26 weeks

Does this shirt make my belly look big?

26 weeks + 4 days

It's not the shirt.  I think we have hit a growth spurt here lately.  I don't feel nearly as "big" as I look in these pictures.  Actually when I look at them I can't believe it's me!  Haha...  I think about the baby all the time but in my mind I still don't see myself looking like a pregnant lady.  At Trader Joes yesterday, the cashier was finishing bagging my groceries and he mentioned that he knows he can't make them too heavy for me.  I usually bag my own groceries, but if they are helping me I routinely ask them not to make the bags too heavy because of my back injury.  Confused as to how he knew about my back, I asked him how he knew I needed lighter bags.  He looked at me and said "well, I am observant!"  Ohhhh yea, duh - the belly, ha!  I am already so used to not lifting anything heavy because of my back I momentarily forgot that it's also a rule at this point in the pregnancy.  And well, I guess the whole incident has made me start to accept the fact that yes, I am quite obviously looking preggers these days!

26 weeks + 4 days

I would like to say I have been feeling awesome in the last week, but that would be a lie.  It's nothing that has to do with the pregnancy though...  I have been attacked by chiggers (3rd time this year) - on my neck, face, chest, arms, and legs  :(  If you have never been bitten by chiggers consider yourself lucky.  I think I picked them up from Lucy as she has been out in the woods a lot lately.  The bites on my sensitive skin are torturous, wake me up during the night because of the itching, turn into terrible welts, and usually last 3-4 weeks.  If they would go away, then I could say that I feel awesome.  Sigh.  Unfortunately I think this is the beginning of a few itchy weeks..  But I suppose it could always be worse - I still feel great pregnancy-wise and our little guy seems to be healthy and growing so overall things are pretty darn great  :)

At 26 weeks, baby B is the size of a head of lettuce, measuring in around 14 inches in length and weighing around 2 lbs (give or take a few ounces.)  The ears are getting more developed and his sense of hearing is becoming more sensitive.  He is also inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid which is essential for lung development.  He has eyelashes at this point, and is also starting to hiccup.  I know this for sure, as I felt it for the first time over the weekend.  I wasn't sure at the time if what I was feeling was really hiccups, but today I felt it again and after reading on the internets about what they feel like I am quite sure that's what he was doing in there.  He has given me some jolting kicks lately too as if he is trying to say "HERE I AM" and his nighttime dance parties are still in full swing.

This week we have our next birthing center appointment, as well as Erik's birthday which is on Thursday.  Two things to look forward to.  Also, we might have found a name for our little guy!  We have a list going but nothing has jumped out at us so far like this one has.  We have decided to keep it a surprise until he is born - we don't want anyone elses opinion to change our mind.  We haven't made a final decision yet (and might not until right before he is born) but it's pretty exciting to have found a name we both like so much  :)