Past updates:
And, as promised, I’ll be sharing some big news this afternoon! According to your survey results you guys think we’re having a…
Boy!
We shall see! I’ll fill you in later today!
Baby Updates
14 Weeks: Baby is the size of a lemon!
15 Weeks: Baby is the size of an apple!
This pic wasn’t meant to be a bump pic, so I apologize that it’s not a very good one. It’s the closest thing to a tummy pic I had from week 15 though and wanted to share something!
16 Weeks: Baby is the size of an avocado!
Another crappy bump pic… Sorry!! It was the only one I had from 16 weeks and I snapped it at the gym right after I taught PiYo. I clearly didn’t snap many bump pics at all at first! I promise to get better now that I’ve shared the news with you guys and will be posting weekly updates.
Weight Gained
14 Weeks: Didn’t weigh myself.
15 Weeks: Didn’t weigh myself.
16 Weeks: 8 pounds.
Workouts
14 Weeks: Workouts fell to the wayside a bit this week, thanks mostly to a family vacation to Sanibel Island. I was still able to remain fairly active with lots of bike riding, one strength workout and long beach walks! Moving my body definitely makes me feel better!
15 Weeks: With more travel this week (Florida and Minnesota), I didn’t focus too much on traditional workouts and looked to lots of walking as my main form of exercise. (I wore my Polar Loop and just made it my goal to hit 10,000 steps each day.) Once I returned to North Carolina, the latter half of the week was active again, thanks to teaching Spinning, barbell strength and PiYo and a weekend Pure Barre class.
16 Weeks: I made it to the gym for 5 workouts this week (including the classes I taught) and felt great! Spinning continues to be a favorite way to work up a sweat and I’m still loving barre workouts and strength training.
Symptoms
14 Weeks: This week I experienced my first all day battle with nausea and fatigue. It totally knocked me out and the only thing I could stomach was whole bananas, banana smoothies, ice cream and noodle soup (with the chicken removed because it made me want to gag). I want to hug all of the women who battle with all-day nausea and fatigue through a greater part of their pregnancy because it was awful.
I’m also experiencing some serious breakouts this week (not just on my face, but also on my chest and upper back which has never happened to me before outside of pregnancy – not so fun). And, to be 100 percent candid, I’m struggling a bit with self esteem this week. I don’t feel like my belly is there yet, but I joke with my friends and Ryan that I’m pregnant everywhere other than my stomach! My arms and thighs feel thicker and softer and I feel like my hips are getting wider. I told my girlfriends that I have a baby in my biceps! Haha! Thinking back to my ultrasound appointments and hearing our baby’s heartbeat puts everything into perspective though and makes me feel better and very grateful my body is changing for such a wonderful reason.
I also tried to go for a run this week and experienced some uncomfortable feelings down there (almost like a heavy feeling – sorry if this is TMI) and wanted to share it on the blog because after I texted some of my pregnant or formerly pregnant friends and talked to my mom who is a nurse, I felt much better knowing this is something many women experience! Once I realized I wasn’t just experiencing sore crotch from Spinning, I made sure to listen to my body and switch from running to walking and felt better.
15 Weeks: I learned something this week: My usual motion sickness on a plane is apparently exacerbated during pregnancy. The little one does not like to fly. I ended up throwing up on two separate flights this week (unfortunately during the decent, so I was unable to excuse myself to the bathroom and had to use the air sick bag – so embarrassing and I felt awful for the people next to me, though they were very sweet and understanding). Nausea was the worse it’s been for me during pregnancy so far. Eating constantly can usually keep nausea at bay and I need a layer of food in my belly at all times, or I will feel pukey.
16 Weeks: Feeling much better during the day this week, but a little off during the evening hours. My skin is still far from clear, but breakouts diminished a little bit this week (thank goodness).
Food Aversions
14 Weeks: Tomato-based soups, chili, most cooked vegetables
15 Weeks: Same as the above, though I can handle cooked vegetables in things (not alone)
16 Weeks: Same as the above plus anything made with cumin
Food Cravings
14 Weeks: Sandwiches!!! As advised by my doctor, I am making sure to heat any lunchmeat before eating it, but I’m also loving double cheese and raw veggie sandwiches. Eggs, fruit, sparkling water, cheeseburgers and gummy candy are also very appealing!
