Week 21

Another week down! We had our 20 week appointment on Friday and everything is still going good.  We really liked the Dr. we saw this time- my practice has several doctors, so we are meeting all of them because we don't know who will be on call when we deliver.  I think Joey liked him because he went in search of a "parting gift" (read: freebie from pharm reps) for us and came back with a formula/bottle cooler, and mentioned that it could also hold a couple beers. ;)

Saturday night Joey was at the property so A Love came over to help me visualize the baby's room (nursery?). She brought with her the awesome painting she created that will be the centerpiece of the room, and then helped me by taping up dimensions on the floor/walls, picking out the paint color (which Joey approved! YAY) and talking about decorative ideas. Words cannot express how thankful I am to have someone else who is very interested in this and who is good at interior decorating... because it all seems way overwhelming to me. (PS: I'll do a dedicated post on the room theme sometime soon.)

Major progress was made this weekend in terms of baby registries.  I basically finished them and now I'm just going to tweak based on advice and additional research. I have 3 registries because of where people are located and because of pricing differences in the stores.  The thing with a baby registry is that for the most part, even if you don't recieve it as a gift, you still need it!  Joey and I also went out yesterday in the pouring rain to test out strollers.  He was really into the joggers so we're going in that direction- he was "testing" them out in the aisles. We also looked at carseats and checked out some of the stuff I registered for "in real life".

Date: March 31, 2014

How far along? 21w (Baby is the size of a carrot)

How is Mama doing? Doing well, no complaints. Starting to get excited about having a baby in the house. Not that I wasn't before, but I'm feeling a little more prepared now that I've learned a bit about what babies need. Although with the learning came a bunch of reading about scary things like SIDS and worries that I hadn't yet thought of. So that's fun.

Weight Gain: VINDICATION! At my 20 week appointment Friday, the nurse who weighed me said "Oh! you lost 5 pounds since last appointment." Which was the perfect opportunity for me to say "No, the nurse that weighed me last time didn't even wait for the scale to balance before she declared my weight and I knew it was wrong."  Not that anyone cares about this but me.... but it sure was nice to be weighed correctly for once!  Now if I could get them to go back and correct the other entry that is wrong. Sigh. 

Sex of the baby: Our Dr. mentioned that the fact that the radiologist wrote "female" in the summary means that they are really sure it's a girl :)

Movement: Tons of movement and definitely getting stronger.  I notice it usually after I eat something, and a lot of movement in the evenings/when I'm going to bed.  I don't feel it all the time, though, and I know that's normal for this stage. I also found out that I have an anterior placenta (it's in the front of my uterus) which provides some extra cushioning and could make the kicks harder to feel. (Nothing bad about an anterior placenta, btw.) I haven't been able to feel much on the outside yet.

Maternity Clothes?  I really need to buy some nursing bras.  (I'm writing it here because it's clothing related.) But I don't want to! They are so expensive! I had one in my hand at Buy Buy Baby the other day and I put it back because I didn't want to spend the money. I know I will have to eventually but I just wasn't ready yet.

Pregnancy Fitness:  I hung out with my bff Denise Austin twice this week! She's so pretty to look at but I have to keep it on mute because her voice annoys the crap out of me...

BFF

Symptoms: Not too much going on in symptom land.  I can usually tell when baby is growing because I'm hungrier than normal and usually have some light cramping.  So, I'm pretty sure she was growing this weekend.  I don't have too much of a breakout, but my face is kind of splotchy in places (I get random hives that I think are hormone related? I'd get them before pregnancy too) and it would probably benefit everyone if I wore some makeup to work....

Belly Button: Innie

Stretchmarks? None. Got some new oil- I guess BBB discontinued their relationship with Belli so I got a new brand. We'll see how it goes!

Nutrition/Cravings? Did great this past week but now all the fresh food has been eaten so I need to get back to the grocery store STAT. The only craving I really had was yesterday when I woke up and had a hot dog for second breakfast (no so great).  (First breakfast was at 6am when I woke up STARVING and had a bowl of Special K Redberries.) Joey was craving Five Guys yesterday so I generously allowed him to go and get me some too :)

Sleep: Haven't sprung for the pregnancy pillow yet.  Sleeping with a pillow between my legs has definitely helped with my hip pain. Still waking up in the middle of the night but for the most part, going well and definitely getting more used to sleeping on my side.  

