Week 26

We started week 26 on Friday, April 20th, 2012.  Nothing really has changed in the last week, movement is still good. I am feeling pretty good other than tired. Here is a belly shot from week 26:








This weekend was a HUGE weekend for all involved in this journey.  The parents came to visit!!! They flew into Omaha on Friday the 20th. This was their first time in Omaha, so they explored and enjoyed all that Omaha had to offer. On Saturday the 21st, Ryan and the kids and myself drove to Omaha to meet up with them at the zoo. We spent all day with them, exploring the animals. This was the first time that the parents got to meet my children, so it was so much fun to see them interact with them and my first time to really see how they would be with kids. It was such an amazing time!! The weather was perfect, the kids were on their (almost LOL) best behavior. And we really just enjoyed everything!!!!  Here are some pictures from the zoo:

On the left is E with Lili---and on below is R with both Damon and Lili.

After the zoo visit, they drove to Sioux City to be there for the rest of the trip. Ryan and I brought the kids home for the remainder of the night. Sunday morning we drove to Sioux City bright and early to have breakfast with the guys. We ate at Black Bear Diner and it was SOOO yummy!!! Here is our group picture that the waitress took-- E and R are on the left with Lili. And me, Damon and Ryan are on the right. The food was sooo good and we were so full after we left.

After breakfast, we headed to our maternity photo shoot. We had 3 full hours with an amazing photographer. Her studio is called Photography by Meyer--- Photography by Meyer   Lili and I both got our hair and makeup done before hand. She took a bunch of amazing pictures. Once I have the pics, I will upload those to share.

After the photo shoot, we all met up for supper with Ryan and I's family at Perkins. Everyone came to meet the guys and it was so amazing to see everyone together.  My mom and dad both came. As did my brother and his wife and little girl. My sister couldn't make it as she had to work. Ryan's mom came as well as his sister and her husband and their two little girls. The party room was packed and it was full of laughter and talk of family and fun. Here are some pictures:




Top is us all hanging out while our food was being prepared. The picture to the left is a group shot that we had taken.  I will treasure this picture forever!!!!!










After supper was finished, everyone had to head back home. Including us. The guys hung out in Sioux City for the night, checking out the places where their sons would be born and such.  On Monday morning, everyone headed back to work, while I drove back to Sioux City. We had a 9am appointment for a 3D ultrasound at my clinic. Sadly, we spent an hour in the room trying to get good pictures of the babies, and got NOTHING!! I was sooooo bummed!!! I wanted the guys to have one of those awesome dvd's full of pictures and videos of their boys to treasure forever. After the appointment, the guys had to drive back to Omaha to get on their flights. I had to drive back home and get back to work. The weekend was amazing and I am so glad that they were able to spend some time with me pregnant and see my belly and meet my family. The next time they will be here will be to bring their sons into the world. So I am glad they got this opportunity to come early to spend time with us all!!!! It was a weekend full of amazing memories and I will never forget it! And I can't wait to get my maternity pictures back to share!

Here is some info on week 26:

Week Twenty Six: Second trimester ends this week

You are 26 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 23 weeks) The baby measures 14 inches long and weighs over 1.7 pound. Baby measures 35.5cm long and weighs over 760 grams. The feet are 2 inches (5cm) long. Hands are very active. The baby's eyes begin to open around this time. The fetus makes breathing movements, but there is no air in the lungs yet. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that they can get a thumb into the mouth. Thumb sucking calms the baby and strengthens the cheek and jaw muscles. The fetal brain scan will show response to touch. Touching and playing with the baby is possible now, as they may respond to your touch through your belly wall. Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop. Baby is probably very active in the womb, as the most active weeks are typically between weeks 24 and 28. You may begin feeling your belly tighten and relax at odd moments or irregular intervals. These are Braxton Hicks contractions. They are painless and help the uterus prepare for the birth. Many babies have developed a predictable routine for sleep and active periods. Twins may have entirely different routines from each other. If your back is feeling the strain of your growing belly, try doing some pelvic rocks to relax it. Stand with your back against the wall, knees slightly bent. As you inhale a breath, press the small of your back against the wall. Exhale and relax your back. You may be experiencing shortness of breath as the uterus is very close to the rib cage at this stage. Some moms are not able to fully expand their rib cages; however, this does not negatively affect the baby in any way. The end of week 26 marks the end of month six, which is the last month of the second trimester.