Week 26, Feb. 12 - Feb. 18

Thursday, February 12th (105 days to go)
One more week left until the 3rd trimester! Yea! I can still remember how excited I was to get out of the 1st trimester. I can hardly believe that we are nearly two thirds of the way there!!

For the first time this morning I woke up with some of the aches that I went to sleep with. Usually a good night's sleep takes care of that, but not this time. :( I hope it was just a fluke.

On a sweet note: A couple of mornings (and nights) now while I slept Isaac has put his hand on my belly and felt Ella move. I think he particularly likes that... like the baby is putting on a show just for him.

Baby Update: Now that the baby's nostrils have begun to open, the baby will make muscular breathing movements as its body prepares to draw air into the lungs at birth. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Friday, February 13th (104 days to go)
Baby Update: Within the next two days, air sacs (alveoli) will have developed in the baby's lungs. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Saturday, February 14th (103 days to go)
Happy Valentine's Day everybody!!

Last night my belly felt the tightest (stretched out) it has ever felt before. It was strange feeling... like the baby could pop right out of my belly button or something. And although I'm just shy of the third trimester, I think the uncomfortableness of the third trimester is setting in. It's getting harder to get comfortable at night. My belly used to be softer, even if it was getting bigger. As the baby fills up the space in the uterus, my belly gets harder... I can't comfortably lay even partially on my belly anymore. haha... and instead of just pulling myself up off the couch with my legs like I used to, I now push myself up with my arms. And Isaac says I waddle... I do sometimes... when I have certain aches and pains. If I sit here too long I'm certain to get them... walking actually seems to be a cure for some aches. And forget lifting anything heavy or even making the bed... bending over and carrying things kills my back. I'm so ready for May to come. And we're pretty much ready for the baby to come. We have everything really necessary, with the exception of diapers. But she'd better stay in there until May because she's still got a lot of development to do.

Baby Update: During this week, the baby's lungs will begin to secrete surfactant, a substance which keeps the lung tissue from sticking to itself. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Sunday, February 15th (102 days to go)
Last night while at dinner I felt one of Ella's body parts for the first time. I think she was laying sideways because we think it was a foot that we could feel far over on my right side. I think we amused some people at the restaurant because Isaac and I were both feeling the hard lump. I've been waiting for the day when we could definately feel her.

We went to Black Angus for dinner. I received a gift certificate at my bridal shower nearly 2 years ago. Figured it was as good a time as any to use it. There aren't any Black Angus's in Seattle, so we headed to Bellevue. We were going to see a movie to (for free... I have some free tickets), but we never manage to plan the "dinner and a movie" thing very well. By the time we were done eating (and after the hour and a half wait - which we whiled away at a Bed, Bath, & Beyond store), the next showtimes were all 2 hours away. So we decided we'd rent "Lost In Translation", but it was out. We rented "Dreamcatcher" instead. It was good... I'm not usually into "alien" movies, though I did like "Signs". I ended up dreaming about aliens though last night. First dream ever with aliens in it.

Baby Update: Over the next four days, brain wave activity will begin for the baby's visual and auditory systems. The baby's sensory systems are developing the kind of connections with the brain that will be useful for interpreting input after birth. While the presence of brain wave activity indicates that the baby's eyes have encountered a light source or that the baby's ears have intercepted a sound message, no comprehension is possible yet. This system needs practice just like all the others. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Monday, February 16th (101 days to go)
Not much new to share today, but there is a new heartbeat sound for you. And here is Baby Center's Take on 26 weeks.

Baby Update: Over the next couple of days, the baby's fingernails will become noticeable. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Tuesday, February 17th (100 days to go)
Baby Update: The baby is still lean - its skin wrinkles while covering it's nearly fat-free body. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.

Wednesday, February 18th (99 days to go!!)
Look! We're into the double digits people! Less than 100 days to go! Yea!!!!!!!

Belly photo day. There isn't much of a drastic change from this bi-weekly photo compared to the last. But you can judge for yourself:

Baby Update: This was an important month in the baby's life. At this point, it has completed two-thirds of its stay in [the] womb. In the next three months, the baby will be progressively able to survive without such an intimate attachment. By the end of this sixth month of pregnancy, [the] baby will measure at least 9 inches long (crown to rump) and weigh at least 1 3/4 pounds. - "The Pregnancy Journal" by A. Christine Harris, Ph.D.