Boy or Girl? - Gender Prediction Time

In exactly one week, we will know if I am having a baby boy or a baby girl! I honestly do not have a preference on what I am having. Normally I roll my eyes when people say that, but this time it is true. It would be wonderful to have a boy. Joe is the only boy in his family, so we would like the family name to be passed down. Plus, it would be nice to have one of each child; I would get to experience the best of both worlds. Then again, I have a little girl already and I know what to expect from them. I absolutely love having a daughter! Plus, we have so many girls clothes that I loved and want to see again. (silly reason, I know) It would be great for Sophie to have a sister, but just a wonderful for her to have a brother. As long as my baby is healthy and will be born, I am a happy Momma.

Even though I don't have a preference on which gender I am hoping for, I still want to know what I am having. All along I have thought that this baby is a girl, though there have been a few days where I thought boy. Most of my friends think that I am having a boy. Joe thinks it is a girl. My mom is thinking boy. When I ask Sophie if she thinks I am having a boy or a girl, she just picks whatever one I say last.

Here are what some of the old wives' tales have to say about it all  (some are just too pointless or personal to answer, so I left them off):

Ring test -Hang your wedding ring (or a ring you wear a lot) on a hair or length of cotton, and get your OH to hang it over your bump. If it moves in circles it’s a girl, back and fourth and it’s a boy.

•  It moved in a circle for me - GIRL        

Weight gain:
Not yours surprisingly!! The belief is that, if your husband puts on weight during your pregnancy, then you will be having a girl. If he doesn't put on a pound, then you're carrying a boy.

• Last time Joe put on some weight with me, but this time he hasn't. - BOY

Heartbeat

If you're having a girl, then the fetal heart rate will be above 140. A boy will have a heart rate below 140.

• It has been in the 150s and 160s - GIRL

Bump position

OK so might be to early to tell for most of us but Carrying High is supposed to mean a girl, Carrying Low and out front is a boy.

• I think it is too soon to tell. My mom thinks I am carrying high. - GIRL
   

Veiny eyeball

Pull down the skin under your left eye and look at your eyeball (the white part). If you see a vein that looks like a V or branches, you will be having a girl.

• yup - GIRL

Mayan

The Mayans determined the sex of the baby by taking the mother's age at conception, and the year of conception. If both are even or both are odd...it's a girl. If one is even and one odd it's a boy

• I was 28 at conception and it was 2012 when the baby was conceived - GIRL
   

Ask the kids

Apparently if you take a poll of under 5s and ask whether you are having a boy or girl they scarily tend to get it right.

•  My 3 year old niece says boy. My friend's 3 and 5 year old sons both said boy. - 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 think it is more big and round. Joe thinks it is smaller and sticking straight out. Someone else mentioned that to me yesterday, so two against one. - BOY 

Acne

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

• I've had a few bigger zits here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. I haven't had as many zits this time as I did with Sophie though. - BOY  
   

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.

•  I don't have any huge cravings. For a week or so I just wanted pickles, and I've been snacking on pretzels a lot. I also have been eating a lot of chocolate and fruit. Then again, none of this is out of the ordinary for me. I guess if I had to choose, I would say I want more sweets. - GIRL
   

Moodiness and a Little Pecker (this one is odd, but funny)

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.

• Well, this is a strange one. I think more happy than annoyed this time - BOY 

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.

• GIRL 

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, a little boy it is.

• I don't know. I've had people compliment that I look good, but then again not many people would tell you that you look like crap. I don't think I look as zombie-like as I did with Sophie, so I guess... - 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.

•  I haven't really had any dreams this time. I had quite a few dreams about a girl with Sophie, even one where I said her full name, so I don't agree with this old wives' tale. - INCONCLUSIVE

 

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.

• I've been doing okay so far - GIRL
   

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.

• I've been laying on my left side because I know that is the best side to lay on. I don't really have a preference on sides anyway, as long as it is my side. - INCONCLUSIVE
   

What Do You Think?

71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.

• GIRL

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.

• I've been really, really lucky. No morning sickness, minus some nausea- BOY
   

Protein

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

• There have been some steak cravings and even a few cheese and cracker cravings. - 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.

• Same - GIRL
   

Headaches

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

• No headaches - GIRL
   

Baby Names

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

• I've been very adamant about my boy name (I've loved it for years). I had two girl names that I really liked, so I left that decision up to Joe. - BOY
   

Even/odd testIf your birth year and your age are both even numbers or both odd numbers then you are going to give birth to a girl. If one is odd, the other even, a boy is on the way

•  Born in 1983 and I am 28 - BOY

 

Previous Kids

This tale only applies if you have had previous kids. If you have and that child’s first word was momma, you will have a girl. If your first child’s first word was dadda, you’ll have a boy. 

• Sophie's first word was Momma - GIRL

Baby Kicks

If the baby kicks on the right side of your tummy, it's a boy, If the baby kicks on the left side of your tummy, it's going to be a girl.

• I feel more kicks on my left side - GIRL

Hairline

If this is your second child, look at the back of the neck of your first born. Does the hairline across the back of the neck go straight across, or come to a point? If the hairline goes straight across, your baby will be the same gender that your first born is. If the hairline goes to a point, your baby will be the opposite gender of what your firstborn is.

This website discusses how your previous child's hairline can predict gender. It seemed to work for her. The problem for me is getting to see Sophie's hairline. Every time I try to pull up her hair so I can see, she says, "Top it!" (her way of saying stop it) in a really annoyed voice while batting my hand away. Joe and I think that it is a little pointed, but when looking at this lady's site, her hair seems to resemble 'Zander's' more, which would be straight. Maybe I will attempt a pony tail for Sophie so I can see the hairline better. Until then - GIRL

 

 

GIRL IS THE WINNER!

 

Obviously you have to take these old wives' tales with a grain of salt. Besides, different websites and different people mix up what is supposed to be a boy and what is supposed to be a girl on these things. Such as the ring test...some websites says that a circle is a girl, while others say a boy. At least it was a little fun to go through all of these predictors.

18 Weeks

How far along? 18 Weeks
Maternity clothes? I still have a few pants and shirt I can wear, but I went ahead and washed all of my old maternity clothes. I forgot how comfortable my maternity jeans were. I also forgot that those belly panels have a way about them so that you look even rounder! Oh well, it creates a nice bump.
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: Some nights I have trouble getting to sleep, other night I wake up in the middle of the night. I bought Joe and I new pillows on Monday, which has helped some.
Best moment this week: Today I was getting a little stressed at work. I sat down, took a deep breath and Raz gave me a tap right under my belly button. Made me smile and the stress melted away.
Miss Anything? As always...wine.
Movement: I feel some gentle little kicks here and there. They mostly happpen on my left side, though a few have happened in the midle of my stomach. I have a feeling that my placenta is in the front of my stomach, so that is probably muffling the kicks a little.
Food cravings: Nothing really. With Sophie, I had very distinct cravings that lasted for weeks That isn't really happening this time. Just a random "oh, that sounds good" here and there.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really. I haven't enjoyed some of my old foods as much as before (like chinese), but nothing has really made me sick.
Any pregnancy complications?: My sciatic nerve is still bothering me. I'm still having dizzy spells as well (this has been happening since I found out I was pregnant.)
Have you started to show yet: Yup. A nice little bump is forming. My principal told me today that I was starting to 'blossom.' I guess it is extremely obvious now.
Gender prediction: Girl
Looking forward to: Giving this baby a name! Only 8 more days!!


I found my first 'belly' shot that Joe took of me with Sophie. I decided to recreate it with this baby.


18 weeks with baby #2

18 weeks with baby #1 (Sophie)

17 Weeks

I keep looking out for signs about the gender of this baby. This week I've seen our boy's name a few times. This morning when one of my students was on the computer, I noticed they had an activity to do based on the book that our boy's name comes from. I've also heard one of our possible girls names today. I guess I'm not going to get a clear cut sign. That is okay. I can wait two weeks to find out. (More of my friends are thinking the baby is a boy than a girl. We'll see if they are right.)

