Week 27

Hello all :)

I can't believe I'm already in the LAST WEEK of my second trimester! It's crazy to think that there are only 13 weeks left until Ryder is here! I need to get my booty in gear and get some stuff done! Thankfully, I was able to get the rest of Ryder's soon-to-be room cleared out and we just need to decide if we want to leave the carpet in there or put down other flooring. Any thoughts? Then we can start painting and decorating! I ordered our crib today, so we will be getting that in next week. I'm excited!

As far as Ryder's developments go this week, he weighs somewhere around 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. I think he is mostly a day sleeper and likes to wake up and play in the mornings and at night. He's super wiggly then :)

With more brain tissue developing, our baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. I can likely chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements I may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. I hadn't really thought about it, but there are times when he has twitched several times in a row. Maybe it was the hiccups! I will have to pay better attention to that now. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so I can't wait to just relax and enjoy the tickle :)

Earlier this week I had my glucose test for gestational diabetes. I had to drink a small cup of what I can imagine hummingbird fluid would taste like. It was 'fruit punch' flavored and had 75 grams of sugar in that tiny cup! I was so desperate for water about five minutes after I drank the gunk haha. Anyway, they make you drink the stuff and then take your blood a while later to test your sugar levels and how your body reacted to the sugar. I haven't gotten my results back yet, but I assume I'm good to go.

I feel like Ryder has really grown a lot this past week. I've been pretty comfortable for the most part, until I feel our little man stretch out and I can tell he's taking full advantage of all of the space he's allotted inside my tummy. He's been pushing on my lungs a lot and using my ribs like marimbas :) I'm really glad that I have a pregnancy body pillow to sleep with at night or I think I would be having a really hard time getting comfortable at night. If anyone would like a recommendation, I have the Boppy Total Body Support pillow. It's awesome :)

Here is what Ryder may look like this week:



And here I am:

Week 26

Howdy :)

We've gotten a lot done in the past week. Thanks to the help of Ashley, we've gotten our registries done! We are registered at Target and Babies R Us for the essentials and Lone Star Baby for the bedding and room decorations. It feels good to get that big job done and out of the way!

It's been a busy week for Ryder too. The network of nerves in his ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear our voices as we chat with each other. Russell talks to him thru my tummy :) It's super cute!

He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. I can't wait to see him when he comes out to see if he's a chunky monkey or not :) He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds (average for this stage in the game) and measures 14 inches (the size of an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. And since we're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

The day after the 26 week mark, we headed down to Wortham, TX for the outdoor MX Nationals. It was weird being pregnant in the heat for the first time. Normally, I LOVE the heat and prefer it to the cold and it has never bothered me before. That day, I was definitely feeling the 97 degree weather. I think I had a couple of Braxton Hicks contractions from being a little dehydrated and walking around in the heat a lot. It only happened twice, but my tummy got really hard for a couple of minutes. I felt better after I had some water.

Russell's dad and sister got to feel Ryder for the first time while we were at the race :) He was being super wiggly and everyone got to feel him!

I've been keeping track of some pregnancy memories on a baby book app on my phone, and one of them was a weird dream that I had. I dreamed I had Ryder and he looked just like Russell with a ton of hair on his head. His feet were also as big as Russell's (that would be a scary sight on a little newborn haha). He was all cute and chubby, then ended up being a plastic doll. Then, he turned back into a real baby lol. I was instantly skinny afterward (that's how I knew it was a dream hehe) and was worried that I wasted all of the brand new maternity clothes I had gotten the week before. It's crazy what dreams you will have while pregnant.

Here is a pic of what Ryder might look like this week:



And here is me at the 26 week mark:

Week 25

Hi guys :)

Another busy week has gone by and Ryder is still growing and developing. Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — somewhere over a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture. I have been trying to come up with an image in my head of what he might look like as a combination of Russell and me. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

A huge thank you goes out to Ashley Rankin for helping us out with a trip to Babies R Us. We walked all of the aisles and she gave us awesome advice on what she's liked and what she didn't so we have a better idea of what to actually register for and what we will need. It's a little overwhelming when you go in there completely clueless as to what you will need. Thank you, Ashley!!!!

Here's an idea of what mister Ryder Cole might look like this week:



And here is me at the 25 week mark: