Twenty-Six Weeks

Today Nick is 26 weeks old. Only 98 days to go!! He is so active, which I love - it lets me know everything is ok in there. Sometimes it feels like he's resting with his chin on his hand and his elbow propped on one of my organs :) I am thankfully still sleeping through the night - no midnight bathroom trips or 2 am kicks to wake me up, but I am sure those things are coming :)

According to The Cradle, at this point, Nick has completed two-thirds of his stay in my womb. In the next three months, Nick will be progressively able to survive without such an intimate attachment. By the end of this sixth month of pregnancy, Nick will measure at least 9 inches long CRL (230 mm) and weigh at least 1 3/4 pounds (779 g).

According to Pregnancy Weekly, Nick weighs almost 2 pounds, measures around 14 inches from head to heel, and hears noises, responds to light, and is generally more aware of his surroundings. In the same way that I can see a flashlight if I hold it against my palm, Nick can see the light coming through my belly. I may notice increased activity when in brighter light and decreased activity in darkened rooms. His hearing is fully developed, and as he reacts to sounds, his pulse increases. Nick may even move in rhythm to music!

According to Baby Center, the network of nerves in Nick's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both my voice and Jeff's as we chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. His testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Yesterday at New Year's in Ludington, Jeff and I met baby Isabella - his cousin's wife had a baby on Dec. 7. She is so tiny and adorable! Here I am holding her. I held her for a little while and could only marvel at how perfect and small she is, and think about what it will feel like to hold Nick and marvel at how perfect and small HE is :) Every little thing Isabella did was fascinating - we can only imagine how fascinating Nick will be to us! Grandma Lundberg already knit baby Nick four pairs of booties - Jeff and I love our adult-sized booties from Grandma, so we're sure Nick will love his too.

I also found my new favorite store this week - Buy Buy Baby. It's a chain owned by Bed, Bath and Beyond - so it's set up just like a BBB but with just baby stuff! I was there for a good hour and a half just wandering around. They had a great selection of baby clothes, nursery furniture, strollers and car seats.