Looking Forward To:  Putting the nursery all together!

What I miss: Spring. I know that's not pregnancy related but whatever. It freaking SNOWED yesterday. It's the last day of March. COME ON.

Doc/Chloe: I've mentioned it before but I just love how when Joey goes out of town these two take turns on "watch" at night.  Normally we all sleep under the covers but when he's not home they take turns sitting on the edge of the bed looking towards the door. 

21 Week Pics:

From the front

aaand from the side

Not the most flattering thanks to the work mirror and lighting but I think you'd rather see me in work clothes than my PJs...

Creating the Registry: Part I

I'm entitling this "Part I" because I feel like there may be other parts to follow.  If not, then it just sounds cool.

Last night I decided it was time to buckle down and start thinking about our registry.  Joey is sort of letting me take the reigns with some rules about not buying everything in pink and letting him have a say in the really important items like the stroller, carseat, and baby monitor (I say video, he says no)...

My friend and coworker just had her 3rd baby after a 10 year break, so she had gotten rid of all her baby stuff and needed new.  I am using her registry as sort of a guide, since as an experienced Mom I feel like she knows what she needs and doesn't.

I've also done some reading here and there about stuff that we'll need, but for the most part, I am totally clueless.

I logged on to the store we picked out, created a registry, and then..... stared blankly at the screen.  WTF am I supposed to do next? 

Apparently registering for your baby is a lot different than registering for your wedding.  It's not about picking out pretty china or little gifts that would be so super cute on the mantle.  It's about picking products that are convenient to use, that are safe for our baby, that will not break the bank.  That means I'm basically researching every item I come across to check for customer reviews, marketplace reviews, safety recalls, etc. and omg...

It. Is. EXHAUSTING.

I messed around with that registry for like 3 hours last night and I had a grand total of 3 items when I was finished.  This is really hard.

Mostly I just wanted to complain about how hard it is real quick before I go back to my research.  I also realize I'm kind of psycho and some people don't get this freaked out about it.

Also, we just came back from our 20 week appointment and everything is going great.  Of course when I got home Chloe stepped on my stomach so I'm going to worry about that for a little while until I feel her move again... but... such is my life.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  See you next week for our 21 week update!

~SG

PS: If you are a Mom and you want to help a sista out with some registry advice, please feel free to reach out via comments, e-mail, facebook, etc.  I'd love to hear from you.

OH and for your efforts, I threw in a picture:

20 weeks, 4 days

Week 20

Lot's of fun developments this week!

First of all, my belly definitely popped out!  Wednesday morning I woke up and went into the bathroom to check (I guess to make sure it's still there?) and it was much rounder than ever before!  This is exciting because when you are 19 weeks pregnant and you wake up with a flat belly, it's freaky. 

I also spent the weekend cleaning out the last of Baby Gish's room.  It is completely empty now save for some ugly fail-curtains and some pictures on the walls.  Next step is to vaccuum, clean the baseboards, and magic-eraser the walls.

Secondly, we picked up the crib on Sunday.  It looks great and I think it will go great with our ideas for the room decor. 

Finally, we had our 20 week ultrasound. We don't have our appointment until Friday, though, so we won't really know anything else until then.  In my expert opinion, everything looked good :)

Something that was fun about this ultrasound is that it calculated the size of the baby and then gave us a new due date based on that: Aug 13th.  So... 2 days different from our original one of Aug 11th.  So basically, we're right on track!

Other fun notables: I'm starting to get asked about good dates for a baby shower.  Which means it's time to register! 

Date: March 24, 2014 (I filled this out on Monday)

How far along? 20w (According to our u/s the baby weighs 11oz (almost a pound!) and is as long as a banana)

How is Mama doing? Still doing great. Still no major complaints.  I was thinking the other day that it's funny how I'm nit-picking about things that are bothering me.  I bet if I look back at this pregnancy in a few years I'm going to roll my eyes at myself.  I know I'm getting off easy and I'm very thankful for that.

Weight Gain:   Still chillin in the same range. Although I'm sure at my appointment on Friday they'll tell me I've gained 20 pounds or something.

Sex of the baby: It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYY now I can tell everyone!

Movement:   Lots more movement this week.  It's slowly getting stronger and more frequent.  The baby is definitely awake in the evening/night time.  And any time I drink something sugary or eat a lot.  It feels weird... not like I expected it to.  When she does summersaults I can feel her floating up in my belly.  A few jabs here and there, but no major kicks or punches which I guess is what I was expecting to feel?

Maternity Clothes?  I placed another order with Motherhood last week.  I know some people say not to buy maternity underwear but I like how it fits. Also, I need new underwear anyway because Chloe likes to snack on it...

Also, a small rant about maternity clothes: I KNOW they make the tops bigger because your girls are going to get bigger, but I lit-er-al-ly don't have a single maternity shirt that doesn't show my bra straps.  Highly annoying when you are just trying to find something to wear out to dinner or go to work without looking like a hooker.

Pregnancy Fitness:  Another week, another fail. I feel like I should get points for all the housework I did this weekend though. 

Symptoms: I found myself at a Mary Kay event last week so I ended up with some real facewash which should help with my breakouts.  This week's major development is that my hips are killing me when I wake up in the mornings. Sleeping on my side SUCKS.  I've gone back to putting a pillow between my legs but it's a huge pain.  I'm still working through figuring out the best way to deal with this.

Belly Button:  Innie

Stretchmarks?  None

Nutrition/Cravings? I changed this to "Nutrition/Cravings" so I could also talk about what I'm eating or not eating considering that has been a much bigger factor than I had anticipated.  I thought pregnant=hungry all the time.  I didn't realize it meant hungry, but not for anything in particular, and not interested in 99% of what you are offered.  Eating is a struggle and I'm lucky that Joey likes to cook because I am definitely not interested in cooking, let alone eating.  Breakfast and Lunch are pretty easy- cereal or a bagel and some fruit, some decaf coffee or OJ, Lunch is usually a PB&J sandwich with some chips and carrots and pudding or something, snacks are easy and range from greek yogurt to a bowl of ice cream (whatev).  But dinner is stressful.  I usually just tell Joey to decide because I don't want anything.  Last night we had an awesome dinner that he concocted- crockpot ribs with baked beans and green beans. 

In terms of cravings, I'm so annoyed with myself and I don't even want to admit but all I wanted last week was a fresh salad.  With an emphasis on fresh tomatoes.  I told Joey this one night and when I got home from work he was hard at work in the kitchen cutting piles of random vegetables- it was so awesome.  It probably means that my body needed the nutrients from the salad, so that's probably bad. But it also just makes me hate myself because really... WHO CRAVES SALAD?! Why don't I go take my bunny food and eat a carrot. Jeez.  Embarassing.

Sleep:   Aside from the killer pain in my hips, sleep is going OK.  It's almost time to order a body pillow I think.  I've gotten better at dealing with the middle of the night wakeups.  Also, my body is slowly adjusting to daylight savings time.  Apparently when you are pregnant this wreaks more havoc on your body than you realize! 

Looking Forward To:  Getting baby girl's room set up and creating our baby registry!

What I miss: I miss my book club! There. I said it.  I haven't been in months because of various reasons and I have to miss March's meeting too :(  I am really hoping I can make it to April's meeting.

Doc/Chloe:  They are adjusting well to having another thing in the bed- the pillow between my legs.  Which is annoying, because when I go to flip over, I realize Doc is actually sleeping on the pillow, between my legs, under the covers.  I don't need a lecture to realize that the dogs need to not be in the bed... but it's definitely time to start working on that.

Weekly wisdom: I'm taking this out from now on until I have something good to say.

Other: I hadn't really had a chance before now to say what a great job Joey is doing.  He has been really amazing through this whole first 20 weeks.  He deals with my irrational emotions and reassures me when I'm worrying and cleans the kitchen and does the laundry without mentioning the fact that I hadn't touched either in DAYS.  He has really stepped it up and it means a lot to me.  (It doesn't mean you are getting a motorcycle or a boat though, honey.)  But I wanted to make sure he got some ups on the blog because I don't want him to think it's all going unnoticed.

Pic:

It's a.......

If you know me at all you know there will be a long winded story before any information is revealed. If you somehow missed the gigantic announcement on Facebook and/or Instagram, go ahead and scroll down a little bit now.

OK! Now that we got that out of the way, here is how we came to find out the sex of our baby.

The day before we left for our Disney trip, I was 15 weeks 4 days pregnant.  We'd decided to do an elective ultrasound at a private business to see if we could find out what we're having.  I followed directions and drank some orange juice on the way down I-95. Also,  I was SO NERVOUS.  I was more nervous than I am for the dentist office and flying in an airplane...combined. 

We got to Sneek-a-Peek early, but we were able to be seen thank goodness!  And wouldn't you know... Baby Gish was sleeping and did NOT want to move.  I have since learned that a) morning appointments are better and b) Pepsi works better than OJ. 

After some poking, prodding, jumping jacks, a trip to the bathroom, and laying on my side, we FINALLY got the baby to flip over.  And I'll be honest with you when I tell you it looked like a giant blob and I have NO idea how u/s techs are able to see ANYTHING.

It was only a quick glimpse, but our tech Keri said she thought she knew what it was and wanted to try to get another look.  We were on pins and needles. My heart was racing.  After a really long time, she explained that she thought she knew what it was and asked if we would trust her because we really only got one good picture.  Joey said "You're killing me, what is it?!".  And she smiled and said...


"It's a girl!"

My reaction was pretty funny, of course I burst into tears and clamped my hand over my mouth. I wanted a girl so badly and I was so sure it was going to be a boy!  My next reaction was to look at Joey and say "I'm sorry!". Hahaha.  Keri then went on to show us examples of girls and boys from other ultrasounds, and showed us on ours where the anatomy was.  Our appointment had gone WAY over the 20 alotted minutes and I was so shocked when she told us to come back after our trip (for free) so we could get more pictures.  It goes without saying that I would highly recommend this business to anyone in NOVA or beyond.  She rocks.

By this time we'd decided against a "reveal" party.  Neither of us deal well with suspense and Joey was not wild about my "Pirate or Princess?" Party idea..... (major bummer.) (He also didn't like the idea of tying blue or pink balloons to the Min Pins and sending them running through the crowd...)  So we got on the phone and called our family and a few friends.

Then we spent an awesome week in Disney where I accidentally bought a lot of pink baby stuff.

The following week, I was 16 weeks 4 days pregnant when I went back to Keri for a morning appointment, after downing half a can of Pepsi.  Evidently this did the trick, because the first picture we have from that day was the crotch.  I asked her if it was still a girl because I'd bought a lot of Disney Princess attire.  And sure enough, it was still a girl!

After this, I was super excited to have confirmation (because of course u/s techs can be wrong).  So we called some more friends but decided we'd wait until the 20 week ultrasound JUST IN CASE.

Everything was fine until about a week beforehand when I started to worry again.  What if it was all wrong? What if it is really a boy? What will I do with all this girly stuff?

Week 20 arrived and I found myself again on the table with a wand on my belly.  I told the tech we'd been told the sex already but we wanted to confirm.  We got a great shot of the crotch again (more Pepsi...) and he asked me if we'd been told it was a girl.... because it is!

That was good enough for me.  I think it's pretty safe to say that it's officially a GIRL!

Also, for those that are wondering, of course Joey wanted a boy (what guy doesn't?).  But he is in no way disappointed, and actually told me that he had a feeling it was a girl all along.  He joked that I am on the hook for a 2nd, but I told him let's see how this one goes first ;)

Next up: Nursery Ideas, Names, and my 20 week update :)

~SG

Week 19

This weekend we headed down to VA Beach so Joey and some friends could run the Shamrock Half Marathon. It is such a great event.  We had a pretty relaxing trip which I appreciated.  We came back to a random mid-March snow storm, which was NOT appreciated. 

Luckily the snow did not prevent me from my second pre-natal massage.  This one went much better than the last- I had the head masseuse who used a reclining table and no heat (i.e. I had nothing to sit there and worry about). I'm planning to contine these massages once per month, because they help with obvious things like aches and pains but also with anxiety which, as you know, I'm prone to.

