26 Week Update

I know I say this week but I can't believe another week is gone! Time just keeps flying by! We only have 12 weeks at the most before we see our baby boys. It has been a good week.I didn't get a 25 week belly picture. I forgot to take one yesterday and now we are in week 26 so we will just have to wait for a new picture this coming weekend. Let's see what these boys are up to this week...

Week 26:
Look who's looking. Your baby's eyes - which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) - are beginning to open. All this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). But do try this at home for kicks (baby's that is): Shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response (as in" "Get that light out of my eyes!").

The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that will fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until your baby is close to six months old.

Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity.

And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight (about nine inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow. it just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels and other Olympic feats.