26 & 27 week pics.

Again, I run behind on all the prego taking pics. I am taking them, I have just not had time to actually upload them. The closer and closer it gets until David comes home, the more things I try to do to stay busy to make the time go by faster. It looks like this week, I may be stuck in the house though. It is literally raining sideways outside, and puddles are everywhere. I have a strong dislike for rain, and the smell of rain, and the general wetness of rain. I try to avoid rain.

I measured my belly at 38 inches. My uterus is 27 inches high up, which normally is kinda in the middle of the belly button and top, but since I don't have that roundness yet, it actually sits her right under my boobs. That is also the only spot I feel her at. I don't feel her all to often, but when I do, she is kicking me in the boob. I weighed in at 174.5 this morning. My goal was to stay under 180 until after David returned, and if I stay on track, the light is at the end of the tunnel!

On a sad note, Bethany Babs our fish died the other day. She got the "ick". Hyde was really really depressed about it. I knew the exact time frame she died in from his reaction, and sure enough, when I went in there, she had passed. He spent the rest of the evening in a corner, and wouldn't even come to bed. Then in the morning, he still jumped up there to say good morning, and kind of looked at me like "Mom, where is my friend?" I will be getting him another fish. I am waiting on the rain to slow down before I go into that part of town.

Since I am stuck inside today. My goal is to put all the unpacked stuff we have left on craigslist. We need the room in our garage to store baby stuff that we won't use until after we move to New Hampshire. The navy is scheduling the move for late August, which means Baby Moore will be 2 months old. She won't be using her play yard yet, or some of her other toys. LOL. My other goals include finishing up my baby registry, so I can look up reviews, and then give David options to choose from, buying a new bed spread [Hyde tore ours up, and David hates it], buy and set up curtains [So David can have a more homey feel to return to], get David's car oil changed, and a nice detail job done to it, and find some sort of welcome home gift for David.

26 weeks [03/23/10]

Belly coming out

Jeans still fit!

I like this one. You can see roundness, not just fatness! Haha

And now this week. Entering the 3rd trimester as of 03/29/10!!! I was a day late in pics though, so these were all done this morning. I really feel like my belly got huge this week. It also itched, and felt like it was stretching all week too. Plus to me, it looks and feels heavier.

27 weeks. The begginning of the 3rd, and final trimester!!

The belly is coming out from the front now too

Now in the 3rd trimester, and my pants still fit! I tried on some of my summer shorts, and they still fit too. But I would never brave wearing them nowadays. LOL

My belly pops out lots. I hope ppl start realizing I am pregnant now, and not just chunky

At this point, it's impossible to ignore-- so thanks to that 2 pound baby in your womb, you're really looking magnificently preggers these days! Good news: at this point, your baby's lungs are actually capable of breathing, which means if they were to be born prematurely, they'd have a very high chance of surviving. As for you, you're starting to move into that final leg of the journey with plenty of not-so-fun symptoms.

Week 27:I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 27: fetus in seventh monthYour not-so-tiny-anymore brilliant baby(about 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long!) is slowly rotating in preparation to “head out.” Obviously, this doesn’t happen overnight, but when you start to feel an unfamiliar pressure on your cervix, you’ll know you’ve got a fully flipped baby locked and loaded for the countdown to their birthday! Even now, at the beginning of the third trimester, their little lungs are already capable of breathing air while the pulmonary vascular system can provide sufficient gas exchange and the central nervous system can generally regulate rhythmic breathing as well as their basal body temperature. For what it’s worth, at this point in a healthy pregnancy a premature child (with intensive care) could easily win on the show: “Survivor: The Early Years.”

And how's mom doing? You’ve worked hard, done your research, endured a plethora of joyless symptoms and would like nothing more than to have wonder-baby on the outside. Well, dig in for the final endurance round and say hello again to the familiar but not-so-lovable faces of fatigue and nausea. You guessed it, the dratted the third trimester is really a time to kick your baby-on-the-outside preparations into high gear: baby-proof the home or apartment, buy a car-seat, get a stroller, dress up the nursery and plan a space for diapering, keep mulling over possible names, and try to enjoy this time…hormone factory is once again running at full-tilt (and causing rapid hair growth), sigh…. Your (“yaaaawn”) fatigue stems from several factors, including the proverbial weight gain, shortness of breath and of course, sleep deprivation. (See week 29 for tips on how to alleviate fatigue!).

