, I would constantly be saying, “I AM NUMBER FOUR!”)
Congrats again!
Oh my goodness – CONGRATULATIONS! We met last year in passing at BlogFest and I’ve been reading your blog since a little before then. I have always been taken with your joy and positivity, and your excitement for this new little being just shines through your blog :). I have a two year old and I just wanted to say that you will undoubtedly be inundated with all the options for what’s coming – carriers, slings, carseats, cribs, hospitals, birthing methods – it’s kind of overwhelming :). I can honestly say that all that matters is the LOVE you and Ryan will have for that little baby. You’ll figure the rest out as it comes. Just love, love, love. Your life will turn upside down in the most amazing way possible :). Congrats again…Jessica
I am just BEYOND happy for you Julie!! I was tearing up reading this in the most happy way! 🙂 I can’t wait to read all about your journey…it’s truly the best…and it KEEPS GETTING BETTER!! (hard to believe, but it really does!!!)
Hi there! I’ve been lurking around here for a while, but just had to comment on this post because I’m also pregnant with my (our) first child, and I’m due two weeks after you! It’s so nice to read how you’re feeling, because it’s helping to normalize my pregnancy feelings as well (i.e. MUST HAVE CARBS!), and I can totally relate to everything you’re saying because we’re so close in gestational age. I’m really looking forward to when you start shopping for the baby…we just started attempting to put a registry together, and it’s so overwhelming! Congratulations to you and your husband on this exciting news!
Hi Julie,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while, but have always avoided the pregnancy posts–no offense to you and your sweet family! It was just too hard, since it’s taken so long for me to get pregnant. But I finally am now! And I am SO thankful that you kept track week-by-week. It’s been nice to go back and read these posts and the comments. Why is it so helpful to know that other people were nauseous ALL the time too?? Also, this baby might turn into a Chick-Fil-A nugget–it’s the ONLY thing that tastes good!
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing! It’s been an especially nice resource in the months when we can’t tell anyone yet. Happy New Year!
Oh Molly I am SO happy for you and SO excited!!! <3 BIG congratulations to you!!!!
Thank you so much!! <3
Being pregnant makes you feel so anxious, you want to know many things that you never bothered before your pregnancy. I stumbled upon an informative page on WhatToExpect that provides information on pregnancy weeks, months and trimesters. Hope you and readers find it interesting.