26 weeks - Baby #2

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along :  26 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~14-15" long & ~2 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~ 13.5 lbs, right where I wanna be

Maternity Clothes :  100%.

Best Moment This Week : I'm sorry, this week has been a blur and it's hard to separate the moments to rank them. 

Gender : It's a boy!  I've made no forward progress on the nursery; currently you can't even walk around in the room b/c there's so much stuff just haphazardly thrown in there, but we plan to clean it up significantly at the end of the month.  Then I might hang the maps and start working on curtains.  Maybe :)

Also, I'm working hard on choosing a name, but I just CANNOT settle on one name over the others.  I'm praying for wisdom, as I think that God can use a name to shape a person, and trying to take Josh's input into consideration at least a little.  I've cut the list in half, but I just haven't decided yet.   

Movement : Little mister is quite the little mover!  There are definite down times throughout the day, but he's getting stronger.  He likes to kick wherever my hand/arm is resting, and he does big movements where I can feel him in different quadrants of my belly at the same time or in quick succession.  I wish I had a window!  I also wish I had a name for him most of all when he's moving; that's when I feel like addressing him by name the most.

Food Craving :  Iced tea.  It took me a while to realize I've been craving it, but realized I've been drinking some every few days and ordering it at CFA when we go and it's not just a passing thing.  Also, I really wanted some of those super soft frosted sugar cookies you get in the bakery section at your local grocery store/Target/Walmart/etc, so I bought some to share at book club, but then book club got canceled...so then I ate way too many all by myself. Whoops.

What I Miss Most : Time. I feel like everything with a big belly and two toddlers takes so long. I've got all these errands to run, returns at THREE different stores and LOTS of little chores around the house, and I can't seem to find time for any of it on top of the normal weekly busyness.  

Sleep : There have been no outside factors majorly affecting my sleep, but I'm definitely sleeping restlessly all night.  Like I said, little one is strong, so sometimes he wakes me, sometimes it's aching joints, sometimes it's a full bladder, sometimes it's a chirping bird at dawn... Either way, I'm pretty tired even though I've been sleeping "okay" (for a preggo).

What I Am Looking Forward To : Tomorrow we've having Mark & Melissa (+ Arianna & Ethan, of course) over to hang out and eat with us.  It's been too long since we got together with them, so I'm really looking forward to having out.

Belly Button : same.

Symptoms : B.Hicks.  They're usually spread out b/c I'm mostly drinking tons of water, but they can be so intense when they come. (Irony - having one as I type this)  Sometimes they stop me in my tracks.  Real labor is really going to be hard if fake labor is this rough. :)

Also, I'm waking up in the morning with reflux and the first thing I do when I get downstairs is take my zantac.  That means that my medicine is just barely getting me through and I'll probably have to up my dosage before the end. Some days I'm randomly taking the maximum already. 

Lately, I've been having these lightheaded spells. The triage nurse says it sounds within normal range, but I'll definitely be bringing it up to my doctor at the next visit. They're happening every few days despite my efforts to stay fed and hydrated, and I know the warning signs of fainting b/c I have passed out multiple times before, so I am careful when I start to feel woozy. But it's still disconcerting. 

Compared to last time : No carpal tunnel, more B.Hicks, same reflux.  I've also been shocked to read how MANY visitors we had last time.  Fall is a busy time for visitors, and I have to say, I'm partly glad we're on the opposite side of the year and haven't been as busy this time.  Not that I don't LOVE my friends & family, and I'm sure I'd enjoy seeing them, but two toddlers and keeping house and regular gym visits is enough energy expenditure for me right now! :-D  Whew.