26th Week!

Sometimes it doesn't feel like my belly is getting too much bigger, but the pictures really show how big I'm getting! So many people tell me that I look small, but every pregnant body is different.
The baby is kicking a lot more now, which is fun! I like feeling Little Buddy moving around inside my belly. So far, I've had 2 dreams that Little Buddy is a boy, and 2 dreams that Little Buddy is a girl. We'll see!
Joe and I picked a doula to assist with Little Buddy's birth - very exciting! Her name is Natasha, and both Joe and I were very impressed by her experience, knowledge, and overall awesome-ness. A number of my friends had a doula at their birth, and were glad they did! It's nice to have someone present during labor & birth (all of it - no matter how many hours!) who is 100% focused on you & your partner rather than on hospital procedures, etc.
I feel lucky, too because my OB doc will definitely be at Little Buddy's birth (unless she's sick or trapped under something heavy). A number of the OB/GYN doctors in town are on a hospital rotation, so their patients never know who will attend their birth. Since my OB is also a family practice doctor, she doesn't have as many pregnant patients, so she can attend all of her patients' births. Pretty cool.
It is definitely Fall in Santa Cruz -- beautiful crisp days. I've been walking, doing yoga, and working out at the gym once per week. I definitely have a lot more energy now than I did during the first trimester, but my belly is getting a bit more uncomfortable for working out - not too bad, though.
Can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving! Happy Fall!