15 Weeks: Sandwiches, chips, fruit, cheeseburgers
16 Weeks: Sandwiches, gummy candy, pasta, grapes
Sleep
14 Weeks: Sleeping much better. Feeling super tired by 8:30 p.m. almost every night though.
15 Weeks: Improved sleep!
16 Weeks: Sleeping better, but having a hard time falling back to sleep when I wake up to go to the bathroom sometimes.
Looking Forward To…
14 Weeks: Our 3D ultrasound appointment… And hopefully finding out whether we’re having a boy or a girl!
15 Weeks: Hopefully feeling better soon. I heard from many people that nausea can often fade around 17 weeks and I’m ready to wake up in the morning not feeling like I have a horrible hangover all the time. I’m also looking forward to my 16 week appointment so I can make sure everything looks okay! I’ve been experiencing more and more anxiety and really, really look forward to all of my appointments with our doctor.
16 Weeks: Telling my best friends from high school that we’re expecting! It has been so hard to keep the big news from them, but I’ve done my best because I really want to tell them in person when I see them in Chicago next weekend.
Gender Suspicions
14 Weeks: I’ll elaborate more on this in a separate post because Ryan and I had a really strong feeling one way during the 3D ultrasound and when we found out this week, it ended up being right!
Any Baby/Pregnancy-Related Purchases?
14 Weeks: Nope.
15 Weeks: My first purchase for the baby happened this week!! I bought a pair of tinny TOMS during the Zulily sale! I couldn’t help myself. Too cute! I also bought a long, blousy tank two sizes bigger than my normal size at Target when I was in Minnesota during the General Mills trip and have been wearing it non-stop! It’s been great for layering.
16 Weeks: Belli face wash, facial hydrator and spot treatment. Hoping this pregnancy-friendly line of skin care helps clear up the zits that are driving me crazy!
Any Fun Stories?
14 Weeks: After our miscommunication with the doctor issue during week 11 of my pregnancy, Ryan was super bummed he missed the ultrasound where I saw the baby move for the first time, so we scheduled a 3D ultrasound so he could see our baby dance around. An added bonus? We found out the sex of our little one several weeks early! The ultrasound technician said our baby was in the perfect place to see whether it is a boy or a girl! I’ll share more about how we found out what we were having later today!
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blue sprinkles? boy? or can we just not see the light pink ones? hmmmm i guessed boy, but now am wondering girl?? just tell us!! haha 🙂 🙂
The cupcake says “He Or She” in blue and light pink! 🙂 The frosting in the middle of the cupcake was a certain color that told us what we were having! 🙂
Fun fact: pink used to be a traditional boys color, and blue was for girls.
It’s a girl. I caught the subtle hints you have been leaving over the last week!
haha! I was thinking the same thing! I hope we’re right 🙂
Definitely a girl. You mentioned in previous posts that you had a strong feeling that it was a girl and you confirmed your feelings were right! 🙂
I agree. I caught on when she said her friends guessed wrong and her dad knew and her mother in law knew. I would be shocked if it was not a girl!
I had terrible pregnancy acne, but it’s cleared up since my 2nd trimester. I still break out on occasion. The Belli products didn’t do much for me, and I really couldn’t stomach the sulfur smell of the spot treatment. I’ve been using Neutrogena Naturals purifying facial cleanser and witch hazel as a toner with Cetaphil Dermacontrol moisturizer (to try to keep my face matte). Good luck!
Thanks for sharing! I’m sorry you had a similar experience w/ pregnancy acne… it’s definitely no fun!
I can’t wait to hear! I love these updates.
And, you look amazing in all your bump pics. You’re going to be a great mama Julie!
Thank you!! 🙂
So exciting! I love that you took the time to write out these posts. So useful!
Can’t wait to know the gender 🙂
you look beautiful and are glowing! all those things like the acne and nausea, that will all subside! and in the end…its all worth it! I cant wait to hear what the sex of the baby is! I think girl!
I hope you feel better soon! 🙂
You look great! I’m so sorry you are not feeling 100%…I hope you get feeling better each day! I can’t wait to find out what you are having !
Can’t wait to find out!! It’s baby fever madness around here! My girlfriend is pregnant and they’re having a little girl and I am soooo ready to spoil that munchkin! It’s such a super exciting time 🙂 🙂 Loving these posts and sharing with her too – she luckily went through no nausea symptoms.. at all! (She’s 20 weeks) And oddly enough, it’s done amazing things for her skin – she broke out a little, but other than that she’s all “glowy”. 🙂 I’m positive when I get pregnant I’ll be a nauseous and pimply mess lol Love the little bump pictures too!! (even if they aren’t planned – haha!)
I still say GIRL! I have two little girls at home they are the best! I’m sure I’d say the exact opposite if I had little boys at home! Healthy baby is ALL you need!
