19 Weeks and Growing!

Today marks 19 weeks along for Baby Blockley. As you can see I'm getting bigger everyday! The baby weighs approximately 8-1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom, about the size of a large heirloom tomato, per my BabyCenter.com update. Apparently I'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come, and will do my best to keep the photos coming. I have managed to squeeze into my work clothes up until now. Time to get a few more items :).

My appetite has grown as well. Many of you have asked if I've had any major cravings. I can't say I have had anything out of the ordinary, pickles, ice cream, although not together. I am longing for the foods I am not supposed to eat, like my favorite specialty cheeses, especially feta. I'm also not supposed to eat deli meat. I can't wait to have a cold turkey sandwich and I miss my diet coke!!!

Many of you have also asked how I'm feeling. I'm actually feeling great lately! The 2nd trimester is supposed to be the easiest. I have much more energy than before, very little nausea and my headaches are much less frequent. No real complaints.

I am, however, anxiously awaiting to feel the baby move. We were able to see her move quite a bit at our last ultrasound, but I can't confirm that I've felt anything just yet. Movement is typically felt between 16 and 22 weeks, usually later on that scale for first pregnancies. I think it will become all the more real when I feel her. I'll keep you posted!!!

A-Registering-We-Will-Go

At some point I realized a very exciting part of having a baby on the way, registering for my baby shower! I remembered how much fun it was to register when we got married and now I would get to do it all over again. Little did I realize that this time around I'd be faced with all sorts of choices of items I had absolutely no experience with. I had never even heard of the brands, Gracco, Evenflo or Chico.

Although I'm less than five months along, I still had to get started registering as my Wisconsin girlfriends are throwing me a shower in Milwaukee November 15th and invitations were just sent out.

In preparation of our first outing, I asked girlfriends for pointers and started reading a book called Baby Bargains. While the book is extremely informational, it is also a bit overwhelming. Ten pages into the "Baby Cribs" section, I realized I'd better focus on other topics as well to try to have some idea of what I was looking at when we got to Babies R Us and Target. Afterall the "Baby Cribs" section is 80 pages long. Just as I had predicted, I didn't get near as far as I had hoped through the book. I'd have to wing it and just take it all in.

I had been looking forward to this day all week. We met Chad's parents for lunch and then headed across the street to Babies R Us. Having two photographers in the family, we were bound to end up with one of them taking pictures, in this case video. Take a look.........

A BIG DAY

Today was a big day! We had a 9:15 am doctor's appointment, which included a routine ultrasound. Although some friends and family encouraged us to wait until the birth to find out if we are having a boy or a girl, Chad and I decided we really wanted to know ahead of time. And now that we do, it makes it all the more exciting!

As the technician rolled the ultrasound wand over my belly we could see the baby stretching and turning. Of course we were immediately searching for some indication to tell if the baby was a boy. I wonder if the technician makes all of her patients wait as she did with us. First she took measurements of the head, showed us the brain, measured the heart, showed us the stomach, kidneys, legs, feet, hands, you name it. Finally, she scrolled over the baby's bottom. That's when we found out.......

We're having a GIRL!



Originally I thought this was determined simply by process of elimination, that we were "not" having a boy. Little did I know that oftentimes they are able to tell that the baby is a girl, with a "detailed" enough view. Who would have known?

Before long Chad will be surrounded by girl power: mom, baby and Stella :).

As we're starting to share our news, a common question comes about. "Have you started thinking about names?" Yes, we have played around with names a little bit so far, but we have PLENTY of time to narrow down a few choices. Most likely we will not make a final decision until after the baby is born. Now that you all know we're having a girl, we have to at least keep one thing a surprise!