25 Weeks

I am now in my 26th week of this pregnancy, so I thought I should probably post another bump picture!  I pulled a little information about what’s going on with Hadley in there this week and next…
Taste buds are developing at this point and the baby even is able to distinguish sweet tastes [umm… I think she might come out ONLY wanting chocolate given the amount of chocolate I’ve been craving lately].  Blood vessels are developing in the lungs to prepare for their vital function after birth, but for now they are filled with amniotic fluid and are practicing breathing movements.  Breathing is controlled by the nervous system.
If you were to shine a flashlight on your abdomen, the baby will turn their head toward the light  because the optic nerve is now working.  Fingerprints, toenails and fingernails are fully formed and the spine is straightening out.  Bones are continuing to harden at this time.
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga [cause everyone knows what the average rutabaga weighs, right?], but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Here’s some quick information on me – more for my memories than anything else – and the bump picture.
How Far Along: 25 weeks and 1 day
Total Weight Gain: 15 pounds
Maternity Clothes: Yes and yes – although that one pair of jeans is still holdin on!
Best Moment this week: Pregnancy related – finding out that I do NOT have gestational diabetes.  I have to admit that I was a little worried because I have had a serious sweet tooth through the second trimester
Gender: Still a girl for all we know! :)
Movement:  I can feel Hadley all the time now – in addition to the jerky little kicks, I can feel her rolling around and squirming in there
Food Craving: Nothing really in particular anymore
What I miss: Just being able to do basic things without being out of breath – cleaning the house seriously takes all of my energy out of me!
Sleep: Still not too much trouble here – I wake up once or twice a night still, sometimes because of Hadley kicking, sometimes to go to the bathroom – but I typically don’t have too much trouble getting back to sleep.
What I am looking forward to: Our next appointment/ultrasound and seeing her sweet face – praying and praying that the cyst on her brain and fluid on her kidney have gone away!
Belly Button: Still in, but hanging on by a thread
Symptoms: Still feeling pretty good – no big complaints here :)