Yes, ladies, you’ve finally reached the infamous “live-on-the-toilet” stage. Your feet are bigger, your breasts are bigger, your belly is bigger, even your baby is bigger—and something’s gotta give. Annoyingly, nature didn’t choose your butt and instead opted to compress your bladder, which is now being completely squashed by your-super-sized-baby... all day long. So your best shot is to just accept the fact you’re going to need to urinate every 10 minutes (and if you manage to go longer, thank the good lord).

Of course breast tenderness is also very common at this phase as milk production is kicking in. Other thrilling third-trimester symptoms include more swelling (known as edema) and feeling like you live in a sweat factory as a result of increased basal body temperature. Thank your baby: this temperature increase stems from their body heat coupling with your own, which of course all adds up to one hot mama!

Just in case you don’t have enough things to stress out about: we’d like to remind you the third trimester is really a time to kick your baby-on-the-outside preparations into high gear: baby-proof the home or apartment, buy a car-seat, get a stroller, dress up the nursery and plan a space for diapering, keep mulling over possible names, and try to enjoy this time… when you’re not nauseous, constipated, running to the toilet, or just plain wiped out. (And don’t forget to get your sleep, be active, and eat well! Phewee! we're tired just thinking about what you're going through!)

Your Pregnant Body This Week

Week 27 of Pregnancy: Swelling and Edema

Nearly three-quarters of pregnant women start to experience mild swelling of the extremities about now, particularly of the feet and ankles (but also your hands, as you may have noticed when you last tried to take off your rings).

Continuing on those sports analogies (remember, it was a soccer ball two weeks ago), your uterus has swelled to the size of a basketball at 27 weeks pregnant. But unfortunately, that's not the only thing that's swelling. Beginning somewhere around this stage of pregnancy, nearly three-quarters of pregnant women start to experience mild swelling of the extremities, particularly of the feet and ankles (but also your hands, as you may have noticed when you last tried to take off your rings). Called edema, such swelling occurs when fluids accumulate in your body tissues as a result of increased blood flow and pressure of your growing uterus on the pelvic veins and your vena cava (the large vein on the right side of your body that returns blood from your lower limbs to the heart).

Mild swelling sure isn't swell (especially when you try to squeeze into your shoes at the end of the day, when puffiness is at its peak), but it is completely normal. If your swelling seems to be more than mild, talk to your practitioner. Excessive swelling can be one sign of preeclampsia, but when it is, it's accompanied by a variety of other symptoms (such as elevated blood pressure and protein in the urine). If your blood pressure and urine are normal (they're checked at each prenatal visit), there's nothing to be concerned about.

To spell swell relief, avoid sitting or standing for a long time, try to get some pregnancy-appropriate exercise, such as walking or swimming (if your practitioner okays it), and when you rest, do so with your feet elevated (if anyone deserves to put her feet up, it's you). Be sure, too, to drink enough each day to stay hydrated. Restricting fluid intake willnot decrease swelling, but making sure to get your eight glasses daily may. And also try to look on the bright side: First of all, pretty soon your belly will be so big, you won't even be able to see how swollen your feet are. Second, edema is a temporary condition — you'll deflate completely soon after you give birth.

Week 27 of Pregnancy

Your baby moves on to a whole new growth chart this week, while your swollen feet and ankles may need a growth chart of their own!

Puffy? That's to be expected — about 75 percent of soon-to-be moms experience edema (mild swelling of the hands, feet, and ankles) around this point in pregnancy. That's because fluids build up in your body tissues thanks (or no thanks) to increased blood flow and uterine pressure on the vena cava (the large vein that cycles blood from your lower limbs to your heart). So while you may have a hard time squeezing into shoes or getting your rings on (or off), keep in mind that the puff factor is completely normal and temporary. As for baby, it's time to trade in the old crown-to-rump measurement for a new head-to-toe standard (that's 15 inches this week — more than a foot long!). His weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over two pounds. More big news: Your baby may recognize your voice by now, so feel free to serenade your belly.

Week 27 Pregnancy Tip: Your New Navel

Has your innie been outed? Is it poking straight through your clothes these days, like a timer on a well-cooked turkey? Don't worry: There's nothing novel about navels that pop during pregnancy — just about every belly button does at some point. Still, two questions may now come to mind as you glance down at your bulging belly: One — what can you do now that your navel has taken on a larger-than-life life of its own? And two — will your button ever be…cute as a button again? On the first, there's not much you can do (though this is a great opportunity to clean out all that lint). As your baby grows bigger and bigger, so will your belly button. If you find that the outie look doesn't quite work with the fashion statement you're trying to make, consider taping your protruding navel down with a Band-Aid. As far as what will happen postbaby? Your navel will revert inward after you give birth — though it might be a bit wider and looser than before. My advice: Wear your reconfigured belly button proudly.