Baby Gender Prediction...Urban Legends and Old Wives Tales

Here are some urban legend myths that say help you predict your baby genders.

I'm going to try some of them and we can see if they actually work!

1. The Chinese Calendar -says we will have a boy. 

2. The heartbeat - it is believed that if the heartbeat is over 140 you will have a girl, if it was below 140 you will have a boy. According to this legend we would be having a girl. 

3. Body Temperature - I have no idea what my temperature was when we conceived, so with this legend we will never know. 

4. Morning Sickness - A boy has little to no morning sickness in the beginning of pregnancy, a girl has morning sickness that last through out the pregnancy. I am sick every minute of everyday, so far we are having a girl.

6. Ultrasound -we wont be able to see this for a little bit longer, but then what's the point of doing all the urban legends?

7.  Shape of belly - it says that if you carry high with a big round belly, you are having a girl. If you carry low with a smaller belly its a boy. Before I was even pregnant I had a big round belly so this hard to tell yet, but I think it's all around the middle. 

8. Acne - If you have acne while pregnant, it is said to be the extra hormones from having a girl. Bring on the clearsail, another point for the girl column. 

9. Cravings - Salty = Boy / Sweet = Girl
Honestly, I haven't had much cravings because I can barely keep anything down. 

10. If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you'll have a boy. Right side? A girl. So far I am sleeping on my left, another point for boy. 

11. If you're craving citrus you hare having a girl. I drink orange juice all day. Girl.

12. If you're feeling extremely moody expect a girl. Girl.


So far that is all the legends and tales I could find or have heard of. If you have some of your own let me know and I will be happy to do them.

I will be happy wither either a boy or a girl, but I am excited all of these are leaning towards a girl :)

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Thanks to Katie from work (and David Bowie) for this blog inspiration, changes to my body. 

I know that everybody is different and of course there are things I will not be speaking of on here to spare you of your eyes, and your thoughts on me being a normal human being. But she was asking me some questions and I was thinking you know what, I never thought of that. I was also looking up online at different blogs, chats, and discussion boards and a lot of pregnant women have these problems but are to afraid to talk about them. I say who cares? If I talk about it, maybe it will help the next person. Some things that are happening to me scare the hell out of me, but the fact that I know I am not the only one it happens to makes me feel 100% better.

MY BELLY: She wanted to know how my belly was feeling, on the outside. Right now it just looks like I've eaten one to many cupcakes, but it actually does feel a lot different. I normally don't feel on my belly so I was thinking because of the way it looks it would feel pudgy, or squishy, but its actually a lot harder than I thought it was. 

MY DIET: I've also had a lot of changes in my diet and weight. Mainly because of what I can and can eat, and the nausea feeling I wake up with on a daily basis. I am still taking a low dosage of Zofran, but I try to only take it in the morning, unless things get really bad. I wake up wanting to eat because I am starving, but anything I put in my mouth I end up spitting it out in the garbage immediately. When it comes to food I am big on texture, if it has a weird texture I can't eat it, and since I have been pregnant it has worsened. Even a banana can get me every once in a while, so much for the BRAT (banana, rice, apple, toast) diet. I have to eat plain toast without butter because the butter makes it to soggy, toast with butter and jelly used to be my favorite thing to eat in the morning. I have given up cokes, coffee, and junk food. Mainly due to the pregnancy Nazi that I am married to, but I know it will be good in the long run. If I crave a coke I will drink it because sometimes that's the only thing I can handle, but I have limited my self to one a week. I started off drinking sprite everyday, but now I can't drink it because the bubbles will hurt my belly. These problems also are causing constipation and bloating.

CRAVINGS: I have not necessarily been craving one thing, but if I see something that sounds good I will want it immediately, if I don't get it, it will eventually pass while making my stomach grumble in the process. It can be something different everyday, and multiple things a day. A lot of times my cravings come from a commercial on TV, like the endless pasta bowl from Olive Garden. Yumm-o! There are some things I crave longer than others. Recently I have been craving orange juice, grapes, celery and fruity pebbles.

