Past updates:
- Weeks 8, 9 and 10
- Weeks 11, 12 and 13
- Weeks 14, 15 and 16
- Weeks 17 & 18
- 19 Weeks
- 20 Weeks
- 21 Weeks
- 22 Weeks
Baby Updates
Baby is the size of a large mango!
Weight Gained
Didn’t weigh myself.
Workouts
Spinning is my favorite form of cardio right now and teaching weekly classes helps me feel motivated and excited to work up a sweat! I have a hard time feeling super interested in doing cardio in other forms right now, so spinning and long walks continue to be my top choices for cardio.
BodyPump is my go-to workout for strength training and I love it so darn much. If I could do BodyPump every day I would, but I know it’s very important to give my muscles at least a full day of rest between strength sessions.
I also took myself back into the Pure Barre studio for a weekend workout and loved the burn and the stretch! Push ups are killer for me right now and I definitely do not feel as powerful as I used to when I do them – I’m opting to do all of my push ups on my knees right now.
Symptoms
Twenty-four plus hours of light cramping which led to some pretty intense pregnancy anxiety. Thankfully I felt much more at ease after I spoke with a triage nurse who calmed me down. She informed me that the cramping I was experiencing was likely due to dehydration, so I’ve been drinking water like a madwoman ever since!
My belly is continuing to grow – I swear it looks way bigger at the end of the day than when I first wake up – but I still feel like I am gaining the most weight in my arms, legs, boobs and hips! I just feel softer all over right now.
I am also finding myself feeling more sensitive to heat. We had a few 80+ degree day in Charlotte which, compared to the Florida weather I’m used to, is nothing, but I would start sweating like crazy if I was out walking Sadie and started walking up even the smallest hill. I have a feeling the summer heat is going to knock my socks off this year!
Food Aversions
Tomato-based soups, most plain cooked vegetables, anything cooked with cumin
Food Cravings
- Pretty much anything from Chipotle sounds fantastic at all times of the day
- CHEESE (with apple slices or crackers)
- Ice cream
Sleep
Sleep has been pretty great which I continue to attribute to the Snoogle.
Looking Forward To…
After Monday’s bout with anxiety, our 24-week appointment cannot come soon enough! I want to hear our little one’s heartbeat and am really looking forward to our Tuesday appointment.
I am also really looking forward to my baby showers! My sweet Aunt Laurie is throwing one for family to attend on June 6 in Raleigh and my mom and sister are planning one in Charlotte the week after for friends to come to if they’re able. I’ve already heard from a few of my best girlfriends who have purchased plane tickets to fly to North Carolina to come to my shower which means so much to me! I cannot wait!
Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases?
I’m finding a real need for maternity clothes or larger sizes and have added a few things to my pregnancy wardrobe including:
- Motherhood Maternity V-neck Tee (so amazingly comfy and only $13)
- Romeo & Juliet Couture Kimono (planning to wear this one post-pregnancy, too!)
- PinkBlush Maternity Baseball Top (on sale via Zulily)
- And I also have this dress on my radar for my baby shower, but I’m on the fence about it and think I should wait to buy anything to see how big my belly is a month from now…
Stretch Marks?
Nope! Still using a combination of Mambino Organic Oh Baby! Belly Butter and Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter and applying them to my tummy and breasts.
Belly Button In Or Out?
My belly button is continuing to flatten out every single week. It’s still slightly in, but I have a feeling that won’t last much longer.
Happy or Moody Most Of The Time?
I was a bit all over the place this week which I mostly attribute to the anxiety I felt on Monday but once I started to hydrate properly and my cramping went away, I felt much better for the remainder of the week. Back to feeling happy!
Any Movement?
This is the first week I could really SEE our baby’s movements from the outside!! I continue to feel fluttering (which is getting stronger), but seeing a big kick on the outside of my belly was incredible. Keep growing big and strong in there, baby!
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You look stunning! Also, that dress from Nordstrom is ADORABLE.
I think it is so cute and summery! I’m just worried about ordering it now and my bump getting too big for it!! I guess there are always returns… 🙂
I am 16 weeks and I am struggling with clothes….especially pants and maternity is too big. Any advice?
Leggings!!!! I swear I wore leggings everywhere (with long sweaters, tunics & tanks). If you are in a workplace that requires you to wear nicer pants, I’ve heard a lot of great things about Gap’s maternity clothes that can “grow with you” so they might be worth checking out!!
I am in the same boat! Old navy has some maternity pants that have the stretchiness on the side rather than in the front which I think makes them fit a little better in the early stages 🙂
I can definitely see a difference between this bump photo and the 24 week one you posted recently. You’re baby’s growing so fast! <3
Me too!! I feel like these past two weeks have been the most dramatic growth so far!
It’s crazy you have a baby the size of a mango in your belly!! So glad everything is going well!
Has Ryan felt him kick yet??
Not yet!!! I feel so bad b/c everytime he’s moving around like crazy, the minute Ryan puts his hand on my belly it stops!
That kimono is insanely cute!
Oh and I saw that ice cream and almost fainted. That is my favorite cookie ever so I think I know my high cal day treat!
I’ve been loving cheese and crackers and ice cream too!
Also the Gap Maternity tanks are AHMAZING- you should check them out. Now I’m going to go look for a cute kimono. I love yours!
Yay!!!! So exciting that you can finally feel him from the outside!!! That’s is the absolute best.
