Week 26

I'm in my 26th week! Only a few more weeks and I will be in my third and final trimester! ;)

Your Baby in Week 26 of Pregnancy

Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are beginning to open. What this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now. Unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting! But do try this at home for kicks: Shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response....as in: "Get that light out of my eyes!"
 
The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until your baby is close to six months old.
 
Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity. And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight of about nine inches tall and two pounds, and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow.

My baby belly info:

Week: 26

Starting weight: 98

Weight now: 115

Fundal height (measurement, in centimeters, of uterus.....usually round abouts equivalent to your gestational week):I'm guessing 25-26. I was suppose to have my midwife appointment yesterday, but had to cancel because come 4 o clock I wasn't feeling that great and wound up going to bed at like 7:30 after a bath and some Tums. Poop! So hopefully appointment later today or tomorrow!  

Things of note:

I swear I will be giving birth to Chuck Norris or the Karate Kid! Timothy kicks and punches and squirms and flips ALL THE TIME. Seriously. He makes it hard to fall asleep at bed time and even wakes me up in the middle of the night! But that's definitely not a complaint! I love feeling him move, even if it is getting painful at times.  When I notice a knee or an elbow bulge (or maybe it's stretched out feet!) I poke him and he retreats and then pokes back. Haha! It's great to be able to play and get a response from him before he's born!

He's a fan of the shower. When I step into the water and have the shower stream hitting my belly he is quite. The second I step away so the water isn't hitting my belly he gives a few kicks, maybe telling me to move back in the stream because he likes the rhythmic sound? It's fun. :) When Anthony and Molly were babies, I would bring them in the bathroom with me in their bouncy chair when I took a shower because they would fall asleep to the sound of the water. And when they were crying and I ran out of soothing options, I'd put them in the bathroom in their bouncy chair and turn on the hair dryer because the sound of the dryer calmed them and they'd wind up falling asleep. Isn't that funny? I've no doubt Timothy will be the same. I've read a few articles that have said babies grow accustomed to certain sounds they hear regularly while in the womb and some of those sounds become soothing to them. Those same sounds may continue to be soothing to them once born. This is why a baby will recognize and be soothed by his Mama's (and possibly Papa's) voice from the second he's born. How amazing is that?

I'm pretty much gaining a pound a week. Yikes! I hope that trend doesn't continue for much longer, I still have 14 or so more weeks to go! LOL! But you know, childbirth is the fastest way to loose at least 10 pounds in a matter of seconds. ;) And then, if you're me, you sweat another 10 pounds in water weight out within the first 1-2 weeks after birth. Besides, I know a lot of women who gain far more than a pound a week throughout their whole pregnancy. So I'll just quietly sit here with my rice crispy treats, munching away, thankful my body isn't that mean to me.

Here's my 26 week pics!

With love,

Mama Hauck