Elyse Love ~ 26 Weeks

26w4d

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Hmmm...well if I were just guessing I honestly feel like I haven't gained hardly anything. But, only a scale would tell the whole truth. Hubby & I have been able to walk outside the majority of evenings and my diet has basically taken a 180 degree turn. Let's just say that in this regard, this "perfect pregnancy" hasn't been so perfect in the last few weeks. I'm planning to write a full post about it, mainly just to vent & document every moment of this expeirence, but there have certainly been moments these past few weeks when pregnancy hasn't been much fun. Oh I know the rewards are going to be so worth it, but frustration has definitely set in a few times...

Gender: We're having a precious little baby girl...Elyse Ann. It's so fun to fully know what we're having and to be able to plan for our sweet darling. I'm so tempted to buy clothing and cute things, but I've been trying to focus my spending on the nursery because I know we'll get so many cute things for her in the coming weeks at the couple of showers we have planned. My precious mother-in-law has made several receiving blanket/burp rag sets and I have plans to share those very soon...they are all so precious!

Movement: I think right now this is one of the greatest blessings of all. Anytime I'm feeling a little bit down, or frustrated, or just tired...God tells Leesy to move her little arms & legs just right for me to remember what a precious blessing I have. What's going on inside me right now is an incredible miracle, and I remind myself of that each & every day. I'm so thankful to have Elyse's precious movements because they bring such joy to my heart each and every time.

Sleep: No big changes here. In bed around 10, up once for the bathroom, and back down until 6:00-6:30ish. I'm thankful for the consistent sleep and even with tossing & turning a bit, my sleep seems to be pretty great.

What I miss: Bending over easily, working in the house without tiring too easily, my sweet treats after dinner, buying all the cute fall things that are starting to fill the stores....these are all such minor things but they are certainly things I miss nonetheless.

Cravings: With my food intake & diet changes, I'm so thankful that I haven't had any major cravings that seem to overtake me! There are basically just times when I crave food, food of any sort...which of course means I'm hungry. It's in those times that I make sure and drink plenty of water, grab a piece of fruit, or a snack high in protein like almonds or a cheese stick. These simple things seem to curb my hunger until the next meal time.

Symptoms: As I come closer to the start of the third trimester I feel like my emotions have taken over. I feel like I've cried more in the past 2 weeks than I have the entire pregnancy. Now...let's be honest, I feel justified on most of the things I've cried about, but I've also had my fair share of ridiculous cry fits. Thankfully Hubby has been completely understanding and wants me to just "let it out" even when I feel like a crazy, hormonal pregnant woman...oh wait, that's exactly what I am!

Maternity Clothes: With fall starting to creep in, I'm thankful to say that I shouldn't have to buy any more "summer-type" maternity clothes. I've got several long sleeve tunics/dresses that should be find to pair with leggings and give me several work options. Several of my dress pants also still work great with my Bella Bands which I am sooo happy about. I'm really pushing off buying maternity dress pants as long as possible but I'm thinking a couple of pair are in my future. Of course with the comfort of my maternity jeans, I may decide to wear maternity pants full time even post-pregnancy! ha!

Best Moment this week: Honestly, it's been a roller coaster week but I'll share more later when I'm ready. I would have to say the highlight has been having the furniture delivered. It really makes the nursery feel cozy and I can't wait until it all starts coming together. Now we just have to start filling the room with all the fun details!

Baby To-Do List: I've been slacking this week...I'll confess. I really need to sit down and make an extensive to-do list of things to accomplish before Elyse gets here. I still keep hoping this whole nesting mentality will kick in very soon! I mean honestly, her due date is basically 90 days away! yikes!

And of course, here's the belly photo...