Baby #5, Week 26

How far along: 26 weeks
Weeks to go: 14 weeks! Crazy!

Baby is the size of: a scallion(14 inches)!

Gender Prediction: Boy

Weight gain: 20 lbs

Starting to show yet?: Oh yes!

Maternity clothes: Yes! LOVING maternity jeans, though I need more! I would love some maternity jeggings! Still rocking large t-shirts and yoga pants when I'm home, but I get dressed in jeans and nicer shirts whenever I leave the house! 

Stretch marks: Just a lot of old ones!

Belly button in or out: In. Pretty sure my hernia is slightly bigger this time...

Sleep: Decent! I've been especially exhausted this week. Not sure why. I'm taking a prenatal and I am testing fine with my iron. It makes falling asleep awesome, but if I wake up at night, I tend to have some insomnia. I keep my kindle charged on my night stand!

Movement: LOTS of movement! I am loving it and finding it annoying at times! Mostly when I'm trying to sleep or rest and Baby decides it's time to practice tumbling, kicking, and his/her light-saber skills! Baby Jedi, indeed! Jedi's Godmother, Jen, finally felt Baby move!
Labor Signs: None! 

Best moment this week: Sister time in Des Moines on Wednesday 11/11! Teresa, Lisa, and I went to the mall for Christmas shopping! I didn't buy anything, though! Not in the budget for me, I just went along for the sister time! It's been too long since we've had a girls day! We had a bad experience at the Outback Steakhouse, but aside from that, the day was fun! 

Worst moment this week: The weather as we were leaving Des Moines. A tornado touched down about 6 miles away from where we were. We couldn't see the road and there was a lot of hail, rain, and debris flying around. But right after that, the sun was shining and we could see a rainbow! And then later on, it started snowing... that's Iowa for you!

Miss anything: Sushi

Wedding rings on or off?: On during the day. Off at night.

Cravings: Co-Jack cheese, Pancakes with over-easy eggs on top, Pears
Aversions: Raw Meat, Sweets
Appetite: Hearty, but my stomach is getting smaller! I'm becoming more frustrated when I can't eat as much as want to!

Queasy or sick: Still having issues with a runny nose, but no complaints here!
Workouts: Zumba, Walking, and some light cardio/strength training!

Emotionally: I'm having good days and bad days. Mornings where I wake up ready to take on the day, and mornings when all I want to do is crawl back in bed and just lay there alone. I'm struggling with depression and anxiety, which is not new news, but I feel like I've been too quiet about it. My life is wonderful! I love my husband, our children, I'm beyond excited for this baby... but that doesn't mean that I'm not depressed. I'm not even sure what's going on that's making me feel this way, but I am optimistic that this will be over when Baby gets here! And if not, I'll at least be able to seek help from my doctor.
Physically: Exhausted! Which is normal! I am also reaching that point in my pregnancy where I'm having rib pain and difficulty breathing. Already! Gosh! My other pregnancies, this didn't really happen until 30+ weeks! But this is my ninth pregnancy(fifth pregnancy past 15 weeks) and my body has been through a lot so far! I am very proud of this body! My body is just becoming more tired the closer I get to my due date! Also, all the cheese I ate this week wasn't kind to me by the weekend... TMI, sorry. But for real. Constipation is no fun. 

Looking forward to: My glucose test this week(just to get it out of the way and DONE!), the PTO Carnival this Friday, my next prenatal appointment next week, and Thanksgiving!