I also did some more cleaning out of the baby's room. It is a very overwhelming task as there is so much junk in there!! The basic ideas are coming together and we are going to pick up the crib this weekend. A friend ever so generously offered the crib from her FIL's house that her daughter used only a few times. It's still brand new, so, why the heck not?

And now for your regularly scheduled programming. Oh and btw I have ideas for other posts but they have to wait until our big reveal next week.

Date: March 18, 2014

How far along? 19w1d (Baby is the size of an heirloom tomato)

How is Mama doing? Doing well. No complaints.

Weight Gain:   -.5? (The point is, I  have yet to gain actual weight. and I'm worrying about it because WHY WOULDNT I? Normal people would be excited about this but I'm sitting here waiting for my scale to show an actual pound gained. Like I said last week, I want to punch myself sometimes.)

Sex of the baby: We get to triple check this coming Monday, then we'll be out of the closet!

Movement:   Little movements here and there-although sometimes I'm not convinced that it's actually the baby.  I can't feel anything on the outside yet.  OH and somewhat TMI but I just remembered that I can feel when the baby is kicking my cervix. It hurts. And I'm guessing it will only hurt more as the baby gets bigger. Yay.

Maternity Clothes? If Winter would just go ahead and END, then I can get into this whole stash of spring/summer maternity clothes....

Pregnancy Fitness:  I did better this week. Not great, but better.  I did my workout video (once) and I did a ton of walking down in VA Beach. I also carried my friend's 2 year old which counts as lifting...

Symptoms: Skin is definitely breaking out- I need to go get some actual facewash and stop using Irish Spring.  I also had my first bout of heartburn IN MY LIFE the other night. Although I'm pretty sure it can be contributed to eating a chocolate chip-walnut cookie in bed while laying down... Some tums and some fluffed pillows took care of that one right away. Fun fact though- they say this week the baby is starting to grow hair! Perhaps that's why the heartburn?? Also some hip pain at the beginning of the week that was rather unpleasant but seems to have stopped.

Belly Button:  Same same. Something I thought I'd mention is my linea nigra has definitely shown up.  It has actually been there since the beginning.  I think I can thank my Italian heritage/more melanin for that one.  It's not hurting anybody and it's not very dark at all. Just a nice, long line up my belly and it's starting to creep past my belly button! Weird!

Stretchmarks?  Thanks for the reminder to order more belli oil!

Cravings? I feel like I need to be eating better.  Eating a well balanced diet has never been on the top of my priority list (it's on there...just not on the top!). But since day 1 of pregnancy I've been worrying and obsessing over whether I'm eating well enough for my baby.  This is further complicated by the fact that I am still not interested in meat. I make sure to eat fruit every day, and some kind of calcium like milk or yogurt, and I TRY to eat veggies. And the other day I ate a candy bar and felt horrible about it afterwards. To answer the original question, last night I was thinking that a salad with fresh tomatoes and Catalina dressing would taste good. Is that a craving? We need to go grocery shopping!

Sleep:   I've been more tired lately than I had been in the past few weeks. My guess is that the baby is growing.  I took several naps this weekend which were definitely needed. 

Looking Forward To:  20 week sonogram in less than a week. I can't believe how the weeks are flying by!

What I miss: I'm starting to miss wine.  Not really miss it, but as we get sneak peeks of spring weather, I know it's not going to be long before we are all going to the wineries again. And I'll be sipping lemonade instead of merlot. Sigh.

Doc/Chloe:  Still getting my bathroom escorts.  Both dogs are so confused when I re-route them as they try to walk across my stomach.  I'm getting much better at protecting myself but sometimes someone lands on my stomach and then I freak out for a few minutes.

Weekly wisdom: Take naps! Sleep in! Everyone will tell you that it's the last time you'll get to do these things, ever, and you can just roll your eyes and tell them that you aren't stupid and you knew that when you signed up. But really, enjoy your sleep. Growing a human is exhausting!

Pic:

Week 18

Fun things happening all around! We get several days in the 60 degree range this week! I'm so excited about that. Also, I have started the beginning stages of working on the baby's room. 

