26 Weeks

We completed 26 weeks. Things have been very quiet this week at least as far as pregnancy issues. Wallis kicks up a storm most days. From 20-24 weeks she was head down, but at 24 weeks I felt a very strong movement and suspected that she had changed positions. Sure enough, she was observed frank breech at 24.5 weeks. In that position I could not feel nearly as much movement. I think now she may be footling breech because it often feels like she is trying kick her way out, which I have strongly discouraged. I also feel shoving under my ribs, so I think she has her limbs loose now, not tucked in the frank breech position. This little girl seems to move much more than Wyatt did in utero. Maybe we should be scared? (But we already know she is super tough, so I guess it's no surprise.) But with Wyatt my placenta was in front and this one is not, so it could be that I just feel it more easily. Her movements are always reassuring, if sometimes uncomfortable. Baby kicks are my favorite part of pregnancy.

Last appointment I had gained 17lbs. I had lost several pounds in the hospital but that came back very quickly. I get no exercise and lots of good food that people bring over, so it's bound to happen. I really eat very little compared to my pre-house arrest days, but then I was walking to work and taking Wyatt out a lot, so there's a big difference. I am not too worried about the weight, since the doctor said it was fine for me and I gained 35 with Wyatt, but I do worry about getting gestational diabetes. The lack of exercise makes me most concerned about that because last pregnancy (a blissful winter pregnancy) I was able to walk the three mile trail on the weekends right up until his birth. But since physical activity is also beyond my control at this point given my restrictions, I'm just trying to cut back on sugar on hope for the best. Nothing I can really do about it. Though I will be sad if I must give up my daily watermelon and cherry binge. I was on grapefruit earlier in the pregnancy now it's watermelon every day. The only other normal pregnancy woe I have is sleep. I always sleep on my back, so it is really hard to sleep on my side. I pretty much just prop myself up with pillows on one side and sort of lie tilted over to one side. I get all sorts of pressure points and numb spots that wake me. And it's hard to get up at night from the pillow fort position!

The Internets report that Wallis should be about 14 inches long and 1.75 pounds now. According to her last scan she might be just a bit bigger. Hopefully, she will cross the two pound mark in the next couple days. The Internets also report that singleton girl babies weighing over two pounds have much better outcomes if born early, so we want some meat on this baby. Of course, her gestational age at birth is the biggest concern, so we want every single week we can get. We still have a week or two until the third trimester starts and things get much better for Wallis then. But I feel good physically, have been having very few contractions (not more than with Wyatt), and feel optimistic about us getting a lot further along. Here's a pic of my fat baby belly: