26 weeks

Ok so I'm a few days past 26 weeks but this photo was taken at 26 weeks. I had some minor computer virus issues which slowed me down but I am back in business! And decided to make it more interesting and post some nude pics. Well nude belly pics that is. That way you can track my tattoo growth and stretch marks (none so far but I hear it's inevitable). I actually just bought this new stretch mark cream (love shopping online at Sephora's!) and the reviews swear by it so we'll see. In any case, who doesn't love lotion? And your belly does get really itchy all the time which is weird (I don't like to think about that it's probably because it's stretching out).

As you can see, I have officially entered into the 3rd trimester! And like clockwork, some of those pesky third trimester symptoms started to show up (just when I thought pregnancy was easy and all those other women were a bunch of complainers). The most annoying is the heartburn. I guess I never had this before because I have never experienced anything like this. And it pretty much happens anytime but especially at night. Last night I had to prop myself on 4 pillows just to keep the burning down (I didn't know it actually felt like burning, turns out, it does). The other new fun thing is these searing calve cramps. I also never had this before. Foot cramps, sure, and the odd leg cramp here or there while doing yoga, but nothing feels quite like the waking-up morning stretch followed by an immense stabbing sensation in your calf. And since I never had this before, I had no idea how to stretch it out (didn't stretching it just cause the stabbing pain?). Since the baby is getting bigger all the time he's starting to crowd out other organs (which makes sense for the heartburn, not so much for the leg cramps) which also includes my lungs. I actually fainted once (luckily I was sitting the whole time. Well sitting, then passed out flat, then sitting again) but other than that I just feel really light headed/short of breath sometimes. But not all the time. It's weird, I guess he just lays on my lungs once in awhile, and then rolls over to my stomach. Today, when I was laying on my back (not totally flat, you're not really supposed to do that) I actually saw him kicking my stomach and my stomach moving up and down. It is seriously like there's a little alien in there. If I didn't know I was pregnant (which I don't know how you couldn't at this point, although some people claim they don't) it would be seriously freaky to watch your stomach move like that. But other than that, I still feel pretty good. I'm getting less "you look so good" comments and more "you look pregnant" comments but that is fine with me. I mean, you have to get big at some point (actually in my prenatal yoga class this week I saw a girl who was 32 weeks pregnant who was SO skinny and not looking pregnant at all. At first I thought it was her loose tank top but then when she did the poses I saw her bare belly and it was barely sticking out. I couldn't stop stealing glances at her in the mirror but then I didn't want her to think I was a baby snatcher or something so I had to make myself look away). In 2 1/2 weeks we'll be getting another ultrasound (reeking the benefits of being low-risk but going to a high-risk facility) to see more detailed structures of the baby (check his heart, lungs, etc.). Very glad because my DH can go this time, and also it'll be fun to see the baby again! I mean, I think they pretty well look the same at this point but it'll still be cool to see him moving around in there.