25 weeks DONE **Edited to add belly pic!**

I'm in my 26th week now and the baby is as big as a 2lb eggplant! I can't believe she is that big now. Everything is going really well. I still have energy and I'm not too uncomfortable yet - although I do have my occasional bad night of sleep or evening backache. All and all I really cannot complain. I'm really enjoying being pregnant. It's an incredible experience that I know is only going to get better once she's here. It's going by really fast and things will only speed up now that Halloween is over and the real holiday season is beginning.

Work is so much more manageable this week and probably will be for the rest of my time until maternity leave. I still have A LOT to do, but its mostly creative in-office work, prep for my leave, writing/editing and going to meetings. Most of my teaching and presentations are done for the semester so I don't think I'll be getting as exhausted at work. I'm so happy it's November!

In "baby stuff" news, we are getting so many of the big things purchased and in the house for baby Lila. Just this weekend we got a pack n play and a jogging stroller - it's still in the box because we have literally no room left in our house for it. I know we could've waited to get it, but since we don't know how busy/snowy it will be this winter or how I will feel at 8-9 months pregnant we wanted to go ahead and get as much as we could before the end of the year. It's so fun to look around the house at all of our fun stuff! Of course we still need a few big items and a lot of smaller things. We are so lucky to live next to a 24-hr Walmart and a Target so we can get last minute things.

I've pretty much stopped buying clothes for Lila. When we bought our car seat, the lady we bought it from gave me a cute sleeper and a little blue fleece jacket that I liked, but I'm really trying to refrain myself unless it's something I absolutely have to have or its just REALLY cheap. I do plan on looking at TJ Maxx and Target for any left over clearance halloween onesies/shirts for next year!

Oh and my mom bought Lila a Halloween costume! I'm so excited. I've been wanting to find a cow costume for awhile and she got one at TJ Maxx for $3! I'm so happy! I really want Lila to be a cow and Neil and I to be farmers next year - not that we will actually go trick or treating. Mom says it's a really soft/warm sleeper, so I think that will be perfect! It'll be so fun to see her in it.

Here is my update and my first bare belly pic:

How Far Along: 25 weeks and 3 days
Total Weight Gain: Haven't weighed myself this week
Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity, but a lot of longer non-maternity tops still work.
Sleep: Seems like every other night I have a hard time sleeping, it's getting better I think though!
Best Moment(s) this week: Getting my presentations done at a conference on Friday - all went well! Eating Indian food Sunday night at Ambar. I love that place but its far away so we never go. YUM!
Gender: Girl.
Movement: Her kicks have been softer and less frequent this week for the most part, but she has been stretching out more I think. I also get both really low and really high kicks and occasionally really hard jabs!
Baby's heart rate this week: Right around 150 the two times I checked it.
Food Craving: Pumpkin. This weekend I made pumpkin chocolate chip bars, had pumpkin oatmeal, bought pumpkin granola at Trader Joe's and had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!
Symptoms: Heartburn. Rib pain and upper back pain (could be related to the heartburn). Nails are LONG and super strong now. Waking up more at night.
What I miss: Being able to pick stuff off the floor easily. I'm driving Neil crazy asking him to pick stuff up for me - especially all the shoes that I leave around the house!
What I am looking forward to: Going to Lexington this weekend! It's kind of an impromptu trip, but I hope to do a little shopping and see my brother and future sister-in-law.