What's Melissa Rycroft looking forward to most during her pregnancy?
"Having the actual belly bump!" she tells UsMagazine.com.
Currently at the beginning of her second trimester, Rycroft, 27, tells Us, "I just have a little pooch. It looks like I've just put on a few pounds. I think that's a state no girl likes to be in, so I'm ready for the big belly bump. I've also heard from my friends that once you get the big belly bump, it's kind of at the point where you're ready to have the kid come out and you're just done being pregnant. It's a short window to enjoy, but I can't wait!"
Rycroft, who announced her pregnancy news exclusively to Us Weekly, says she recently returned to the gym after "pregnancy fatigue" forced her to take a break during her first trimester.
"I'm laying low a little bit — I'm just doing maybe 30 minutes of cardio a day," she tells Us. "I'm laying off the weights and I really want to start yoga and Pilates because it's easier on your body when you're pregnant. It's not as hard on your joints. My goal is to keep a really strong core. That's what I want to do."
As for pregnancy cravings, Rycroft – who wed insurance agent Tye Strickland last year – says she isn't yearning for anything too unhealthy.
"When I think about pizza, burgers, chicken fingers or foods like that, it really makes me kind of cringe," she tells Us. "My body wants fruit. I eat apples like they're going out of style!"
Rycroft says she's been relying on Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs book for pregnancy pointers.
"I've also gotta bunch of apps on my iPad that kind of document day-by-day what's going on," she tells Us. "It's a fun process. This only happens one time for the very first time, so we're trying to savor everything, every new change and every new milestone."