Happy Halfway Mark!

I am 20 weeks today! HALF WAY through my pregnancy. How is that even possible? I am constantly surprised by how "easy" being pregnant is (easy in the fact I just keep living life and time keeps marching on and every day we are a little closer to our little one).

Here are a few pictures from our 20 week mark today. I am definitely getting b-i-g, but the shirt in these pictures doesn't help anything.

Love this man more than anything. 

I tried to pull the shirt back a little...

How Far Along: 20 weeks!

Baby's Size: 10.5 ounces (although this is from Babycenter.com .... when we went to the doctor they said she was already weighing in at 10 ounces, so probably bigger by now) and 10 inches from head to heel (about the length of a banana). 

Food Cravings: Anything sweet........ I have always been so glad that I don't really like sweets. Most of the time after dinner(s) I would pass up the opportunity for desserts. When everyone else wants to get ice cream or cake, I've always wanted more like "meals"--snacking has never been my thing. However, the past 2 weeks or so, I feel like I could eat every sweet thing in the house and then go out and eat out an entire ice cream shop. 

Movement: I still can't feel this little one. . . However, I think that the ultrasound tech said I have an anterior placenta (can't be sure...I tried to ask her about this and she was so rude and rushed that she only responded with "Everyone has a placenta. It's just where it's located." No joke lady.... I know everyone has one. BAH. Anyways, if that is the case, this could be why I haven't felt her move yet (for those of you who don't know, it just meeds the placenta is in the front, not the back.... meaning there is  a layer between her and the front of my stomach). I'm hoping I feel her soon.

Sleep: Ehhh. Some nights are decent, some nights are bad, few are really great. I feel like I am sleeping lighter and wake up to everything, have to go to the bathroom, having to think about if I need to go to the bathroom or can I just hold it, what did I forget to do that day, what I need to remember for tomorrow....

Other: My blood pressure is ridiculously out of wack. High and low. Mostly low with brief periods of pretty high. I've taken to checking it a few times a day with my mom's blood pressure machine and writing it down. I can also hear almost every heart beat in my ears, which is especially bad when my pulse shoots up. The nurse said this could be a symptom of high/low blood pressure, or it could just be that I am getting a cold/bad allergies and my ears are clogged which is why I can hear everything. I'm hoping it's just allergies, but I've been feeling off the past two days.

Ok, that's it for now. Check back soon. =]

Things my students say...

In the last hour of school alone today I got these comments:


--When you are done with this job you should become a cop so you can be your husband's partner. Or work in a furniture store like me so that when you are done with your list of things to do, you can sit around and do nothing. *thinks hard for a minute* Nope, you should make cakes and sell them. It can't be that hard--just start a business.


--How many months are you? Almost 5? *long pause while her eyes look me up and down* WOW! You are going to be HUGE!


--Maybe you should eat something.

The Party

Hello, hello!  It has been a busy, fantastic weekend---a lot of time spent with family, and a lot of time for catching up on sleep (thank you March thunderstorms!).  Here are a few pictures from our gender reveal party---sorry that our camera chargers are still missing so these are all from my phone. My mom took some great ones, so maybe I can steal those sometime.... 

Our kitchen, pre-party

Pink & Blue bags with popcorn!

Pretzels dipped in white-chocolate candy coating stuff and sprinkles!

Mickey or Minnie?

Dad and Knox--everyone had to wear beads for what they guessed it would be!

Eli

Ava and me on Sunday

Everyone had to grab beads when they walked in and wear them.... surprisingly, almost everyone guessed girl! It makes me wonder what kind of vibe I was giving off that everyone was right! We had the inside of the cake be pink with pink icing and we cut into it and held it up for everyone to see.... unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this (I think mom does?) and I was so busy trying to keep the cake from crumbling all over the carpet in the living room while I held it up that I don't really know how everyone reacted---mostly smiles and "yaaays!" We also had everyone guess what the first letter of her first name would begin with. My nephew Eli guessed "L" and got to wear a (cheesy) gold medal all night. What name have we chosen? Well, we are still tweaking it because there are two variations we are going with. You guys will probably find out soon, though! 

I hope everyone got to enjoy their weekends as much as we did! 

It's a . . . .

We are so very happy to announce that we are going to be having a little GIRL in August!!!  Our family party tonight went very well.... we will post some pictures soon!! =]

While we wait...

Ok, ok.... my phone has been flooded with texts asking what we are having. This is the hardest secret to keep!!! Honestly, I am giving myself until mid-morning tomorrow before I slip up and tell someone.