How far along? 17 Weeks
Maternity clothes? I've washed a few pants and shirts, though really have only worn one pair of capris and a shirt. I'm sticking with my 'bigger' pants from before I lost weight and dresses. I'm going to have to start storing away prebaby clothes soon though.
Stretch marks? No new ones.
Sleep: I am sleeping a little better this week. Still waking up in the middle of the night, but I can fall back asleep pretty quickly.
Best moment this week: Going to the Jason Mraz concert yesterday. We have nicknamed the baby Raz (after Jason Mraz). It was nice to share that concert with my baby.
Miss Anything? Wine...blackberry wine....
Movement: I think I've felt some more flutters from the baby. Still not sure, so I'm waiting to feel some kicks.
Food cravings: chocolate
Anything making you queasy or sick: I puked again earlier this week in the morning. Just a tiny bit, but still. Both times I've gotten sick, Sophie is down by my legs asking if I'm okay. My sweet little girl.
Any pregnancy complications?: My sciatic nerve has still been acting up. Not as much as last week, but it still isn't pleasant.
Have you started to show yet: Yes. I can't wait until my stomach starts getting bigger and rounder.
Gender prediction: This week I had more of a boy feeling than my normal girl feeling. Who knows.
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender. Only two more weeks!

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 Weeks
Maternity clothes? Yup. I lost 12 pounds before getting pregnant, so I can still fit into a lot of my old (pre-weight loss) pants and jeans. I am starting to get a nice muffin top from them though, so I figured I should just go ahead and start wearing some maternity pants. I'm also wearing dresses and skirts a lot to work. I am all about being comfortable.
Stretch marks? No new ones. Sophie did a pretty good job on those, so hopefully this baby has some mercy on me.
Sleep: I keep waking up in the middle of the night. Some nights it is only once, but there were a few nights this week when I woke up 2 or 3 times. I feel so unrested.
Best moment this week: Possibly feeling some movement
Miss Anything? Coke Zero and all those jeans that I used to fit into after I lost weight.
Movement: I've thought that I've felt a little something a few times, but I can't be sure if it is the baby or gas.
Food cravings: Nothing really
Anything making you queasy or sick: I actually puked for the first time on Thursday, but I have no idea why. I don't think I ate anything that made me sick, so who knows.
Any pregnancy complications?:  My sciatic nerve has been acting up. It likes to focus on my right butt check. Joy. Sometimes walking and getting up really hurts. Sleeping with a body pillow helps some, but teaching all day makes it act up. Hopefully that will stop soon.
Have you started to show yet: Yeah, you can tell now. It is still that early phase where you just look super chubby, but I think you can definitely tell I'm pregnant. 
Gender prediction: I've been saying all along that this is a girl. However, this week I have caught myself calling the baby a boy. Who knows.
Looking forward to: Feeling more movement (or being sure that is what I've been feeling) and knowing the gender of little Raz.

15 Weeks

Today was the day that I have been dreading: the first day of school. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy teaching and I love getting to know my students each year. I just am not ready to give up my days with Sophie (and my daily naps). The day went well, but I missed my girl. It is going to be even harder when I have to leave two kids behind.

In other news, I went for a check-up yesterday. My mom went with me so that she could entertain Sophie and hear the heartbeat. Oh, that heartbeat. I was so excited to hear it again. I waited patiently while the doctor searched for the heartbeat...and searched...and searched. You could hear my pulse very loudly, but no baby heartbeat. Again and again the doctor searched. I just heard static and my pulse. I was trying very hard not to freak out and to be patient. (Earlier this week I had actually had thought this same scenario would happen.) The doctor finally found a spot where he was able to hear the baby's heartbeat in the background of my pulse (heartbeat in the 150s). Thank goodness! I turned around to see Sophie's reaction, and she had her fingers in her ears. Goofball. I asked why my pulse was so strong this time, and the doctor thinks maybe my placenta is more in the front of my stomach and the baby is behind it. If that is the case then I hope it changes because I don't want to go through that worry of not finding a heartbeat right away again.

