Week 26

Along: 26 weeks

Size of baby: The baby is the size of a scallion. The peanut is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his/her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when the baby is born and takes that first gulp of air. He/she is continuing to put on baby fat (love the chub). The peanut now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: My guess would be 16-18 pounds. I feel like the baby belly has doubled in size so maybe it is more. These days, people know I am pregnant and think I'm due soon (like next month). I guess I got what I asked for!

Maternity Clothes:  I wear a mixture of both. The belly band has been a great life saver. I also have been using the hair tie in the shorts trick a lot. Anything with an expandable waist possibility is my best friend.

Gender: Surprise! We have decided to switch our girl name. It will still be a secret until the baby arrives, but if I were to have the baby tomorrow and it was a girl- she would not have a name. Matt and I cannot agree.

Movement: All day and all the time!

Sleep: It is hit or miss. The weekends are nice because I can take a nap to recover from the restless sleep. By the end of the day Monday through Friday, I am P-O-O-P-E-D!

What I miss: I miss having my clothes fit and definition in my cheeks. I do not love the chubby cheeks of pregnancy. All pictures make for a very round and full face.

Cravings: Anything. I'm in the stage where you say a food and I will probably tell you- "oooooo that sounds good." If I were to pin point the specific cravings this week, I would say I have been loving bananas, avocados, graham crackers, spinach, salad, cheese, any type of sandwich, apples, peaches, and cottage cheese.

Symptoms: Endless hunger, roller coaster mood swings, swollen digits (fingers and hands), irritable skin (under my wedding ring, it gets dry- have been taking a break from wearing it- BUMMER), itchy skin, pressure, and pea size bladder.

Best Moment This Week:  One Saturday, the Friedecks came to Dallas and we all went to the aquarium. It was so much fun. I loved seeing the boys react to the different animals. Noah thought that some stripped fish were bees and a sloth he called a kitty. It's just so funny how they perceive the world. I think the cutest thing is that out of this trip- Noah learned the word turtle and can say it very clearly. Hudson and Noah held hands and interacted like little boys- wild and crazy. Matt and I loved getting to catch up with Karl and Amber. It's so fun to be around people in similar life stages. Amber and I missed each other so much we even dressed alike- not on purpose. After two and a half hours of exploring the aquarium, we went to one of our new Dallas favorite spots (we've been to like 4 restaurants, so we have limited knowledge) but we went to Bread Winners. It was great food and a great time! Here are some of my favorite pictures below. We took tons (Amber loves pictures like I 

do)! 

Noah's 21 month post to come tomorrow as well as a surprise post sometime before Sunday!