I was chatting with a co-worker earlier in the week and she casually mentioned that it's a good idea to have everything ready somewhere in the 7th month because you don't know how things will go.  She has a good point, and yes I do realize that newborns need nothing more than a bassinet, diapers, and a boob.  But it was kind of a wake up call, too.  I'm 4.5 months pregnant and I've been flitting around complaining about "where is my bump?" and worrying about something happening or going wrong, and I haven't been focusing on the reality: we're having a baby. So after, a small freakout ("I don't know anything about babies!"), I decided to get my rear in gear and the first step is cleaning out the room and getting it ready.

I started throwing things away and moving things to the basement (like 2 tubs of wedding stuff...what I will ever do with them I don't know). I found our room keys from our honeymoon, the contents of my Red Rockers notebook, 3 unopened packages of stickers (woohoo!), old race bibs-some unused thanks to too much wine the night before, a bag of old clothes to donate which I will be adding to, and Doc's very first collar. It was so tiny!

But enough about that... here's your weekly stats!

Date: March 10, 2014

How far along? 18w (Baby is the size of a bell pepper)

How is Mama doing? Still doing really well.  Because of my anxious personality, I'm having a hard time appreciating the fact that I'm having a smooth/easy pregnancy and instead I'm worrying about "what it all means".  Seriously. I want to punch myself in the face sometimes.

Weight Gain:   +2.5

Sex of the baby: I'm assuming somebody will out us before we get to make our grand announcement. I just want to get my eyes on that little butt one more time at our 20 week u/s in 2 weeks.

Movement:   I can feel little flutters here and there but nothing constant yet.  I whipped out the doppler (did I tell you I rented a doppler?) a couple times in the last week just to ease my mind.  It's a handy thing to have but I don't want to bother the baby too much so I'm trying not to check more than once or twice in a week.  According to "What to Expect", it's normal to feel movement and then not feel movement for a while at this stage. The baby is still pretty small.

Maternity Clothes? My gigantic order from Old Navy arrived this weekend and I'm officially set (for the time being...).  I still can't wear any of the empire waist shirts because it looks awkward. But I have some great, longer sweaters/shirts that look nice for work so I'm pretty excited about that.  I'm modeling one below.

Pregnancy Fitness:  Umm... heh heh... let's skip this question for this week, shall we?  I promise to do better next week.

Symptoms: My skin has started to break out a bit more on my face.  Nothing too crazy.  Also I noticed about 5 pimples on my back.... ew.  I never had any bacne even when I was a teenager.  So I can definitely say this is pregnancy-related.

Belly Button:  Still an innie!

Stretchmarks?  No new ones, although I noticed an old one that is starting to bother me. I don't think it has changed at all but I think since I am looking for them it's bugging me. I need to order more Belli Oil.

Cravings? Still waiting on those cheese curls, Laura! No real cravings although the food aversions kind of came back this week. Nothing like the first tri because I can force myself to eat almost anything, but I'm just not interested in eating things like meat and vegetables.  Fruit, yogurt, cereal, and anything sweet is fine.  So breakfast and lunch are usually good. Dinner time is a bit challenging.

Sleep:   I'm trying to start working on not sleeping on my stomach. And it's hard.  I'm basically flipping over from side to side all night.  I'm also dealing with a fat Miniature Pinscher who likes to share pillows- although apparently she got tired of my crap last night and moved to the crate.  Let's hope this becomes a thing.

Looking Forward To:  Planning the nursery with my girlfriends, our 20 week sono, NICE WEATHER (come on, Spring!), upcoming little getaway to VA Beach. I think that's enough for now.

What I miss: Being able to shop in any old store.  Not everyone sells maternity clothes :(

Doc/Chloe: I realized this week that Doc has taken it upon himself to escort me to the bathroom in the middle of the night- every.single.time.  I didn't realize this until recently, but one night where I had like 3 bathroom trips (drank a liiiitttle too much water before bed) I noticed that each time he would dutifully jump out of bed, follow me to the bathroom, wait by the door while I did my business, and then look over his shoulder and wait for me to turn off the light before leading me back to bed. 

Weekly wisdom: I got nothing this week.