While everyone is waiting, I can tell you everything BUT the sex (you'll have to wait until my family knows on Friday!). Baby is most importantly, healthy. Everything from the little brain to the little feet were examined, measured, and photographed. I may have gone a little overboard before the ultrasound. See, I had heard that if you drink a lot, it makes it more clear. I had also heard if you had a little caffeine before it might make your baby move a little bit. Well, I had a glass of orange juice and two camelback water bottles of water before lunch (in addition to drinking tons days leading up to this).... then at lunch I ate mexican with salsa (spicy!) and had my first and only coke since becoming pregnant (I had hoped it wouldn't be delicious, but it was). Because of all of this, baby was doing flips and twirls and punches like it was nobody's business.  It made it very hard for the ultrasound tech to get a clear picture of just about anything and ended up taking about 40-45 minutes.

(This is NOT our baby, but it's definitely moving around like ours was....)

That is a looooong ultrasound. The only thing that they didn't get a clear shot of was the baby's aorta (too much flipping around), so we go back in mid April to have them try again.

Baby's sweet little heart was beating at 149 a minute. For those of you who don't know, their hearts typically range from 140-150s at this stage--so baby is right on track!

I couldn't really absorb what they were telling us about the sex--I mean I understood the words and y'know, being proficient with the English language understood the concept of what they said.... but it's only now about four hours later that it is starting to sink in at all that we are having a......

Guess you will just have to wait until Friday!!

Thanks SO much for your prayers and sweet, encouraging texts and phone calls the past few days. They mean the world to us.

Pink or Blue?

Tomorrow is the big day!! Tim and I will head to our doctor's appointment at 3:15 to find out if we are having a sweet little boy or girl. I cannot even believe it!!

Yesterday I had a cleaning frenzy in anticipation of tomorrow and our party on Friday. It was out of nowhere and I cleaned with a focus I rarely have for about three hours. Of course, it was the kind of cleaning that no one else will ever notice...sorting clothes to give to goodwill, laundry, that kind of thing. I was so proud! ... And today I am so, so tired. I think it's a combination of not sleeping well the past few nights and having a little bit of adrenaline in anticipation for the "big day."

I am sitting here listening/watching the big storm that just came upon our house about an hour ago. Every time I think it has reached its peak, it gets a little harder. Tim is at work in this crazy mess of a storm, so of course I'm trying not to worry over that. Instead I am distracting myself with the realization that tomorrow at this time (if all goes well), I will be daydreaming over the knowledge that I have a daughter or a son growing inside of me. It hasn't quite sunk in yet.

Tomorrow at this time. . . .

Will I be picturing hair bows or baseball hats? Will I be imagining a little baby girl who will grow into a lady and will need "protecting" from all the bad boys out there, or will I be imagining a boy who will need to be raised as a gentleman?

Tomorrow at this time . . . .

Will I be looking up girly bedding and bedroom wall appliques or something more masculine? Will Tim and I be bantering over having a boy to "carry on the name" Bloch, or will he be teasing me about a girl who will take after me?

Tomorrow at this time . . . .

Will I be picturing buying a Dora backpack one day or a Diego backpack? Will we be searching for figure skates or hockey skates (Tim at least)? Will my nephews and niece have a little boy cousin to play with, or a little girl?

All I know is that no matter what it is. . . .

It will be loved beyond all that I can even understand, even now when I think I love "it" so much. He or she will be raised with a loving, loud, busy extended family. He or she will definitely have to read Harry Potter one day. They will be taught that love is something to be cherished and to never settle for less than once in a lifetime. They will be read to, often. They will be exposed to as much art and new experiences as we can manage. They will be taught that they have a loving God who created them and also died so that they may live more abundantly. This little baby will learn to sleep with noise. Baby Bloch will learn that neither of us sings exceptionally well, but maybe a little bit of our rhythm will pass down.  They will learn that "Daddy" tells really cheesy jokes and that "Mommy" always laughs at them anyways. They will learn to look out for the "little guy" and stick up for those who need it. . .

I cannot wait to see your sweet face tomorrow, baby. I have missed it the last few weeks since our last appointment.

Luck o' the Irish

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day.... While most people I know went downtown or elsewhere to enjoy some green beer drinking, my day was a horse of a different color. Tim has been busy with his new trainee and I have been busy trying to balance crazy, mixed-up schedules at school and compile some grades and we have both really felt it---the exhaustion, the boredom of the same thing again and again, and the lack of energy/time for each other.  We have both said over the course of the last week or two how we would love to do something new that we haven't done together before. I thought it was a pretty tall order since I've been here my whole life and he has been here for about five years. To my delight, surprise, wonder.... Tim told me Friday night that he had a "little date" planned for us on Saturday.

