My sister convinced me that I needed to document my growing bump this pregnancy too, so I decided to start this week. I’m somewhere between where I was at 20 weeks & 24 weeks with Joy Belle. Looking back, what surprised me most was how similar both pregnancies are. Before, I would have said both pregnancies have been so different. At 23 weeks, baby and mama are steadily growing. This week baby boy is a little over a pound and approximately the size of a large grapefruit.

23 weeks

How far along are you? 23 weeks.
Best moment(s)? Learning baby boy is healthy & a baby boy!
Food cravings or aversions? Ice-cream, La Croix in any flavor, and strawberries.
Symptoms? Exhaustion! I’m so tired, all the time.
Sleep? Since my almost 2 year old doesn’t sleep well or through the night, I don’t get much sleep.
Gender? Baby Heape is a boy!
Movements? I’ve been so surprised that I don’t feel him move often. In fact, it’s so rare that I do feel him; when I do, it surprises me!
Cranky or happy? Happy, bossy, & crazy-get-things-done moods.
Maternity clothes? I’m there! I outgrew my normal clothes much sooner this time, but definitely feel like the biggest growth spurt was at 22 weeks – the same week I had a major growth spurt with Joy Belle.
Miss anything? Sleep and turkey sandwiches.
What are you looking forward to? His arrival! Meeting Joy Belle after carrying her for 38 weeks, was the best part of the entire process. I can’t wait to see his sweet face and wrap him up in my arms!

Although my sister & sister-in-law may be the only ones reading this, I thought I’d share a few outtakes from my baby bump photo session. Big surprise, Joy Belle did not want to participate. It took two days of attempts to get her to stand in front of the camera, but I absolutely love the ones she decided to join me for.

You can view photos & posts of my pregnancy with Joy Belle here.