Week 26 and a couple of photos as promised.
28 July 2008 - 9:41 p.m.

Your baby may weigh about two pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length

To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple. Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.

Air sacs in the lungs form now.

Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn't expand after the baby is born.

Although they've been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.

Retinas begin to form.

Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.

Fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.

Tomorrow marks the last week of my second trimester and then I'm in the home straight!!!

For some reason, it's completely different in the UK to the US. I think the UK idea actually makes more sense. On average women are carrying a child for 40 weeks. That means 1/3 is shortly after 13 weeks, 2/3 is mid-end of 26 weeks and the rest really is a countdown from there on. However most sites I look at are American and count the final trimester from week 28. That's not 2/3 it's virtually 3/4. Enough of playing with numbers.

I did get some pics taken today as promised and have tried to convince myself I am having a girl as I look so rough. They say girls steal their mothers looks, not that I have much to steal as it is but with that excuse out the way. Since I have started putting on weight it's gone on EVERYWHERE. The head, the arms and backside especially.

Also, please ignore the expressions on my face, I hate being photographed at any time and the sun was in my eyes and as pre-warned I was all hot and bothered. :)

So here is me 6 months pregnant from the front:

Note the now getting-quite-high-up bump appearing just below my Simon Cowell waistline tie thing on that top.

Then here's me looking very pissed off from the side view:

I don't look at all happy huh? But we were having a fun day. More photo's available over at my flickr if you click on one of the photo's to see what else is there.

Finally, here's one of me and my little man having fun on the swings. I look slightly less fat here (if you squint really hard) and not at all pregnant in my mind. However, the way my top has rolled up as it's 2 layers of floaty fabric makes me look like I've got a spare tyre instead. hahaha. That's why I hate photo's of myself and why you won't see many of them. :)

Next set of photo's will hopefully be around 6 wks from now then another set another 6 weeks later. Then I should be virtually due!!! :)

Take a click and do my Baby Poll if you haven't already done so.

yesterday - tomorrow

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