26 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

The network of nerves in the baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both John and my voice's when we chat with each other. She is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she is born and takes that first gulp of air. She is continuing to put on baby fat and now weighs about a pund and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel.

How is the Mommy doing...

I am so happy that the craziness of the first part of this month is now over! We are home and it is nice to know that the rest of this month and summer should be calmer. I also can't believe that in a couple more weeks I will be entering my third trimester. I am excited but also a little overwhelmed that it has come up so quickly.

Last Monday was a busy day, I started out with my doctor's appointment and everything looks good. The babies heart beat was at 155 bpm, my blood pressure and measurements were normal and everything is continuing to progress as it should. I expressed my concern over how little she moves and was reassured that she will be moving more and more as she runs out of room. I have felt some stronger kicks here and there this week but nothing like I though she would be doing by now. I also asked the doctor her opinion on how much weight I have gained since I am already over 20 pounds and still have 14 more weeks to go. She said that everything was fine and that since I wasn't really sick at all during my first trimester when most women lose weight that could be the reason or since I was running so much my body stored more nutrients to adjust. Either way since I eat pretty healthy and haven't changed my diet much, she isn't concerned. As long as little Avery is healthy and growing then I will continue to do what I am doing. The test for gestational diabetes came back negative which is a praise! Later that night we had our childbirth class at the hospital which went well and we are both feeling more and more confident about the labor process and what I will need from John. Since we were out town this Monday we are going to the Tuesday class this week.

Our changing table and crib came in this week and we were able to get the changing table home in the Civic and will need to go back with a friend to get the crib. So far we have put together a small bookcase for her books/toys and the changing table. It is so much fun to see the nursery taking shape. Now that we are done with all of our traveling and we have some weekends at home, I am sure we will get the nursery pretty close to finished soon.

We left for Portland on Friday to attend my good friend Megan's wedding and it was a crazy trip! We got to Portland fine and took the Metro Rail from the airport into downtown. We arrived at our hotel fine only for me to realize that for the first time in my life, I left my purse somewhere...on the train! We tried to reach the lost/found number only to be hung up on so I started to call all of my cards and cancel them and then John and I decided to go to a stop and see if we could catch the same train on the way back and talk to the driver. We ended up finding an operator who used his radio to find out that the train we were on was about 5 minutes away. When it arrived the driver did say he found a purse which he had for me. Although my wallet and ID were still there, someone did steal my cell phone, my cash and our camera. I was pretty upset. After getting composed, John and I got some lunch and walked around Portland before going to the rehearsal and dinner that night. The wedding went really well on Saturday and it was so such a blessing to be able to see such a good friend enter into marriage. I am so excited for them both and that they get to experience a whole new part of life. My bridesmaids dress worked out great and matched perfectly! I also had tons of energy that day which was a praise. We did end up getting some disposable cameras so once we get those developed I will update with pictures. After the wedding, we headed out on Sunday for Seattle. We originally planned on flying but got to the airport with not enough time to check in before the cut off (the insane lines did not help) we missed our flight. At this point in our trip we could not help but laugh at how two very organized/planning people have managed to make this a difficult and chaotic trip. They refunded our tickets since the only flight out was that night and John and I rented a car and drove to Seattle instead. About three hours later we finally arrived and I fell in love with Seattle! The weather was beautiful..sunny with a slight chill and the city was amazing. I loved seeing the mountains and Puget Sound! We spent Sunday walking around. We started out at Pike Place Market which is where I wish I could go weekly. I loved all of the fresh fruit, fish, vegetables and flowers! We ate some amazing clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder and stopped by the first Starbucks. After wondering around some more we headed back to the waterfront and decided to visit the Seattle Aquarium. I got to touch a sea cucumber, starfish and other various things and it was fun to see all the different fish and animals. We then walked along the waterfront some more and then went to check in at our hotel for a nap before dinner. We stayed at the Alexis Hotel in downtown which was great and we highly recommend staying there if you visit Seattle. It was a great location and a really nice hotel. After a nap we headed to the Space Needle for dinner which was so much fun. Since we only had a day in Seattle it was nice to be able to have a nice dinner and take in the views as it rotated. We were able to have great views of Puget Sound, Mt Rainer and the areas around Seattle. Today we got up early and made it back to Pike Place Market for breakfast at Lowell's overlooking the water and then we headed to the airport. I wish we could have had more time in Seattle but it is probably good we left when we did or else I would have started to look for houses and jobs. I loved the atmosphere of a big city that was laid back and was surrounded by nature. John and I will have to take a trip back after Avery comes! Overall our trip away went well. I am a little tired and although it went well I have no desire to travel until Avery comes as it is getting uncomfortable flying, sleeping away from home and just having enough energy to walk around and explore a whole new city. This week should be a little calmer but we still have a good amount of stuff to do with our class tomorrow and getting settled back into our daily routine.

• Next Doctor's Appointment: Friday, July 11
• Total Weight Gain: 22 pounds
• To Do This Week: Get a new cell phone, get a prenatal massage on Saturday, work on the nursery, get a haircut

How is the Daddy doing...

John enjoyed visiting Portland and was able to spend all day Saturday exploring on his own while I was getting ready for the wedding. He also celebrated his first Father's Day. Avery got him a shirt for her to wear that says,"I love my Daddy," and he also got a book on what to expect as a new dad. Hopefully by reading that he can be a little more prepared to handle the changes about to come. John loved the Seattle weather and would like to report that they have just as many Starbucks (maybe more) than Houston. We both had a good time away but are both really happy to be home and are looking forward to some calmer weeks ahead.

John and I at the rehearsal dinner