Twenty-Six Weeks

Today I am twenty-six weeks pregnant and by the end of the week, will be entering the third trimester! I cannot believe it. Ninety-eight days until my little girl's EDD. Of course, first babies can arrive up to two weeks past their EDD, but I am definitely entering the last phase of this pregnancy.

Our baby girl at 25w6d - measuring about 2.5 lbs.

So far, so good. I had an appointment yesterday and we got to see Libby again. She's getting big and according to my OB's measurements, she is about 2.5 lbs. I have gotten bigger too and am now up 3 lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight. Not too bad for being nearly two-thirds of the way there. Because I am considered obese, I set a goal with my doctor of not gaining more than 15-20 lbs. So I am feeling good about where I am. Some of my pre-pregnancy clothes still fit (especially the tops) and I feel confident that once the baby arrives I may actually be smaller than when I got pregnant. We shall see. Best of all, my blood pressure has been great and I have had no issues up to this point. Beginning with my next appointment, on November 9th, I start seeing my OB every two weeks instead of every four as it as been since my BFP. I am also scheduled for my 1-hour glucose screening next time. I pray all is well with that!

I am officially done with all scheduled travel in 2009 and don't have any travel obligations for work until July 2010. Whew! I am glad. This last trip was uncomfortable. Long days, sore feet and back and a stuffy nose that came and went and came back again. I flew home stuffed up and that led to a blocked Eustachian tube that hurt so badly! It finally unplugged almost 12 hours after I arrived home with assistance from Sudafed (recommended by my doctor), a hot shower and ten minutes with a neti pot! The pressure was quite unbearable and as much as I hated to have to take medicine, it was the only relief. I am still stuffed up and am thinking it's seasonal allergies. I have, in the past, been allergic to the leaves that fall from trees and decompose this time of year. At my appointment yesterday I was offered the H1N1 vaccine and declined it until next time since I am not 100% sure whether or not I am fighting seasonal allergies or a head cold. That said, I was on the fence about the H1N1 vaccine, but my OB recommends that I get it especially since in the past 2 weeks children in my city have died from the virus. This way not only am I protected, but my baby will be too, once she is born.

What else? The baby is very active now and I can see her movements on the outside now. It's a trip! Now that I have no more travel planned I can get to some projects like making her a bird mobile and finishing up our nursery. We have our maternity/holiday family photo shoot in two weeks and I found some jeans and cute top to wear to show off my bump. The jeans are the LONG length ones by Duo available from JCPenny.com and I love them! I got two pairs...duo™ Adjustable Tab Jean and duo™ Classic Panel Bootcut Jean. They fit me WAY better than the pair I got from Old Navy and I am in love! Even better, they were on sale for nearly 40% off plus I used a Friends and Family coupon code to get an additional 20% so for about $50 I got both pairs! Yay! It's the little things, like well-fitted jeans, that can make a pregnant gal's day! I got a couple of tops that are fitted to complete the look for the photo shoot. When I first got pregnant I wasn't sure I'd want to wear fitted tops, but now that I have a bump, it's actually more flattering to wear a fitted top rather than a flowing one that just makes me look big all over. Who knew?

So...in my last week of the second trimester here's what's going on in there:

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The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

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