I want to guess a girl only because of an old wife’s tale my mother in law told me. Apparently when you are pregnant with a girl you get the worst acne problems! HAHA with a boy your skin is really nice.
I am pregnant with a boy and she guessed it right away because she said your skin was so nice and truth be told my skin actually did get better since I became pregnant.
I hope you are having a girl so that I can actually believe in this old wife’s tale. LOL
I love love love these updates!! I feel so ridiculous in how excited I am to learn your baby’s gender and just with everything you share. Thanks for being so honest and sharing this special part of your life with your readers.
And, from one gummy enthusiast to another…just had to share with you my favorite brand of gummy candy – Albanese. Oh my, they are absolutely incredible. So soft and fresh…the reviews are outstanding. Here is a link:
http://www.albanesecandy.com/all-gummies/12-flavor-gummi-bears/
My husband and I received a 5 lb. bag for Christmas and we are obsessed with them. I have been thinking to myself that I need to order some more! The company has so many different gummy candies (even sugar-free), but you can’t go wrong with good old-fashioned gummy bears. There are 12 flavors in this bag, but the company even gives you the option to purchase one flavor. It looks like all of their 5-pounders are on sale right now for $9.99:-)
You can also find them on Amazon (definitely more expensive on there) and I’ve seen the 7.5 oz. bags for sale at some local gas stations too.
My friend Brittany gave me a 2-pound bag of Sour Patch Kids on Tuesday! 🙂 Definitely looking for these gummies, soon!
I am so curious to find out what you are having! I am pregnant too…a couple weeks behind you but am totally craving anything sour and Sour Patch Kids are up there on the list. We aren’t finding out but maybe yours will help me predict?! 🙂 Congrats to you guys….pretty exciting time.
You look fantastic, kick that low self esteem out the window!! I am just now starting my 2nd pregnancy and I already have those Nausea Bands and prego pops ready for whenever nausea hits! Those Sea-Bands are the hippest when it comes to fashion 😉
Hi, Julie! My husband and I just started trying for a baby, and selfishly, one thing I’ve been really worried about is how my skin will react to going off BC and then to getting pregnant! Would you mind doing a review of what products have worked for you and what haven’t?
Also, I just started using S.W. Basics toner because I wanted to start using more all-natural products, and I LOVE it! And they are just now starting to sell their products in Target this week, which is super exciting. But I thought I’d let you know about it since I struggle with breakouts and this has seemed to help me a lot. I also recently bought Philosophy’s Vitamin C Booster, which is a powder that you mix with your moisturizer to reduce scars/sun spots, and I think it’s really made a difference!
can’t wait to hear!
Hi. I read your blog often as I stumbled onto it when I was researching becoming a NASM trainer. Congratulations to you and Ryan. Like you, I’m an avid exerciser. I gained about 25 lbs with both my daughters but didn’t look very big. I remember when I was due in a week or two, one woman asked me when I was due. She looked shocked and told me I wasn’t big enough. She scared me (but my doctor reassured me everything was just fine). Don’t let anyone scare you into thinking your exercising too much, you’re too small, etc. Just listen to your doctor.
<3 Thank you for this!
Funny how your pregnancy cravings are just like my normal, everyday cravings haha! I’m hungry for those chips right now!
I am also getting curious here. Following the news here already for a while and can honestly not wait for your updates.
🙂
I hope nausea gets better soon!
All the best for you and the baby!
Susann
<3 Thank you!
Ahh! Can’t wait!! 🙂
I can’t wait to find out if y’all are having a boy or a girl! I am so bad about guessing those kind of things!
It says she..is it a girl?!??!
It HAS to be a boy! …I think?! Maybe?! Maybe not!??! So excited to know!
PS. You look da bomb, a glowing pregnancy mama!
You don’t even really look pregnant; I was in maternity clothes when I was 12 weeks! Lucky you! It’s so interesting to me to see how every woman is so different and each pregnancy is so different.
I’ve been such a commenter since the baby news! You’ve been making me think I could actually handle baby number 2. Yikes! I experienced super motion sickness in my first trimester and a half. Luna Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars helped because they stuck with me for awhile and I also love all things peanut butter.
Kate- I have been thinking the same thing lol
honestly, try to enjoy this as best you can. now that I am 25 weeks, my bump is most definitely there but its hard not to feel big and uncomfortable and just not yourself! My thighs are naturally big and now they feel and look like tree trunks haha..
You are growing a new life inside of you – and with every movement you feel, its your baby telling you, you are taking care of them!! You look beautiful as ALWAYS.. chin up:) I appreciate your honesty though!!
Thank you, Eliza!! And congratulations to you, too!!!
