Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice?

Next week we are finding out the sex of the baby (assuming he/she cooperates!), so this week we have been taking polls to find out what everyone else thinks! Boy or girl? So far, it's been an overwhelming number of BOY votes.

This week we got back from a 12 day vacation to Florida, Haiti, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel (and I am seriously missing the warm weather!). But while we were on our cruise I got a massage. This little Filipino lady was the one giving me the massage...she is from the Philippines and has been working on the cruise ship for several years. When the massage was over she said to me "So you're having a girl?" I told her that we didn't know yet if the baby is a boy or a girl, to which she responded "Oh no, you're having a girl! I can tell just by looking at your belly!"

Well, this got me thinking....let's try out a bunch of old wives tales to see what the gender will be! So here you go:

1.) The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way. That would mean a BOY for me!

2.) This test combines a tablespoon of baking soda and urine together. If the mixture does nothing, it's a girl. If it fizzes, it's a boy. GIRL!

3.) It is thought that a baby girl will steal her mother's beauty. So if your skin and hair become dry or if you have a lot of acne then it's a girl. My skin and hair went from being great before I was pregnant, to dry as a bone. So I guess this gets a vote for a GIRL.

4.) 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. Definitely a GIRL!

5.) 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. Another GIRL.

6.) Take off your wedding ring, tie it to a piece of string, and hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, you are promised a boy; back and forth indicates a girl. I tried this one three times- all the same...GIRL.

7.) If your hubby packs on a little sympathy weight, the tales say you're in for a sugary-sweet little girl. Haha poor Mark...another GIRL!

8.) Sick as a dog? Morning sickness indicates pink. If you sail through without any sickness, it's blue skies ahead. GIRL!

9.) If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa. I've only dreamed about boy babies, so another GIRL.

10.) If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you'll have a girl. If he ignores you, it's a boy. Graham has determined that I am having a baby girl which we should name "Brother". Hmm. I guess it's another vote for GIRL!

11.) Mood swings? The extra hormones say it's a girl. You can verify this one with Mark- I'm pretty sure it's another GIRL.

12.) If you feel as though you're gliding through the day, you'll have a girl. Clumsy? It's a boy. This would indicate a BOY for me.

13.) If you're craving citrus while pregnant, you're having a girl. I've been eating lemons like there's no tomorrow! Just thinking about it makes me want to eat one...GIRL.

14.) Using the Chinese lunar month and age...BOY!

15.) This one is simple...what do Mark and I think the baby is going to be? We both agree- GIRL :)


Stay tuned for the gender announcement in the next week or two!

Week 12 Baby Bump: First Trimester Wrap Up

Wow, time sure does fly by when you're puking your guts out having fun! This is week 12 and I am happily moving into my second trimester very soon. I figured it would be kinda fun at the end of each trimester to answer the same set of questions to see how things are changing with the pregnancy! If you can think of any other questions that you would want me to add to the list, just let me know :)

1. Are you having morning sickness? YES. But I've started to get it under control now, figuring out the little tricks that help.
2. How is the fatigue? Oh my gosh. We're talking TOTAL EXHAUSTION. I sleep in every day until 10am, and by 1pm I am laying down again for a nap.
3. Frequent potty breaks? Yes. Too often.
4. Sense of smell? I smell EVERYTHING. We've had to put air fresheners in just about every room of our (brand new) condo because it "smells". I can't even walk into our pantry without holding my breath because the smell of the food is so overwhelming it makes me throw up.
5. What are your cravings? Lately, I've been craving: Icees, ice cream, pizza, cream cheese, spicy things, and anything orange flavored (tic tacs, fruit snacks, soda, gum...)
6. What makes you most nauseas? These days, just about everything. Meat, veggies, yogurt, eggs, fast food, dirty dishes, the smell of bathrooms...
7. Do you have heartburn? I just started getting heartburn this week, but it's infrequent.
8. Have you been moody? Ha! Uh, yeah.
9. Have you been crying a lot? I haven't been crying a lot, but I have been crying at things that are super random.
10. Weight gain/loss? I've lost 8 pounds.
11. Do you have an innie or an outie? Innie!
12. Any stretch marks? Nope
13. Have you felt the baby move? I don't think so...but we have seen the baby moving a lot on our last ultrasound.
14. Have you made your first baby purchase? We have not bought anything for the baby yet.
15. Do you think it will be a boy or a girl? We don't really have any ideas yet, but we think it would be really fun to have a girl!
16. Do you have any names picked out? We have tons of girl names, but we've really been struggling to come up with boy names.
17. Who will be the baby's favorite person? Hmm, that's a tough one - probably Melinda.
18. Who will spoil the baby the most? My mom. Definitely.
19. What has been the most fun about being pregnant? Telling people that I am pregnant has been the most fun, because it was so unexpected! And because everyone has been so excited for us.
20. What has been the most surprising? How quickly I have felt like some alien has taken over my body.
21. What have you liked the most/least about your first/second/third trimester? What I've liked the most about my first trimester is just knowing that I really am pregnant. What I've like the least is the exhaustion and sickness.