26 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks 
Size: Length of an English Hothouse Cucumber (14 inches) 
Maternity clothes? Nothing new - mix between maternity and regular clothing. Since the weather has been so warm I have been able to wear dresses this week, which is nice. 
Symptoms: Lots of growing pains. After a painful day/night I feel bigger the next day. Robert has noticed a change in the shape (and size) of my belly which tells me this pain is probably due to baby boy going through a growth spurt.
Sleep: Sleep has been good! I am not waking up very often and when the alarm goes off in the morning I am still sound asleep.
Best moment this week: We purchased the rocker for the nursery, yay! I'm glad we ended up buying it when we did because it takes eight weeks to ship. Also loving the weather this week - I can't get enough of the sun! It makes me so happy and feels like summer is well on its way. How cute are the puppies? The breeder was trying to get them to howl, but only two of them ended up doing it. She gave each one a colored collar so now we know who is who :)

Worst moment of the week: Growing pains - took my breath away a few times.
Miss anything? Being able to bend/twist/move with ease. It's challenging getting in and out of bed - especially with my huge pregnancy pillow, putting on and taking off my shoes, picking up something I've dropped (<-- the worst), etc.
Movement: All the time - he is definitely having a dance party in there and his kicks/punches surprise me sometimes because of how strong they are. The other night he had (what I think were) hiccups! Quick little pops over and over in the same spot for about 10 minutes.
Food cravings: I was craving a burger earlier in the week, so I made turkey burgers with all of the fixings. Yum!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular. As long as I don't eat too much in one sitting, I am good.
Have you started to show yet: Robert and I have both noticed a change in the belly this week - large and in charge.

Labor signs: I realized I have been having Braxton Hicks for the last few weeks. I thought it was the baby rolling hard against my stomach, but after reading about Braxton Hicks, I quickly realized that it wasn't actually the baby and I have really been experiencing early (and very normal) contractions! 
Belly Button in or out? Inny-flatty
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: A few days away on the beach! Also, this is the last week of my second trimester, which is hard to believe. I am looking forward to the last trimester and all of the fun things we have planned. Baby A is well loved already and we can't wait to meet him.

Baby A, length of a hothouse cucumber!

What's the baby up to?

• The baby measures 14 inches long and weighs over 1.7 pound.
• The feet are 2 inches (5cm) long (how adorable). Hands are very active (yes they are).
• The baby's eyes begin to open around this time.

Baby makes breathing movements, but there is no air in his lungs yet. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that they can get a thumb into the mouth. Thumb sucking calms him and strengthens the cheek and jaw muscles.
The fetal brain scan will show response to touch. Touching and playing with the baby is possible now, as they may respond to your touch through your belly wall (Robert was poking him the other night and he kept kicking back. It was cute). Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop. Baby is probably very active in the womb, as the most active weeks are typically between weeks 24 and 28.
You may begin feeling your belly tighten and relax at odd moments or irregular intervals. These are Braxton Hicks contractions. Many babies have developed a predictable routine for sleep and active periods.
You may be experiencing shortness of breath as the uterus is very close to the rib cage at this stage. Some moms are not able to fully expand their rib cages; however, this does not negatively affect the baby in any way.