Pics:
I took my weekly first-thing-in-the-morning pic in my pj's. But I wanted to illustrate how much more my bump is accentuated when I put on clothes.  So you get two pictures this week.  Also, by the end of the day, it's much bigger.  It's mostly bloat/water, but it's still fun.  It has really started to grow over the past week!

Boy or Girl?

There are so many old wives tales (OWTs) out there that say they can tell whether you are having a girl or a boy waaay before an ultrasound can pick up on it.

I'm lucky with the technology available I was able to find out so early... but I wanted to look at what I should be having based on OWTs.

Below is completely stolen from a friend (with permission), but I think it is a good way of looking at each myth, and the answers are obviously mine.

So, if it's in Pink it means according to that particular myth, I should be having a girl. And if it's Blue, it means according to that particular myth, I should be having a boy.  Orange means I didn't try it or it doesn't apply.  At the end I'll add them all up!


Heart Rate: If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl. If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.

 

Shape of Belly:

If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it's a boy.

-I don't really have a belly yet.

Shape of Mom’s Face: When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl. If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy.

Mayan Tale:
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is an even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number than a boy is on the way! (29 + 2013= 2042)

Drano Test:
The drano test combines a tablespoon of Drano and urine together. If the mixture turns green, it’s a girl. If it turns blue, it’s a boy. -From what I read, not only is this bogus, it is also dangerous.

Acne:
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.

Cravings:
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.

Smell of Garlic:
If a pregnant woman eats a clove of garlic and the smell does not come out of her pores, it’s a girl. If the smell seeps out of her pores, it’s a boy. -I am not eating a clove of garlic... are you people crazy?!

History of Parent’s Kids: You can find out the sex by going off of your parent’s kids and the order. If you are the first born, you will have what your mother had but starting with her second child. If you are the middle child, you will have what she said, but starting with the third child. If you are the last child, you will have what your mother had in the exact order.

Legs:
If your legs get really big, you’re having a boy. If your legs stay in shape and lean, it’s a girl.

Moodiness and a Little Pecker: If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you. Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you.  (Really?!)

Bread:
If you eat the ends of bread, it's a boy. If you eat the middle of the loaf, it's a girl.

Chinese Gender Chart:
http://content.thebump.com/sitelets/chinese-gender-chart/
The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%. It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived. (29 and November)

Mom’s Beauty:
Basically you are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy. It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty. If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, you might just be having a little boy.

Dream of Sex of Baby: If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl. If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy. Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.

Clumsy vs. Graceful: If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl. If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy.

Side You Most Rest On: If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy. If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl.

Dad's Weight Gain: If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it's a girl. If he doesn't gain weight, you're having a boy.

Breast Test:
If a pregnant woman’s left breast is larger than the right breast, she’s having a girl. If the right breast is larger, it’s a boy.
-I think they are the same?

What Do You Think?:
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.

Morning Sickness:
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy. If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl.

Protein:
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.

Feet:
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant? If so, you just might be having a boy. If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.

Hair on Legs:
If the hair on your legs has been growing at record speeds, you might be having a boy.

Hands are Dry:
If your hands are constantly dry, it’s a boy.

Nose:
Do you feel like your nose is growing and getting wider? If so, you might be having a boy.

Headaches:
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.

Baby Names:
It is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particular baby.

So, what's the verdict?
According to all of the OWTs and Myths, overall, I got more answers for: BOY.

Are they right?

You'll find out soon! (If you already know, don't spoil the surprise!)

~SG

Weeks 16 and 17

Sorry I'm not sorry I was in Disney World last Monday and therefore did not get around to doing a 16 week blog update.  Lucky (or not so lucky) for you, I did take a quick picture before heading off to the pool.  So you can see how much I have still not changed.  It's starting to get weird.  Here I am 17 weeks pregnant and I look like I ate a really big lunch.  Or, to strangers, I look completely normal.  All of my symptoms have pretty much calmed down, and it's a little freaky.  I know the baby is in there because I just saw it, heard it's heartbeat, etc. and I think I might be feeling it move, a little.  But for the most part, I'm still in crazy denial about what is going to happen in 23 weeks.