Guys--don't ever forget to plan dates for your girlfriends or wives. Just the words alone that you have "planned something" will send her heart into a frenzy and her imagination into overdrive. Tim could have taken me to a landfill for all I cared, I was just so happy that I was going to get to spend time with him and have it be called a date!! He ended up telling me Friday night before bed that we were going to Lake Townsend (about ten minutes from our house) and we were going to get a rowboat and have a picnic on the lake. He had even gone and talked to the workers to confirms prices, times, and all that jazz so that there wouldn't be a single glitch in the day.

Now, to some of you, you may be thinking "Aww, that's nice." The end. Well, for me these words were practically magic and sent me into a tizzy as I wiggled and bounced and exclaimed how very excited I was. I think he was pleased, but didn't really get it.... until the next day when I got up to get ready for our hot date. I ran around yelling "I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!" and singing "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...." He may as well have told me that we were going on a secret mission to Atlantis. He looked at me at one point and he looked at me as though I had antlers growing out of my head. I also spent the morning calling him things like "land lover" and "laddie".... my mixture of what I considered very sophisticated sea lingo and St. Patty's Day lingo. Bless him..... he didn't even get overwhelmed by my wired energy, he just said he was so glad I was excited and proceeded to pack us our fancy picnic.

Errr.... then we got there, got to pick our boat, and .... huh..... how about that, I actually had to get in the darn thing. Tim was very patient, but all my quips about the sea and my sea jargon went out the window as I got in--I looked how our dog looks when I try to get him into the bathtub. Tense, stiff-legged, and nervous. Every miniscule wave sent a screech into my throat. Eventually we were in and ready to go.

With the temperature hovering in the mid 70's and the sky slightly overcast, it was the perfect temperature to be out on the water. I got more and more comfortable and the life jacket eventually came off for awhile.... we rowed, we sat and talked, we enjoy the sun (Tim started to fry in the sun...).... it was terrific. 

We also ate our delicious picnic....what was it? PB & J, string cheese, goldfish, and a cookie. We are so classy!! Tim rowed alllll the way to the other side (I took a turn here or there, too), and found an old broken up dock (or so we think? it didn't lead anywhere...) and tied us up while we ate so we would have a little shade. He is so thoughtful and I am the luckiest girl in the world.

It looks way more overcast than it really was! The sky was mostly a pretty blue.

Eventually we had to head back to land (mostly because of the sun and how we didn't bring any sunscreen) and head home. It was a SMASHING success in my book!!

When we went home, Tim put the finishing touches on his corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and carrots and bread with Irish butter (been cooking since about 6:30 in the morning) while I straightened up and then my parents came and joined us for an Irish dinner. I even ate some of the corned beef---those of you who know me know that this is a big deal. It was all pretty good to me, and delicious to them.

We rounded off St. Patty's Day with a little lounging on the TV with the door open to we could hear the rain and thunder that rolled in late evening. All in all, I'd say the luck of the Irish was with us yesterday. =]

Today I plan on getting a few decorations for our big gender reveal party that is coming up on Friday. Only 3.5 more days until Tim and I head to the doctor and (hopefully, hopefully) find out what we are having!!! AHHH!!!

Please, when you have a moment this week, pray for a healthy baby. I've heard some sad stories lately where babies couldn't make it anymore or where they found out some sad news at their gender ultrasounds. Keep us in your thoughts, pray for a strong, healthy, growing babe..... and that baby is not at all shy on Wednesday!!! Thank you, thank you.

[Side note: I have officially lost the chargers to both my wonderful cameras, so I have to use my phone for all the pictures I upload here...sorry if they are a little fuzzy sometimes.]

All I want to do...

is eat. And eat. And eat and eat and eat. It is swiftly becoming a problem. I just ate two plates of this mexican bake (which I haven't been able to handle since before pregnancy! I still didn't love it, but oh well) and now all I can think about is how I want a big bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I am starting to fear how much the doctor will say I have gained when I go to my next appointment! I check it here and it doesn't seem to be that drastically different---all I gotta say is, baby better be going through a huge growth spurt because I should weigh about 300 pounds.

This weekend, my mom's preschool had their consignment sale. Since we are holding off on getting a lot of stuff until we know what baby is going to be, we didn't get too much. What did we get? A riding rocking horse type toy that neighs and freaks out our dog, an infant toy, a few books, and a breast pump! If you don't want to know anything about breast pumps, skip the next few sentences.

Medela Pump In Style Advanced Backpack.

