26 weeks

26 weeks, 2 days

Well, I got the results of my glucose testing this week and they weren't so hot. My levels are "slightly elevated" so I need to go back in and take the 3 hour glucose test. The one hour test is pretty simple. Just a quick swig of the drink and a blood draw an hour later. The three hour test is a bit more extensive. Two days prior to my test, I have to maintain a diet of 150grams of carbohydrates. The night before my testing, I must fast starting at 8pm. I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything, except water, until after my test is complete the next day. I check in at 8:30 and my last blood draw will be at 11:30. Eeek! I'm gonna be huuungry!

So far, I'm not really worried about failing but I know that it's a possibility. I sure don't want to have to deal with Gestational Diabetes but if it's in the cards, then so be it. It is pretty common for healthy women to fail the 1 hour test so I'm not going to get worked up about it. It would have been nice to not have to make another trip to the doctor if I didn't have to though.



I'm not sure if I'm the only one who noticed in the pictures, but I have had a big shift in my body this week. I wouldn't say that I feel very large or big yet, I know I have a ways to go, but I have certainly noticed major growth. Things are stretching quite a bit and I get uncomfortable must easier if I overdo it. Fridays seem to be especially hard since I sit at a desk all day and then usually spend 2 hours in a car. Last night, we played Moonlight golf and by about midnight, my body was telling me to shut down. I'm still mostly comfortable though. Second trimester has, overall, been a breeze!

Thankfully, I'm still sleeping great, as well. I've always been a side sleeper so that has been easy to deal with. My snoogle makes it so I'm in my own little cocoon and I pretty much wake up in the exact same position I fell asleep in. The only downside is that I'm sore some mornings.




Besides the discomfort I've been feeling, I have also started getting random bits of braxton hicks contractions. It's only when I overdo it and they are pretty mild but still annoying. I tried to explain the sensation to Joe (they freak him out) but it's kinda hard to explain. They're almost like the cramp you get on your side after you've run, minus the pain. My stomach just tightens and then releases like a very mild cramp. I take them as a sign to chug some water and relax.

I think I wrote my blog post about our first birth class too close to bedtime this week because I had the most vivid birth dream the night following our class. It felt very real. It was like I was in "A Christmas Carol" and looking down on my life as it unfolded. We were in our living room. I was breathing and doing exercises, trying to relax, sitting on the birthing ball. Joe had his iphone in his hand, timing my contractions. Then we skipped to checking into the hospital. Shortly, we moved into our room and the process continued. I was hooked up to monitors and I remember watching myself on the bed pushing. The strange thing was that it just ended.... with no baby. It was like I did all this work for nothing.

So odd, and so real. For the first time, I felt nerves when thinking about the birthing process.




I'm still working on the eggplant this week, although one would think I've grown by all this stretching going on. We have a few more weeks before I will get into another fruit category.

The senses seem to be getting a workout at this stage in development. This week, Baby T should be practicing how to blink, now that the eyes have formed. He, also, will be working his ear muscles which are more sensitive to sounds. Inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid is happening frequently. I was able to watch him do this in my ultrasound two weeks ago so hopefully he will be a pro by the time his lease is up.

I'll have one more weekly update next week and then we've hit the THIRD TRIMESTER! Holy smokes!