Week 26
Hello third trimester! :-)
We're back to the usual outfit and background. For one week at least because then we will be in Houston for the next two Saturdays!!
How far along: 26 weeks, 5 days
Size of Baby S: 14 in, 1 lb, 11 oz
Fruit/vegetable comparison (according to Baby Center): English hothouse cucumber
Total weight gain: 11 lbs
Sleep: Better this week! Although perhaps that was because we stayed up until 2 and 3 am chasing the Northern Lights and I never really caught up this week...
Movement: Yes! I got concerned one day when she didn't move much, but later that evening she picked up a good amount and relaxed me.
Unglamorous body changes: Not really. I have found that I cannot lean over like I was able to before because there's a Baby Girl in the way, but that's not really unglamorous. In fact, the way I contorted my body to grab things pre-pregnancy was
Maternity Clothes? Pants yes, still okay wearing a lot of my tops, but many are being retired (I know, I know I said that last week too, but a bunch more went into the storage box for now.)
Showing: Yes! I've had multiple people comment this week that it's starting to look like I am actually pregnant. Third trimester success. ;-)
Food cravings: No, but I am starting to dream of all the delicious, albeit unhealthy, foods that Jason and I are going to be eating while we are in Houston...
What I miss: If I still say a margarita does that reflect poorly on me? Oh well, I want a margarita. On the rocks. With salt.
Anything making you queasy: Nope.
Strange experiences: First was when we were watching the Northern Lights. I haven't been up that late in a l-o-n-g time and Baby Girl was moving and shaking a lot every night! Either she was trying to keep warm or we have a nocturnal baby on our hands... I'm hoping for the former.
Thursday night of this week the strangest thing happened to me. I was laying in bed and I must have flexed my calf or something because all of a sudden I was wretching in pain with a charley horse. Jason heard me suffering and came in concerned with an ice pad. I've had a charley horse before, but not like this and man did it hurt! Could be completely non-pregnancy related, but I'm throwing it in here anyway. And getting on the foam roller to stretch out my calves...
Milestones: Baby Girl's ears are developing and more sensitive. She can hear Daddy and I talking to one another. She can also probably hear Thrift Store blasting on the radio since I'm currently obsessed with that song... perhaps I need to re-evaulate what music I expose her to in uteru...
She's also starting inhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid to prepare her lungs for that first gulp of air after she's born.
Best moment this week: I received the invitations for my two baby showers in Houston and they are both wonderful! I feel so incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends and family that want to celebrate Baby Girl with us. :-)
Saturday we went to the bi-annual Stavanger Kids Sale. We sought out specifically winter clothes for Baby Girl to use this fall/winter and anything else good we could find. We were able to get some great deals and she's going to be one stylin' and warm baby!
Thoughts: My friend Chelsea who is just a few weeks ahead of me in the first baby department also does weekly updates on her blog. She has a section of Thoughts on hers that I really like and am going to copy because I have a random thought that I want to capture and it doesn't fit under another section. I am in charge of the blog, right?! I do what I want! Sometimes.
Anyway, before I digress too much. I am still deep into the book I mentioned in last week's update, Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies, and a section regarding the Golden Hour really struck me. It discussed those first moments when you see your baby and hold him/her. There are a striking number of benefits from having that initial mother-child physical contact right after the delivery. You provide heat and warmth, which soothes the baby. Your smell becomes imprinted on the baby and as a result she has a tendency to prefer your smell at least in the short-term. Most strikingly, is that the hormone exchange that occurs with the skin-to-skin contact can increase your chances of being able to successfully breastfeed greatly.
The unfortunate thing is that it sounds like in the US that the baby is quickly whisked away for cleaning, foot printing, weighing, etc. before given back to you. (Granted, I have not given birth in the US and perhaps this isn't the case or you have control over what you want to happen after the birth.) I have no idea what to expect or prepare for being here in Norway, but it's something that has really left an impression on me and I now have a strong desire to hold my Baby Girl during some of that Golden Hour right after she enters this world. Jason is aware of how I feel about it and has promised to help however he can in insisting that we get some time with Baby Girl. We also plan to ask about it during our birth class in April.
Looking forward to: Mexico and Houston next week!!!! We leave Friday for Houston and will celebrate Jason's birthday before hopping on a quick flight down to Cozumel. We are planning to relax (or at least attempt to try and relax) for a couple days on our "babymoon" and also do maternity photos on the beach. Then we're headed back to Houston for lots of time with friends and family and preparing for the arrival of Baby Girl! We are so excited for the trip!!!!
