Baby #2 - Week 26

(ABOVE: Fetal Development at 26 weeks)

Well it is Tuesday again and that mean a weekly Baby Update ... not too much is going on here ... As you can see from below this week the baby opens her eyes for the first time which is kind of neat ... and then when you read on about what happens to your body you see that soon the unpleasant things will begin ... I am a little concerned about blood pressure and preeclampsia but as of right now my blood pressure is ok per my doctor. The first few appointments it was hovering around 150/90 which isn't all that great I guess ... after FINALLY tweaking my medication the last appointment I had my blood pressure was finally 120/88. The bottom number is the key my Dr. said - he wants it to stay below 90 - that's where we're at today so that's a good thing. But like he said in the beginning - being that Jaden was almost 10 pounds, I was over a week late with her and my blood pressure is high - he thinks the end of December is a realiztic arrival time ... which works fine with me! Of course any earlier is dangerous and at this point she doesn't even have a room yet so she needs to stay warm and cozy for a while now ... she is enjoying floating and kicking/punching though - and sometimes it is pretty darn strong - strong enough you can see it move from outside! Jaden thinks it is pretty neat! This week is a slow one for us - last minute prep for Construction to start 100% for sure on Monday the 13th! This week we have some more claning out of the garage to do and then a lumber delivery comes tomorrow or Thursday as well as a gigantic dumpster to hold all the stuff. Friday is grocery day for October so we will tackle that. Saturday we are going to the new Prior Lake Fire House open house - should be fun - fire truck rides and meet the fireman. The Jason is going to a concert later Sarurday night with Trevor so Jaden and I are going to do some baking and laundry. Sunday we will either be at the apple orchard or the corn maze - Jaden will pick! So we will be busy yet again ... Hope you are all having a wonderful week! See you on Friday for FFF!

How Your Baby's Growing: This week your baby to be opens her eyes for the first time. She'll open and shut her eyes as she gets used to her new ability. Your little one is still on the small side. Her body may look fully formed on the outside but inside there's a lot of fine tuning taking place, including her lungs and her brain. Your unborn baby still has some growing to do. This week your baby's weight hovers around two pounds and her length reaches about 14 inches from head to toe.

How Your Life's Changing: Are you rushing around trying to get to childbirth classes and prepare your baby's room while still taking care of all your other daily tasks? Make sure that you also continue to eat well and get plenty of rest. Around this time your blood pressure may be increasing slightly, although it's probably still lower than it was before you got pregnant. (Typically blood pressure falls toward the end of the 1st trimester and reaches a low at about 22-24 weeks.) This brings up the Preeclampsia Condition: this is a serious disorder characterized by high blood pressure and protein in your urine - most oftern shows up after 37 weeks but it can happen earlier so it's important to be aware of the warning signs of this condition. Call your caregiver if you have swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, sudden swelling of your feet or ankles or rapid weight gain (more than 4 pounds in a week.)Or if you have severe and persistent headaches, vision changes, intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen or vomiting. Oh and top it all off with this: If your lower back seems a little achy lately, you can thank both your growing uterus — which shifts your center of gravity, stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, and may be pressing on a nerve — as well as hormonal changes that loosen your joints and ligaments. Plus, the extra weight you're carrying means more work for your muscles and increased stress on your joints, which is why you may feel worse at the end of the day. Walking, standing, or sitting for long periods, as well as bending and lifting can all put a strain on your back. A warm bath or hot compress might bring relief. (Some women, though, find cool compresses more comforting.) Try to maintain good posture during the day, avoid activities that require bending and twisting at the same time, take frequent breaks when sitting or standing, and sleep on your side with one or both knees bent with a pillow between your legs, using another pillow (or wedge) to support your abdomen.

Love ~ The Clark Family ~ Rebekah, Jason, Jaden & Baby#2 too!