Stats for Week 26:

I just had an ob/gyn appointment, including a glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. They make you drink some known quantity of glucose and your blood gets tested an hour later. Here are some statistics from my visit:

Weight gain since first appointment: 13 lbs.
William's heart rate: 144 bpm (normal is between 120-160)
My B-hemoglobin (iron): 11.2 (it should be above 10)
My glucose level was: 65 (it should be below 140)

So, all in all, everything is going really well. All my numbers are looking great, I feel great! Yay!!! :-) This appt, William's heartbeat with the fetal doppler sounded just like mine only faster. Last appt, it had a sort of echo-y sound like water drops dripping into a metal bucket. And, a long time ago, when I first heard it in December or so, it sounded only like whooshing. So, I take this to mean that William's heart is strong and beating well. Maybe Darryl will be able to hear it by putting his head to my tummy? My next appointment is in 3 weeks. And in April we will start childbirthing classes! Yay!!!

Week 26

"Your baby now weighs a little less than 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches from head to heel. Her weight will more than triple between now and birth as she rapidly lays down baby fat. She'll need that fat to help adjust to colder temperatures outside the womb and as a source of energy and calories in the first days of life. It's not uncommon for newborns, especially those who are breastfed, to lose weight (sometimes as much as 10 percent of their birth weight) in the first week after birth.

The nerve pathways in your baby's ears are developing, which means her response to sounds is growing more consistent. Her lungs are developing now, too, as she continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when she's born and takes that first breath of air. 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. "

- from: www.babycenter.com