In which there is much less whining (I promise!)

Week: 26. 
 
Baby Size: 9 inches. She's weighing in at 2 whole pounds! 

Sleep: It was pretty rough this week, with the cold recovery.  Also not helping is that Jacquizza is now so big that she really has a huge effect on my bladder--every time she rolls on then off again, I have to get up and go! 

Diet and Exercise:  Not so much with the exercise this week, since the key to cold recovery is plenty of rest.  Diet wasn't too bad, except for not really being all that hungry.  I made up for it once I started feeling better, but there were a couple of days of not eating that much at all.
 
Movement: The baby blog I read compared the movements this week to having a rabid mongoose flipping out inside of a burlap sack.  Boy, is she right!  Jacquizza has been all over the place this week!  She is certainly either head up or head down, because I get kicks/punches both high up and lower down now.  Her limbs must be facing left, since that's where I feel limbs pushing into me.  And while I'm on my left side at night, she'll start punching the mattress.  It's really cool, but does make sleeping difficult! 

What I Miss: Again, being able to take medicines when I need them.  I did get through this week with the Netpot and Tylenol, but it would have been so much easier to just pop some Aleve Allergy Sinus and Mucinex!  But hey, I survived! 

What I'm Looking Forward to: I have another doctor's appointment on Thursday, so I'll get to hear her heartbeat again.  I'll also be doing the dreaded gestational diabetes test on Friday (probably), which is much less exciting.  My OB does a 2 hour test with a 12 hour fast beforehand, I think to try to avoid  having to do a 1 hour and then a 3 hour test.  I'm slightly less than pleasant while fasting when I'm not pregnant; I can only imagine how I'll be now!   

Best Moment this Week: Watching Brian poke my belly after he got kicked in his hand.  He just started poking automatically, and then stopped and looked at me like "is this OK?"  I told him she deserved it, with the beating I've been taking from her lately!

Pregnancy Body-New and Exciting!..maybe:  I feel like I've really popped even since the last picture I posted.  I'll have to post another one next week to get your opinions.  Now when I got out in public, I get some very unabashed stares at my middle.  Otherwise, nothing really new to report.  My back and hips so far are OK (although if I lie on one side for too long, that hip starts to talk to me), but I am looking forward to getting back to working out this week to keep everything limbered up.  I vacuumed this morning and was immediately exhausted.  I'm pretty sure that has more to do with the cold than the baby, though! 

Baby Milestones: Jacquizza now has distinct sleep/wake cycles, which I can certainly attest to, and which seemed to be a bit messed up with the end of daylight savings time (just like mine)!  All 5 of her senses have now developed, and her eyes should start opening this week.  She doesn't have a distinctive eye color yet, but that will come.  This is also her last week in the second trimester--third begins at 26 weeks, 6 days!     


Food Cravings: Brian bought some Starbucks hot chocolate mix at Costco.  Heaven in a can. 

How's Dad?: He seems to have managed to avoid the cold, which is a very good thing!  I always feel so guilty when I'm sick and then I give it to him.  He's actually a very good patient and not whiny at all, but it makes me sad to see him feeling poorly.  

On that note, I have to say that I am very lucky to have Brian.  As I've mentioned, I read a message board on the internet regularly, and many posts lately have been about how their husbands are all being major jerks and they are doing nothing but fighting.  Brian has been nothing but sweet and supportive to me this entire time (and before).  Part of me can't understand why these women married these men in the first place, but I guess in most cases they were fine before the pregnancy and not so fine after that positive appeared.  I'm sure a lot of it is that Brian and I were both on the same page about wanting kids, and apparently to some extent these other husbands weren't, but it's not like jerky behavior comes out of nowhere!
   

Tid Bits:  Classes were OK this week.  I wasn't by any stretch the most effusive teacher, but I seem to have gotten through everything all right.  My students were certainly sympathetic, which made matters easier.  I can't believe I now have less than a month left in the semester!

We have our front room furniture delivered now, and it look amazing!  We are still missing the window treatments and the rug for the living area, but the room looks like a finished space now.  The wall colors look fantastic with the furniture, and I'm so pleased at how everything has come together.  I've already threatened Beau's life if he so much as thinks about using the new couch as his personal litter box (he's prone to doing that), and Zoe's if she tries to use it as a scratching post.  Snowball will be fine!  Once we get everything done, I will absolutely post pictures for you guys to see.  Next step is to get the upstairs rearranged and get started on the baby's room!  I have some things bought already, and will be sure to post as we work.