19 Nov 2003 - 12:31pm - 26 Weeks

Snoogles are the best. No, really, I mean it. While registering for the baby last night, we came across Snoogles... these monsterous, pretty much double-body length pillows that curl in at the top and bottom. They're designed to wrap around a pregnant woman to give support to back, legs, and stomach and aid in sleeping. A wee bit expensive, but oh! was the investment worth it.

I slept wonderfully well last night. Still woke up on occasion, but more because I'm pregnant and less because I was in abject pain. I wouldn't say that I didn't ache at all, but I was comfortable.

I also tend to sleep far better when I feel completely snuggled in and surrounded by squishy softness, which is exactly what the snoogle does.

I do feel bad for my husband, though, who commented that he "felt replaced" when I wrapped the snoogle around me. :)

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Yes, this does mean we finally have a registry up online. You can get to it via Babies-R-Us (either online or at a store - there's one in Attleboro, off Route 1, south of the Emerald Square Mall), or through Amazon.com (with whom Babies-R-Us is affiliated). We may still add to it, but it's there for all of you who were wondering. :)

It was fun last night to wander around the baby store, and John certainly enjoyed zapping things with the scan gun. Though it did take rather long, and so many things to look at and through!

I must say, though, it's insane how expensive most baby things are. After our wedding, I remember how we choked at some of the wedding costs, but understood that, well, weddings are somewhat of a racket. A single day, a huge expensive. But at least it was behind us (and soooo worth the money we spent! Especially considering we paid less to get married in Disney and got a bazillion times our money worth than if we had gotten married in MA).

But, oh no, they get you again: when you have children. Maybe this is their way of preparing you for the expense of raising children? Still and all, it's so expensive!

Though I cannot deny how much fun it is to buy baby stuff. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!

19 Nov 2003 - 3:16pm - 26 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and is about 14 inches long with its legs extended. If you could see her now, you might be able to glimpse her baby blues (or browns, greens, hazels . . .) since her eyes are beginning to open. Fetal brain scans at 26 weeks show that she responds to touch. Response to sound is growing more consistent as the nerve pathways to the ears develop. She also continues to take small breaths, and although she's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when she's born.

Your baby may be very active between weeks 24 to 28, when small size and ample amniotic fluid allow for freedom of movement. You may feel your baby jump in response to loud sounds or "settle" at the sound of your voice.

You should boost your intake of grains and legumes by about a serving a day from now until you deliver since your baby needs the extra nutrients. Fiber-rich foods, including whole grain breads and cereals, lentils, and brown rice, are high in vitamin B and help fend off constipation.

Your childbirth class should start sometime in the next few weeks, if it hasn't already. Take notes in class so you can review them if you get nervous about labor later. Keeping informed goes a long way toward calming any concerns you may have about giving birth.

You're nearing the home stretch — the third trimester. Before you know it, you'll have your baby in your arms. Around this time, your blood pressure may be increasing slightly as it returns to normal from a low at 22 to 24 weeks. But if it goes above your pre-pregnancy level or if your weight suddenly shoots up or your vision blurs, and your hands and face swell, you may have preeclampsia. Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have any of these symptoms.

As your belly gets bigger and your baby's movements increase, you are probably beginning to think more and more of your upcoming birth. And you may find that birth plans you were comfortable with early in your pregnancy no longer work for you. Many women begin to seriously rethink their plans for birth around this time. Remember, hardly any decisions you have made are set in stone. Many women have changed care providers -- even during the final weeks of their pregnancy. It is important to make decisions that are best for you and your family.

So week 26 finds us with our baby registry (finally!) done, and a growing sense of excitement and anxiety and joy. We had a nice dinner last night where we talked much about the coming baby - our fears at not being ready, that we won't know what to do or how to care for a baby or that we'll 'do it wrong.' Couple that with our growing sense of wonder and excitement, and the rational part of our brains trying to affirm that we'll do fine.

I do think they should offer "childcare" classes in addition to "childbirth" to cover a lot of the questions first-time parents may have. Maybe I should just get some books on the topic.

It was fun (if somewhat exhausting) to go through all the baby stuff at Babies'R'Us last night, even if we had to keep from choking at some of the price tags. There's so much neat stuff and cool gadgets, and even "racing" strollers that have breaks on them! And baby clothes and nursery sets and the like are just so adorable.

I had the most amazing experience last night on the way to the store. I could feel the baby moving around - s/he was obviously having as much difficulty as I in finding a comfortable position. There was a sudden downward kick (that hurt a bit) and then this sensation of weight underneath my right-side ribs. I had the mental image of the baby kicking itself up into a higher position, and put my hand over underneath my ribs, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. And I felt something round and hard beneath my hand. A quick feel to the other side of my chest/abdomen revealed that side, while firm, was far softer... a few more moments of feeling the right side again, and I was dead certain what I was feeling: the baby's head.

That was just too cool. And so weird. And I ended up chasing our little one away after a while. I guess s/he didn't appreciate me poking him/her, but I just couldn't get over the fact that I could feel the shape of the baby beneath my hand!

(And as I type this, the baby is being quite active. Kicking, hitting, moving... I think even hiccupping, which was really hard not to laugh during because it somewhat tickled.)

My next appointment is this upcoming Tuesday - the last of my monthly appointments. As of December 3 - 28 weeks, and the third trimester, they will move to every 2 weeks. Closer and closer to the end we get! 14 weeks to go.

If our little one takes after me, it would only be 8 weeks. Scary thought, no?