Disney World while pregnant was pretty good. Traveling in the 2nd Trimester is recommended/encouraged. Flying was no problem- I was able to avoid the xray machine thing and walk through a simple metal detector.  The flight coming into Washington was like a roller coaster but the babe just went along for the ride.  The biggest issues I ran into were extreme exhaustion and finding every bathroom in Disney World (twice).  While I was there, I definitely started to notice when the baby was sitting on my bladder.  Constant pressure, resulting in bathroom trips every 20 minutes, is not comfortable at any time.  Add in my nervousness and anxiety about having to go to the bathroom and it becomes pretty uncomfortable.  By the end of the trip, I had finally figured out what worked best in terms of both consuming liquids and not being completely tired- going out in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon, and going to bed right after dinner.  And all the walking was probably SO good for me- no hip pain! I worried about how hydrated I was, but my u/s when we got home showed plenty of amniotic fluid (more in this later!).

Drinking Around the World... yep, that's a giant water!

Date: March 3, 2014

How far along? 17w (Baby is the size of an onion)

How is Mama doing? Now that I'm home, I'm feeling much better. We've had an unexpected 4 day weekend, so we've been doing a lot of relaxing.

Weight Gain:   According to my scale, I'm back down -.5.  According to the doctor, I gained 5 pounds.  I'm getting pretty annoyed with the lackadaisical manner in which I'm weighed at the Dr office.  In December, they incorrectly recorded my weight by +10 pounds, and refuse to fix it in my records.  Now, they just sludge the little weight over and don't even wait for the thing to balance before making their recording.  I know that likely they will not say anything to me about my weight, as I'm definitely on the low end of the scale when it comes to weight gain, but I am keeping track on my own at home just in case they do.

Sex of the baby: We know what we are having :) We're not quite ready to announce quite yet although if you ask me nicely in private maybe I'll tell you.  I just feel weird announcing when I don't even have a bump...  We had an amazing experience with our elective ultrasound.  The baby was being super uncooperative the Friday before we left for Disney.  We finally got it to flip over and got a nice crotch shot before we left for our trip, but the awesome lady told us to come back when we got back so we could get some more pictures.  So we've had it confirmed now, twice.

Movement:  I've felt a few flutters here and there, although sometimes I'm really not sure if it's the baby, the metamucil moving things along, or my heart beating in my stomach (the weirdest feeling).

Maternity Clothes? Definitely wearing maternity pants/shorts/etc.  Regular pants are fine in the morning but by the end of the day they are too uncomfortable.  I am on the search for maternity shirts that don't look like maternity shirts at the moment.

Pregnancy Fitness:  Miles.  I walked MILES in Disney and it was great.

Symptoms: They have really calmed down.  I know I am extremely lucky.  But I can't help but feel anxious. Maybe that in itself is a symptom.  Ahhh! Somebody take google away.

Belly Button: My stomach itself (we're not counting sides, hips, etc) is still ridiculously flat.  I've always been proud of this.  I know its' days are numbered...

Stretchmarks? Nope

Cravings? Not really craving anything still.  I'm not usually able to eat a lot at one time.  I don't know how some pregnant women can just put food away from day 1.  We ate at a buffet in WDW and I couldn't even finish one plate.  I do, however, snack quite a bit.  I eat small meals and snacks quite often, but a lot of food at once just makes me feel sick.

OH I just thought of a "craving".  I really wanted some Herr's Cheese Curls from Philadelphia and they don't sell them here in VA.  I tried ordering online but Joey said I wasn't allowed because they come in cases only and we don't have room in the pantry for 42 bags of cheese curls...... maybe my sister will hook a preggo up??

Sleep:   Waking up for ~2-3 hours per night.  Pregnancy insomnia.  The struggle is real.

Looking Forward To:  Our 20 week ultrasound and starting to plan the baby's room!

What I miss: Feeling pretty.  I know this is totally vain but this is my blog! I don't feel very pretty anymore.  Even when I've done my hair and makeup.  It is what it is, but I thought I'd share.

Doc/Chloe: They are really tired of us being home.  I think they want us to go back to work.

Weekly wisdom: Don't push yourself too hard.  Take naps.  Lay by the pool (where applicable). Take deep breaths. Relax.

Other:  I think I've said enough!

16 weeks, post shower, pre-pool at Wilderness Lodge

17 weeks, you love my shorts, I don't know what I'm doing with my head