This bad boy here (minus the lunch-box looking thing), typically runs about $250-$300. How much did we pay? $40. That's right. SCORE. I had been researching some of these online, just casually, but always stopped because I would get overwhelmed by all the options and the costs. Thankfully my sister-in-law saw this while walking around with Tim and me and pointed it out. I knew I definitely needed one (so I can have a little flexibility with feeding/going places) and because we are unsure of where/when/how much I will be working when the baby comes. What a great find!!

We find out on the 21st (not the 23rd as originally planned) whether we will be having a boy or a girl. We are both getting very excited!!! I keep having dreams that it is a boy. I guess we will find out soon enough!! I keep waiting and hoping to feel the baby, but nothing yet. 

Ok, everyone, enjoy the extra hour of sunlight we will have every afternoon! : )

Zero to Sixty

Hello readers!

I feel like our posts have been lacking lately, but that's because both of us have been super busy. What has  been going on? Well..... I am VERY proud to say that Tim became an official PTO (Police Training Officer) last week on Friday.  It was a busy, draining week for him as he finished his class, but he finished strong and even gave his class speech (which got quite a few laughs). It has been so rewarding to see Tim grow in his professional development over the last few years---seeing his confidence grow and his people skills stay strong. As I watched his new "rank patch" be handed to him (to wear on his uniform), I felt even more nostalgic and proud as I remembered him being a trainee when we first started dating. So much has changed and yet his enthusiasm for the job remains amazingly the same. Way to go, Tim! You do such a great job providing for me and our ever-growing family.

Also, Tim's mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery this week to see just what stage and whatnot they are dealing with. Prayers for her are greatly appreciated as we await results.

In other news, I reached week 16 of the pregnancy on Saturday. And since Saturday I feel like I have grown about a month's worth.  Don't believe me? Just take a glance at these pics!

I hate that this is crooked, but I don't know how to fix it?

BUMP

How about that? There is definitely a bump there. My students at school this week regularly told me that I was getting big and some proceeded to touch my stomach and then go on and on about how hard my stomach was. Sometimes that part is even a surprise to me--you just get used to the fact in life that if you are getting "bigger" you are normally getting "softer,"not the other way around!

Sleep: It's been going pretty well, except I am seriously considering getting a big body pillow soon. I just feel like my center of gravity is off and when I am on my side I feel like I am rolling to one side or the other.  Also I have been having extremely vivid dreams--most of them not good. Tim gets to deal with me waking up at night or in the morning with wide eyes and a troubled expression as I recount every detail of the dream to him. He is amazed that I remember so many details and I am amazed that the dreams weren't real. 

Food Cravings: Not one thing in particular, but I feel so much hungrier than I have any other week of this pregnancy. It's like now that my nausea is gone, my body is making up for a few months of eating. It is really hard to slow myself down sometimes! Right now what do I want? One of those red, white, and blue popsicles they have in ice cream trucks and at swimming pool snack bars. Go figure. 

Movement: None yet, but I am eagerly awaiting feeling those first flutters. There have been times where I have wondered about the movement, but until I know for sure, I'm saying no. 

What I am looking forward to: Finding out what we are having! It is coming up pretty soon... but with all my crazy dreams, I can't wait to just see baby again and make sure that everything is going well and is right on track. 

Annoying habits?: I have been extremely needy the past two weeks---sorry Tim. Poor guy has heard his name said in the most pitiful, sweet (read: repetitive, incessant, whiny) tones at least 50 times a day. Half the time I don't even know why I am saying his name, I guess I just want reassurance or something. Lucky for me he tends to have the patience of a saint (at least with me) and can generally hold in his sigh before answering "Yes, Anna? What do you need?" Hopefully this part will pass soon haha, but I doubt it. 

That's all for now--come back soon to see the Amazing Growing Woman and to check out the gender soon. 

10 Rules

Hello everyone! Tim took a few pictures of my growing belly (it really jumped this week!) and will probably be posting them, soon.  Everything is still going pretty smoothly.... a big thanks to my mom who went shopping with me last weekend and helped me get a few maternity outfits!

I read this tonight and felt like it really applied.... it is 10 rules non-pregnant people should follow. Given some of it I don't mind so much about, and it is more blunt than I normally would have put it, but I thought I'd just put it out there. Don't get your panties in a bunch, it's all out of humor and good fun... Maybe it's only funny to pregnant ladies. Who knows. : )

"I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn’t mean me – then you should probably read this twice.

1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is ‘Congratulations!’ with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father – not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase ‘my baby’.

3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it…

4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight…ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’.

6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.

7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren’t invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won’t be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent’s home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to ‘help out’. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

Sincerely, 
All the Pregnant Women in the World"