Erica Kartak

Weeks: 26 (officially now 27, but this photo was taken at 26 weeks)

Baby Size: Length of a zucchini (about 14 inches), we have an ultrasound scheduled for next week. I’m super excited to see how he’s grown since we last saw him 10 weeks ago!

Fibroid Size: 18cm x 14 cm x 8 cm (last measurement at 18 weeks), I’m interested to find out if it’s grown since the last ultrasound too

Weight Gain: approximately 27 pounds, mostly in the belly, bum and thighs

Cravings: toast with peanut butter, bananas, honey and cinnamon. I’ve also been eating a lot of apples. I’m still craving peppermint but I’m trying to put it out of my head to eat better. Although I haven’t gone completely off healthy eating since I’ve been pregnant, I could definitely make better choices. I’m determined to do so the last three months.

Sleeping: inconsistently. Some nights I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep. Other nights I sleep through the night with only a couple of trips to the bathroom.

Missing: not thinking about what I can and can’t eat when looking at a menu. Mostly I miss having sandwiches for lunch. It’s the little things in life.

Feeling: like my belly can’t possibly get any bigger. I’ll be honest, I can still put on my own socks and tie my shoes, but it’s a struggle. I’ve experienced migraines every couple of weeks, almost daily heartburn and shortness of breath. All seem to be common issues during pregnancy. Feeling his kicks, flips and turns offset all of those. It’s such a fun, exciting and crazy feeling!

Wearing: mostly maternity jeans, leggings and basic shirts with non-maternity plaid shirts and jackets. Also, I love non-maternity dresses like this one from Banana Republic. They’ve been a lifesaver to feeling sexy while pregnant!

Preparing: by purging every single area of the condo. Seriously, every item was looked at to decide if we still wanted/needed it. It was an exhausting process, but feels great to be finished. Next up is finalizing our wish list of items we need to get before his arrival. Oh, and looking for a new place to rent closer to work while finding renters for our condo. No big deal!

It’s remarkable how friendly and nice everyone is when you’re pregnant. When we were in Hawaii, complete strangers would offer their congratulations, especially those with children of their own. It led me to believe they must be enjoying it! We also get a good giggle when we responding that I’m due at the beginning of April. The look on their face is priceless!

A comparison of my 26 week baby bump vs. 22 weeks. And to my brother that never wanted to see my belly button pop in photos, sorry!