Pregnancy Diary: 26 Weeks

How Far Along: 26 weeks
Weight Gain: 27lbs
Size of Baby: A Cucumber

Food Cravings: Fruit juices! I desperately need to drink a glass of orange juice every morning and generally want to drink a lot of juice as the day goes by. I know juice isn't that great for you (hello sugar) but I just can't help myself it tastes so sweet and yummy! I'm also always craving French Fries (hello fat) particularly McDonalds fries. I know it's so gross to admit but I've eaten way too much McDonald's during this pregnancy. I am going to have to completely cut it out of my life after I give birth. I don't know if I have the willpower to do it before. Though all my maternity pants are getting a little tight around the hips and derriere and I still have 3 months to go so maybe I'll be forced to stop eating copious amounts of fries each month!


Food Aversions: None, lucky me!

Baby Movement: This baby must be a gymnast or something because there is constant flipping and kicking and overall wiggling going on in my belly. All of my kids have been real movers in the womb and I'll confess I really don't like it. I don't know why but it super creeps me out when I can feel them pushing on me from the inside out! Its the worst when it feels like a hand or foot is being pressed again my belly and then running along from side to side. I really dislike that one a lot! It's ok when it's just some light tapping or bump type feelings but in general feeling baby move is super weird for me. I guess it's good to know she's healthy and alive and active.

Overall Mood/Feeling: Exhausted. I don't know if I have ever been this tired in my life. I'm guessing the late nights and chasing two kids around all day aren't helping. What I really need before this little lady makes her debut is a week to sleep with no interruptions. I'm dreaming of any vacation away from everyone in which I can be the laziest person in the world and literally not move out of my bed for days. Sigh. So unrealistic but a girl can dream right? I'm still a bit moody and grouchy and definitely more sensitive/irritable than normal, but now that I'm so darn tired I'm losing my will to fight and just instead giving in to Marshal's demands and behaviour etc. I'm sure it's not a great parenting technique but I'd rather just give the kid what he wants than fight him for what I want. Besides all I really want is as much peace as I can possibly get.

Symptoms: I just added this category because boy have I been feeling it. This pregnancy is by far the worst of the 3! I don't know how women go on to do 4 and 5. Right now with the way my body feels I never want to experience this again, no matter how cute the end result. My body is just aching from head to toe all day long. I've always had problems with my back from dance but this is just the kicker, I don't even remember what it feels like to not have back pain. My hips have never ached so bad in my whole life. Even after 6 hours of intense dancing I've never felt so awful. Then of course is the breathing which is killing me. I can barely walk up the stairs without panting like I've just run a race, it's horrible. I feel like I am constantly short of breath and unable to catch it. I know I haven't been super active during this pregnancy but I am still teaching dance. I don't know how it could be better because every time I do try to do more walking I just feel worse and end up so sore and stiff I can barely move later in the day. I'm amazed at all the pregnant women I know who are working out to the very bitter end. As soon as I am done work in 3 weeks I'll be sitting on my butt not moving a muscle until I give birth. I know I just keep going on and on about this but my body really feels as though it is falling apart. Every day I keep fantasizing about the day I can work out again, do a dance class, lift some weights, do an intense hike and feel the burn of my muscles that feels good not like I'm going to die from walking up to my room with a basket of laundry. Seriously I don't even know whose body this is anymore.

My Thoughts: I'm almost in the home stretch. And by that I mean the 3rd trimester because I know there are still quite a few weeks (of aching) to go. Still 14 weeks isn't as many as it may seem and I know that I have a TON to do before I am ready to have another baby in my house. There are a gazillion projects that need to be completed before she arrives- furniture to be refinished, rooms to be painted, blankets to be made, chairs to be recovered. Oh my! I hope I can somehow find the energy to get it all done because I'm sure the next 3 months will go by quickly. I am also getting excited to see what this little lady is going to be like. Excited to meet her and her cute little face. Oh but I am dreading the name thing. We still have zero names on our list. Ha picking a girls name is tough!!!  Boys names are so much easier. I hope I can come up with something nefore she makes her debut.

Ok I'm, going to stop now. So that's all for my 26 week report!

Jordan