Oh the suspense is killing me! It’s going to be a long day until you post again this afternoon! Hoping you’re starting to feel better and you look amazing!! Pregnancy suits you well! 🙂
Can’t wait to find out what the baby will be!! I’m still hanging on to the guess of it being a boy 🙂 Either way I’m so excited for you and happy Ryan got to find out with you so early 🙂
Yayayayayayayayayaaa 🙂 🙂 🙂 Loooooooove ALL of this!
julie i really appreciate your honesty on the blog about pregnancy! it’s easy for someone to glaze over uncomfortable facts or be too complain-y but it’s so refreshing to hear your honesty. you look great!
Thank you!! <3 <3
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! Ha, we a baby buddies! I am due Aug 9th with our first :D. I really appreciate you mentioning the self esteem issues as I think a lot of women go through this but it rarely gets disclosed. I think it’s important for women to know that this is okay just so long as they keep thinking of the health of the baby. The “thicker” stage had me feeling a little uncomfortable in my own skin too. It was the worst trying to buy any new clothing at that stage. I love having more of a bump now and the maternity clothes are so cute and the people that work those stores are so friendly and helpful.
I agree!! 🙂 And thanks for your supportive comment. I think it’s only natural to have some difficulty wrapping your head around your changing body, but reminding yourself WHY is SO helpful and makes it all MORE than worth it.
Aw so fun!! Congratulations to you!
I’m still voting ‘girl’! Can’t wait for the big news!
Your bump pics are super adorable. I am 13 weeks and am just starting to get a little bump going. I love how the size of the baby is always referred to as a piece of fruit. My husband and I are finding out the gender this weekend, but until then will refer to our baby as the piece of fruit for the week. This week we have a little peach. ☺
I can’t wait until your big reveal. Isn’t it just SO EXCITING!?!
One of my worst pregnancy symptoms has been acne. I have never had any kind of acne growing up, so this is uncharted water for me. I’m almost panicking because I don’t know what to do. I’ve always just washed my face with water (I don’t wear a lot of make-up) but now I think I need an actual cleaner. Will you let me know how the belli washes are?
Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!! I am sure you and your husband are counting down the days — the moment before we found out what we were having was SO fun!
Our families already know the gender – but my husband and I are on a trip to San Francisco and the reveal party isn’t until this weekend. It’s so crazy to think that our families know the gender, but we don’t. I keep reminding myself – patience, patience, patience.
Yes! I’ve been using them for about 2 weeks now and liking them a lot, though I will say the spot corrector seems rather pointless. I love the face wash though!
Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely test out the Belli face wash! 🙂
ahhh can’t wait to hear! and omg that SUCKS about getting sick on the plane! But hey- that’s why they have those bags there, haha!!
The smell of lemons helped with my morning sickness when I was pregnant with my youngest son. I’d cut one up and smell it like a crazy person. But it worked. Something about the fresh scent to it. I don’t know. But maybe its worth a try?
Can’t wait to hear the gender!! And that’s awesome you’ve been working out during your pregnancy. 🙂
I’m 25 weeks! We did a gender reveal at 20 weeks with our family using a cake, and we found out WITH everyone, which was an amazing experience!! Nerve wracking knowing my best friend knew and we didn’t…but it was worth the wait to find out we are having a boy in June!
Congrats to you and I am so excited to see your blog posts about Baby!!!
I can’t wait to hear what you guys are having! Super excited for you and Ryan.
I can relate so much. I had horrid nausea and heartburn for a majority of my pregnancy (it tapered down a bit in the middle). Seemingly constant eating did help, and surprisingly I gained right in the recommended range. Focus on nourishing your body the best you can, and some days my best was pizza. Mention your symptoms to your doctor and if he/she offers medication get it! It never hurts to have on hand. Also talk to your doctor about B6 and unisom, I saw some improvement with that in early pregnancy. Nausea made it really hard for me to stay hydrated, so keep that in mind too.
And acne. Goodness did I have acne. I found out later that topical clindamycin is okay during pregnancy, but of course talk to your doctor, some seem to have different opinions 🙂
Lastly, I feel you on the self esteem. Please know you are beautiful, and try to believe others when they tell you this. Personally I know I never say it without meaning it, so others are most likely the same. I had a tough time with this during pregnancy, but it does get better, some later on during pregnancy and other postpartum (me!). As I’ve told many friends, take lots of pictures as you grow. You might not enjoy or think much of them now, but that you’ll look back and they will be so precious.
Best of luck
PS we ended up having a beautiful baby girl. Excited to hear your news!
