Major catch up post and 26w update!

I’ve been such a bad blogger lately. Things have started to pick up around the Ramey household so I just haven’t been as diligent with my updates as I would have liked. Last weekend was my first baby shower and it was wonderful and overwhelming all at the same time. It was awesome to get to see a bunch of family and family friends that I haven’t seen in quite some time. We had a great turn out and I feel very blessed to have so many loving people around us. We got loads of blankets, burp rags and clothes. I also got some of my bigger items- stroller, swing/bouncer and the play mat. The stuff is all piled into Gavin’s room at the moment as we have no place to really put anything away. It was just nice to get out of DFW for a few days and go back to my hometown. I really enjoy doing that and don’t do it as often as I’d like to.

We have another shower next weekend and I’m really excited about this one too. The attendees for this one are more Jason and I’s friends so it will be a different crowd. We do have some family coming in for this shower that we are really excited about too. Our family friend, Alecia, will be traveling to Dallas with my mom and Jason’s mom and sister are both coming in from St. Louis for the shower. It is so sweet of them to take time away from their families to make the trip. It will be great to see them and great to have them be a part of this.

Because of the influx of family coming in next weekend Jason and I have been on a mad dash to get our upstairs living room finished. Ill post pictures after this weekend, when the couch arrives. We finally sold the pool table so we were able to now turn this room into a useable space. It’s going to be awesome and I’m so excited to have it finished. It just means that when our house is full of family and kids that there is now an overflow space for people to hang out in to watch tv, rest, etc. Also means that Ally and Gavin will have more space to spread out with all their stuff over the coming years!

I can’t believe how far along I am already in this pregnancy. I know that things will start to move even more quickly now that the holidays are approaching. Im so excited that in just over 12 weeks we will be getting to meet our little boy.

How Far Along? 26w4d
Size of baby: 14 1/2 inches and 1 2/3lb- size of an eggplant!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 13 lbs- really pleased with this, because even if I gain 1lb every week until the end of my pregnancy I will still come in significantly under the average 30lbs gained. Very happy with this!
Maternity Clothes: I’m finding now that my non-maternity tops that I’ve been able to wear up to this point no longer cover my belly! LOL!
Gender: BOY- Gavin Tyler
Movement: I definitely am feeling him every day, but the feelings have started to change. I used to feel intermittent jabs and punches, now I can actually feel him rolling around in there.
What I miss: Having all the energy I’m used to having- I wear out a lot more quickly
Sleep: Really can’t complain, I’m still sleeping very well, but the accidental rolling back onto my back causes me morning-time discomfort
Symptoms: Heartburn!!!!, very vivid dreams

Stretch marks: Nope, still none
What I am looking forward to: 2^nd baby shower next weekend and drs appt Tuesday
Belly button (in or out): Very much half way out!!  
Milestones: First baby shower!  

Baby Ramey’s Progress
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. 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. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

 How your life's changing:

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.