How far along? 15 Weeks
Maternity clothes? No, but I think I'm going to have to start wearing dresses to work all the time if I don't start pulling out some maternity dress pants.
Stretch marks? No new ones
Sleep: I am always tired, but some energy is coming back
Best moment this week: hearing the heartbeat again. This would probably be the scariest moment of the well, too. 
Miss Anything? Coke Zero and wine
Movement: No
Food cravings: No big cravings this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really
Any pregnancy complications?:  No *knock on wood*
Have you started to show yet: Yeah. Well, if you know I am pregnant you would think so as my stomach definitely has a bulge to it. If you haven't seen me in awhile or you didn't know I was pregnant you would probably just think I was fat.
Gender prediction: girl
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby kick and knowing what I am having

14 Weeks

I picked up a cold and I have been miserable the past couple of days. I hate not being able to breathe! It makes me crabby and whiney.
How far along? 14 Weeks
Maternity clothes? No, but my pants are getting tighter. My pile of jeans that I can wear is getting smaller and smaller. I haven't even started trying on my clothes for work. I need to get on that though, as school starts next week!
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: I am always tired, but some energy is coming back
Best moment this week: Sophie kissing my belly/the baby and saying, 'luv ouu' to it
Miss Anything? Being able to take good cold medicine!
Movement: No
Food cravings: I really wanted a steak one day. I'm a chicken kind of girl, and it has probably been 6+ months since I had a steak. The steak I had this week was soooooo good. Yum!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just this stupid cold.
Any pregnancy complications?: No
Have you started to show yet: My stomach is still growing.
Looking forward to: Finding out what we are having.



14 weeks 6 days - This dress makes my stomach look even bigger. (It makes my butt look bigger, too. Hmmm...)

13 Weeks

Everyone knows now! I'm still not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
When I was pregnant with Sophie, I made a little photo book of family pictures for my mom. The last picture in the book was a picture of my positive pregnancy test. My mom mentioned once that I would have a hard time topping that surprise. Challenge accepted. While playing on Pinterest one day, I came across this. I knew it was the prefect way to announce a future pregnancy. I couldn't wait to not only make Sophie a big sister, but also to take those photos of her. Once I had my ultrasound I was able to have a little photo shoot with Sophie. (see last week's post for a link to the pictures.)
I mailed out cards with Sophie's sibling announcement on Tuesday night. Each of our parents called on Wednesday, but they still had no idea. Thursday afternoon though I received a call from Joe's mom. She was very excited for us. Then came a call from a sister-in-law, as well as text messages from other sister-in-laws. Still nothing from my mom though. After an hour of waiting, Sophie and I laid down for a nap. About 30 minutes into my glorious slumber, the phone rang. It was my mom. "You're pregnant?"
"Yes." (I was pretty groggy though, so it might have sounded more like, "Ylesh")
"Due in February."
"Uh huh."
"When were you going to tell me?"
"Um, the card did that for me."
"What card? I didn't get a card. I just saw Joe's post on Facebook..."
At this point I sit straight up and panic a bit. I had no idea what she was talking about, nor why it was on Facebook already. "Um, you are getting a card in the mail...today...That is what was going to tell you I was pregnant. What are you talking about with Facebook?"
My mom explains that Joe posted something on Facebook. I immediately hang up on her to go call Joe (I  looked on Facebook first, and sure enough, there was a post by my dear, sweet husband.) I told Joe that my mom hadn't received her card yet and that his post kinda ruined the surprise. Plus, there were a few friends I wanted to tell first before all of Facebook knew (Oh, Facebook...I have such a love/hate relationship with you.). He apologized and set off to delete the post. I called my mom back and apologized some more about the ruined surprise. She didn't care; she was too happy. She did call later to say that she received the card and loved it. Maybe I should stop with the 'surprises' next time. It is kinda fun though...



How far along? 13 Weeks
Maternity clothes? No
Stretch marks? No 
Sleep: I am so tired when I go to bed at night, but it takes forever to fall asleep!
Best moment this week: Our friends and family finding out.
Miss Anything? Wine and Coke Zero (I gave up caffeine this time. I didn't when I was pregnant with Sophie-I still kept within the suggested limit-but I am trying it this time.)
Movement: No
Food cravings: Not really
Anything making you queasy or sick: No
Any pregnancy complications?: No *knock on wood*
Have you started to show yet: My stomach is getting bigger, but it still just looks like I have been eating too much.
Gender prediction: girl
Looking forward to: Finding out what we are having. We still have awhile though.