Im hoping that I will be able to run once the time comes for me to start a family, but it seems pretty random. I read about people having no trouble and those who can’t run at all, so I’m hoping that I am in the former category.
That sucks about getting sick on the plane! Glad you are feeling better now though 🙂
I really appreciate your honesty on this blog! Pregnancy is amazing, but it definitely has it’s crappy times where you can feel self conscious. I felt self conscious at different times throughout my whole pregnancy, but thinking about the baby growing inside definitely helped. I had the condition polyhydramnios, which is where I had excess amniotic fluid, which ultimately led to me being induced at 39 weeks (baby and I were totally fine). Needless to say, my belly was big, and I got comments all the time. A man once asked if I was having triplets?! He bypassed twins and went right to triplets haha Rude! I just had to learn to let the comments roll off my back, even though it was hard and hurtful! But I think you look amazing, and I am just so happy for you both! Having a baby and becoming a mom is the most amazing and hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life. You will love it, and you both will be such amazing parents!
Yay! Can’t wait for your news later today!
I had great skin in my pregnancy with Hunter, but I’m experiencing the complete opposite this time around. My acne has been terrible, particularly on my upper back and chest. No fun, especially when you teach fitness classes in tanks AND it’s going to get hot soon…I want to wear cute tanks and sundresses! 🙁 I’m curious how those products you bought work for you.
I love sharing your journey with you. You look fantastic and know that all these phases will pass and in the end you will have the most precious little baby (which makes it all worth it)!
I know you are super crafty…my husband and I did a “belly board” for our weekly pictures. It forced us to take a picture, and in the same spot so we could watch our baby grow. We just made our own chalk board and that way we could write a fun fact on it every week. We made the board ourself and kept it at the top of our stairs. I eventually turned it into a book for our little girl. Maybe one day she will appreciate that keepsake!
I 100% understand your occasional feelings of low self-esteem. It’s really really hard to see your body gain weight week after week, despite the fact that you know it is all normal and should be happening. While I do still struggle with it at times in my 29th week, I remember feeling much better once I surrendered to some maternity clothes, especially pants. I fought it for quite a while and then when I made the transition, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner!
Just hang in there, you’ll feel much better once your bump emerges! 🙂
PS I’ve found some cute, inexpensive pregnancy tops at Pink Blush Maternity.
I just bought some maternity clothes (one pair of pants) yesterday and can already tell that will help a ton! Thanks for weighing in, Lauren!
I feel you on the self-esteem issues (and it was not something I was expecting at all!!)…I was the first of my friends to have a baby, so no one quite understood. That’s an awkward little period when you don’t feel like yourself but you don’t have the bump yet for the world to see. But I promise it passes once you can actually rock a bump and everyone is super nice to you all the time 😛 Get ready to talk to random strangers all the time by the way – and it only gets more intense once you’re toting around an adorable little GIRL.
I definitely guess boy!
I guessed you were having a boy simply out of curiosity. I cannot wait to hear the news. Either way, I am so so so excited for you Julie. I LOVE your outfit in the 15 weeks photo. You are the cutest.
My vote is girl – just based on the sickness you’ve been having!
You poor thing … the flight situation sounds rough. 🙁
I really appreciate how open and honest you are with this! I feel like it’s so common for people to gloss over the less-than-perfect aspects of life on their blogs, and I love that you didn’t do that. I also hope your nausea starts to subside soon! That sounds like not very much fun 🙁 Thinking about you!
I appreciate your honesty about the esteem issues! People do not talk about that enough. You feel SO not cute during pregnancy… Just super squishy. Working out starts feeling awful (it did for me at 33 weeks) and it’s hard losing your “old” body for a short period of time. I do have to say having a baby was the BEST thing for my self esteem. I appreciate my pre-baby and post baby body so much more it’s insane. I am so proud of it (stretch marks and all) because it went back to normal AND it carried and grew a human! Before baby I always thought I could lose weight.. Now.. I am so proud of how I look after a baby. It’s awesome. Never feel guilty for feeling not excited about the weird awkward stages of pregnancy or any stretch marks or changes that happen. It’s different, your allowed to be a little bummed. That will turn in to appreciation later! So excited to follow your journey!
I’m so sorry that you had to deal with so much nausea early on!! That is definitely one of the worst things about pregnancy. And I am totally with you on the self-esteem issues. I think that between weeks 12-20 I had a really hard time mentally dealing with the weight gain of pregnancy, because I didn’t LOOK pregnant, just fat. It really played some mental games with me for awhile! Thankfully once my belly finally popped, I have found that I have really embraced the belly and all that it means. I hope it’s the same for you!