Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Hope you have an amazing day!

Cabo San Lucas

Beautiful weather and a much need trip! I think we both agree that coming into work this morning was rather challenging. 
We stayed at a resort right on the beach and had 90 degree weather all four days - ole!

 

It wouldn't be a good time without Robert participating in a booty shaking contest!

He knocked over my coffee, hah!

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.

Double Digits!

99 days to go! 
(not that I'm counting or anything)

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 weeks

Size: Weight of a rutabaga (1.5lbs)

Maternity clothes? Nothing new - still mixing and matching
Symptoms: Random bouts of nausea, back pain, and overall tiredness. 
Sleep: Pretty good this week. My Snoogle has been great, but the fluffiness has deflated a bit so it's not as supportive as it used to be.
Best moment this week: Honoring my Grandpa on Sunday by spreading his ashes in the bay. It was a nice way to say goodbye and the weather couldn't have been prettier.

 

On Monday we had our 24 week check-up. Hearing Baby A's heartbeat is always amazing. The doctor says the same thing every time we listen to the heartbeat or see him on the ultrasound - "Oh yea, he is all boy!" He is very active. On Tuesday, we had the hospital orientation and pre-registered for Labor & Delivery where I will be delivering. It was interesting to hear the different perspectives from a nurse, anesthesiologist, and pediatrician - lots of information and it feels more real now! Thursday I had my glucose tolerance screening to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes and am not anemic. It's been a busy week! 

Worst moment of the week: Watching the coverage on the bombs in Boston - how heartbreaking. Weird to think we were at the finish line for the SF Rock n' Roll half two weeks ago. Feels like nothing is safe anymore.
Miss anything? Well, my doctor recommended I lay low on sugar a few days prior to my glucose test on Thursday, so there were a few lonely nights without my chocolate chips - but I survived.
Movement: All the time.
Food cravings: Nothing
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing in particular, but I do have waves of nausea every once in a while - yuck.
Have you started to show yet: Yep!

Labor signs: None

Belly Button in or out? Still innie-flatty. My sister said hers never popped, so maybe mine won't either!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Cabo! Seriously looking forward to a sunny vacation on the beach with Robert.

Baby A, weight of a Rutabaga!

What's the baby up to?

• Baby is around 13.5 inches in length and weighs 1 and half pounds. (growing faster now!)
• Bones are becoming solid, hands are now fully developed.
• The brain is growing rapidly, the brain cells are starting to mature.
• The sexual organs are fully developed.

Baby is now pretty well built portion wise even though it still has little body fat and its skin is thin. The structures of the spine begin to form -- All 33 rings, 150 joints and 1000 ligaments. The tiny brain is growing rapidly, and the baby is starting to fill the space in your uterus. The uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball and mom looks pregnant.
Your baby's hands are now fully developed, although some of the nerve connections to the hands have a long way to go. Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and clasp objects placed in palm. Exploring the structures inside your uterus may have become baby's prime entertainment. Fascinated by the amount of tactile stimulation a fetus gives itself; it touches a hand to the face, one hand to the other hand, clasps its feet, touches its foot to its leg, its hand to its umbilical cord.
Blood vessels of the lungs develop. Your baby's nostrils begin to open. The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. Their swallowing reflexes are developing. Baby can hear sounds outside the womb and the brain cells are starting to mature also. Already it can learn and remember and can recognize its mother and fathers voice. The inner ear bones have hardened so hearing is more acute. Baby may hear your partner's voice more easily than yours, as baby is sensitive to a deeper pitch.
Babies born at 25 weeks of pregnancy have about a 50% chance of survival.
 

This week the puppies opened their eyes, learned to howl, and walked

Nursery DIY

Robert and I started looking at nursery decor right around the time we moved into the new place. I wanted something that didn't scream "baby!" but still had a softness to it. After looking at several places and not really liking anything, I chose to make some of my own decor! While Robert was in Vegas last month, I hunkered down for the weekend and got crafty :)
I chose to make some wall art, decorative poofs, and a mobile.

The wall art and mobile have not been hung yet, since we don't have all of the furniture in place. We still need to purchase the rocker and want to make sure everything works before hammering nails into the walls.
I am really happy with how everything has turned out so far and can't wait make more stuff!

24 Weeks (6 Months)

How far along? 24 weeks (viability week - if the baby were to be born at this point, there would be a chance of survival)
Size: Ear of corn (1.3lbs and 12 inches long)
Maternity clothes? Nothing new - still mixing and matching, although it is becoming a lot more difficult to wear normal clothes and takes some creativity!

Symptoms: Still having back pain, but I feel so much better this week compared to last week. I have gained a few pounds and am feeling it! Good to know he is growing, but it's harder to move around and so weird feeling this big. Better get used to it! 

Wrinkly arms

Sleep: Much better than last week. I slept through the night three nights in a row - amazing.

Best moment this week: Spontaneous date nights with Robert. Neither of us has taken the initaitive to do the grocery shopping this week, which has led to impromptu date nights. Don't mind if we do! <-- maybe this the where the extra poundage is coming from, hah! Also, yoga. I am becoming obsessed with my prenatal yoga classes and am sad thinking I won't be able to go anymore once the baby is born! The studio I go to has mom and baby yoga, but something tells me that's just not the same.

Warm walks after work

Worst moment of the week: It's been a pretty good week - no complaints.
Miss anything? Fitting into clothes - now that everything else is getting bigger, it's harder to get dressed.
Movement: Lots - although there were a couple of days where he didn't move much. He came back in full force and let me know he was okay. I've heard this is totally normal so I am not too worried about it.
Food cravings: After a long walk in the sun yesterday, I was craving a big bowl of cereal so we stopped by on our way home and grabbed a few boxes :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes. This week has been a rather large week, too. Looks like I need to pick up some new clothes...I resorted to wearing a maxi dress to work, out of sheer laziness/comfort. Probably not something I should get used too! Here is a comparison between 14 weeks and 24 weeks.

14 weeks                                                                                    24 weeks

Labor signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Inny-flatty, depending on the day. Robert is fascinated by it.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat on Monday - we have our 24 week check-up. Also getting excited for our trip to Cabo in two weeks. I can't wait to lounge in the sun and relax for a few days!


What is the baby up to?  

• He is now gaining around 3 ounces a week.
• He weighs about 1.3 pounds and is 12 inches long.
• The eyelids can be seen very clearly.
• If born at this stage is officially considered viable, he may well be able to survive (this is very exciting). 

The lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree and cells that produce surfactant. This is a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily and also keeps the small air sacs in our lungs from collapsing. He practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into developing lungs.Baby gains about 3 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. The body begins to fill out with its appearance increasingly becoming more like that of a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste (wonder what he thinks of kale juice).
Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of the hands has improved as they sucks their thumb. Over the next week or so, the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. 

Car Seat

Looks like Baby A has a new ride! 
Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Andersen for the car seat and car seat adapter (for the stroller)!

Now to read up on car seat safety - I hear it's confusing.

Lately

Wiggly

Being supportive

BFF bought me an outfit for Cabo - cutoff maternity shorts, what! <3

Evening walks

Go Jillian!