26 Weeks

A few days late, but here is our update from last Thursday, September 11th!

This week...

Baby Bell is the size of a... head of lettuce! She is now over a foot long, and should weigh anywhere between a pound and a half and two pounds. She is starting to put on her baby fat, which will make her super cute and squishy!

My bump is... feeling large. For the first time in my pregnancy (and probably in my life), I started to feel a little self conscious about my weight gain. My doctor has said that gaining anywhere from 25-35 pounds during pregnancy is good. Right now, I am "on track" to gain closer to the 35 pound range. While 35 pounds didn't sound like a lot in the beginning, it is different once you start to see the numbers on the scale. Hopefully this is a weird phase of self-consciousness that passes!

Also, speaking of this growing bump, I have been getting frustrated while getting dressed in the mornings (usually when I am running late for work) and all of my clothes no longer fit right. However, I recognize that this is completely my fault - I have been avoiding maternity clothes like they are the plague. I doubt I will be able to hold off much longer.

I have been feeling... excited! We have finally found some time to focus on all things "baby" - including picking out some decorations for the nursery and registering for baby items! It has been fun to envision becoming a family of three! And now that Baby Bell can hear us, I spend a lot of time just talking to her - telling her about what I am doing, about how my day has gone, etc. Michael sometimes thinks I am crazy because I just walk around the house talking to her about anything and everything, but that is okay. When she kicks, I know she is awake, and I feel like I should just keep her in the loop with what is going on... :)

I have been craving... anything that we make at home. With the move and renovations, Michael and I had been eating out A TON - like every night a week for three weeks. Our kitchen is finally in order, and I have no plans to eat take-out anytime soon. So whether it is a PB sandwich or a full dinner meal, I am just happy to be eating things that we have made in our kitchen! For breakfast, blueberry muffins have been a recent favorite of mine!

Our favorite thing has been... seeing Baby Bell's room finally painted. I am not sure if I have already mentioned the nursery colors, but we decided on navy, grey, coral, and white. And elephants. I am super excited about the elephants. If you see the registry, I went a little crazy with the elephants. But I am confident it will come together and be super cute! Here are some pictures of her newly painted room - including her first elephant gift from Grandma and Grandpa Schultz!

We are looking forward to... spending lots of time with family and friends during a very busy September! We have another sonogram scheduled during Week 28 and then we will officially be in the third trimester! These next three months are going to fly by!