I def remember my inner thermometer being much hotter when I was pregnant. I was pregnant over the summer, too.
My baby shower was one of the best days EVER!!! So much fun! Enjoy!
so exciting to be able to see baby’s movement!
I really feel like most of my pregnancy weight has been in places other than my belly, too – butt, thighs, arms, boobs even. I know that’s how it’s supposed to go really but it wasn’t something I expected! Has Ryan been able to feel the kicks now? My husband finally gets to feel some when we catch the baby just right because the movements are becoming so much bigger. I love it.
Seeing your baby move, from the outside, is the weirdest/coolest thing ever!! Matilda always moved like crazy when I was hungry 😉
I swear I look bigger by the end of the day too! I’ve found that getting my feet elevated helps along with hydrating when I’m cramping. I’m sorry you had another scare this week. Hope your next appointment goes well. Its funny how before pregnancy, doctors appointments are something to dread. Now they are like waiting for Christmas morning!
Ginger Molasses ice cream!?!? Sign me up!!!
It is SO good!
The kimono is stunning on you!!! You’re truly glowing!
You look beautiful! I know what you mean about having “fluff” everywhere. I was injured last year and it’s surprising the places it creeps up on you. You’re pregnant so you have a really good excuse.
I have had 3 sets of twins (ages 12, 9, & 5) and have NO stretch marks! Keep putting that moisturizer on! I used a combination of lavender scented Emu oil, cocoa butter cream and Cetaphil cream EVERY DAY. Totally worked! 🙂 Enjoy your pregnancy! It is such a fun time!
That dress would be beautiful on you! The empire waist would be very forgiving and give you room to grow. Also, the model in the picture has a much bigger bump than you (even in a few months I’m thinking) so I’d go for it! 😉
So sweet! Praying for your 24-week appointment. Can’t wait to hear about it!
You are looking so cute!! Pink Blush has been my go to site for maternity clothes! I’ve loved everything I’ve bought! Pure Barre is great throughout pregnancy! I’ve been coming down to my knees for planks and push ups for a while too. That heaviness in your abdomen gets more uncomfortable the further you get. The ball behind your back and shoulders will be your best friend too 🙂 love reading your updates as always 🙂
Glad to hear you’re getting better sleep – reading your posts is a window into my close friend’s journey (she’s due at the same time as you are). Exciting to watch this miracle unfold! Yay! Tip on the belly/body butter to prevent stretch marks: add it to your outer thighs/outer booty as well. Sometimes those marks don’t show up until after the birth.
Love the side braid!! So cute. 🙂
Just a suggestion-you should remove the “weight gained” section of these updates if you are not going to weigh yourself.
I am sharing my weight when I get weighed at doctor’s appointments which will begin to happen more frequently as time progresses. I’m just not weighing myself at home.
Maybe the weight in your arms etc. is due to water retention also… And don’t you think that Chipotle use cumin?
I definitely had that thought but I don’t taste it or smell it on anything I order, so I’m rolling with it!
That’s so fun you can see the kicks from the outside! I loved that with my first. <3 I'm the opposite right now with this one though–my husband can feel the kicks already, but I can't see them on the outside yet. Haha!
Baby showers are SO fun–and especially when it's yours. I can't wait to see/hear all the details!
Your comment about your heat sensitivity TOTALLY reminded me of the couch scene in Father of the Bride II when Steve Martin was wearing a fur hat and a parka while the women fanned themselves. 🙂
LOL!!!!! I totally forgot about that but that was amazing!! I need to watch that movie again…
Your comment about the heat sensitivity totally made me laugh, because I was the total opposite! I am 35 weeks now, so when I was in my second trimester was in the middle of winter, and while everyone else was walking around in 1000 layers, I could happily be in a tshirt. It’s funny how much pregnancy changes your body temperature!
Oh my gosh i craved cheese with my son too!!!! Crackers and cheese is what I had every morning before work lol:)
This is amazing I love your vlog Im 23 weeks pregnant today and my belly is already so huge! Feeling baby move is the bet feeling in the world, I could be having the worst day ever then I feel my little girl wriggling around and it makes me feel so much better! PS Cheese is my favourite thing in the whole wide world and fruit in particular watermelon!!
YES to watermelon!!! SO good.
i have to ask… Why are you including weight gain in your posts? Especially just to say “didn’t weigh myself”. They weigh you every time you go to the doctor. If you are going to include it then be transparent. Otherwise don’t include it. It’s certainly not necessary. I’m not sure what your readers gain from you including it. Just sayin.
I am including my weight gain in posts when I have a weight update following a doctor’s appointment, as you’ll see if y ou look back at previous posts (and see my upcoming 24-week update). I didn’t think I was “hiding” anything — just not including it every week because I don’t weigh myself at home… Just like I never really weighed myself at home pre-pregnancy. I’m sorry if this rubs you the wrong way! That was not my intent!
You look amazing. My drink craving is orange juice. I drink the one from Costco. I drink it like water, I check with the doctor and they said it was fine. Beautiful dress by the way.
I love reading these posts, Julie! Thank you for sharing your journey! I’ve always felt a bit apprehensive about pregnancy… but you make it seem not too bad! 😉
CONGRATS! I was referred to your site by a great friend who loves your food and exercise blogs. She told me to check it out because coincidentally we are both due August, living in the Charlotte area, and most recently had the men in our lives injure themselves (mine broke his fibula). I am in the process of cleaning up my registry and would LOVE some advice! any favorite stores, reviews or products?