FACE: I have always had dark circles under my eyes, whether I was tired or not. I guess it's in my genes. Now they are so much darker. I don't know if it is because of my sleeping pattern, or just another side affect. The other day when we went to see Ken's Grandma (GanGan) she asked me if I had a black eye, that's how dark they can get. I have had plenty of acne, but I have heard it could get worse. My sense of smell has changed dramatically, sometimes I feel like a bloodhound. I can smell the garbage can from the living room, or coffee being made a mile away, or even when a neighbor is smoking outside and our windows are open. It's weird. 

EMOTIONS: I don't consider my self a "crier", but I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve, and I am not afraid of a good cry. I used to be that way until I married Ken, which then I had to learn how to balance my emotions, and pick my battles. You can tell when I am feeling a certain way, and if you can't more than likely I am going to let you know. The hormones have kicked that up a few notches. I cry over the stupidest things, I get mad at inanimate objects, and I get frustrated at things I normally wouldn't. I also have a foggy brain a lot, I often have a hard time remembering things, and I misplace things often. 

Some funny changes that you may not experience, or maybe it's just because my body is weird.  I pee about every hour, if I don't I feel like I'm doing an ab workout trying to hold it in. I also wake up every 3 hours, same time every night, to pee. All my hair every where is growing longer and at rapid speeds, including the hair on my head, arm hair etc. There is hair in places I didn't have hair before like my toes, and my belly. I drool like nobody's business. I have never been a big drooler, unless I was sick. But when I wake up in the morning I am practically laying in a puddle, it's gross.

I know that this may come of as a lot of complaints, but I happy to go through all of these things multiplied in order to have a happy and healthy baby.

More Love

I found something on the back proch the other day...I wonder who they could be from...

Mommy's little bunny is perfect because we will have the baby right before Easter!

I think were going to have problems with the bottom right bib right away ;)

 
Thank you Mimi, PawPaw, and Unlce TJ.

Thank you!

It makes me feel so blessed to have family and friends that are keeping up with this blog, and actually taking an interest in it. I'm happy that so many of you all are keeping up to date on Baby Longshore. If you are reading this, I love you!

Mommy, Part Time Employee and Student?

Sometimes I think to myself, are you crazy? And sometimes I ask Kenny, why am I doing this again? But I know why, to have a better future for our family, and doing something I love all at the same time. It's just going to take some work to get there.

It hasn't been to crazy or to hard yet, but I know this is only the first week. It has definitely been a major change in my lifestyle.

I have school Monday & Wednesday 9-7:50, Tuesday & Thursday 5-6:15 and Friday 9-11:50. The classes are just pre-requisites  in order to be able to apply to the Masters program for Elementary Education. I have two semesters of that, a break in the summer, and then I will be able to start the Masters program next Fall. Even though I wanted to get done as soon as possible, I am actually excited about the break during the summer. I All of my teachers and classes seem good but, it is definitely a different atmosphere than Sullivan. All of my classes are made up of freshmen and some sophomores. Some girl in my class the other day was actually complaining how old she was, and she felt so old, etc. I asked her how she was, she was 21, I just laughed. I told her I was going to be 26 in December, so 21 was not old! 

I started a part-time job at Babies R Us, so on my days off from school I will be working, mainly the weekends I am thinking.

Tired yet? Because I sure am!

Week 11

Slowly but surely...

How far along? 11 weeks

Due Date: March 5, 2013

Total weight gain: -9 pounds

Baby is the size of a: Fig

Maternity clothes? Not wearing any yet, but probably shopping soon. 

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: What's sleep?

Miss Anything? Coffee!
Best moment of the week: Going to see the Franklin Family!

Movement: No movement from the little tadpole yet. 

Diet: Anything that looks good.   

Food cravings: Everything I'm not supposed to eat.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Meet is still not looking very good. 

Gender: Unknown.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Nausea, acne, bloated and tired. 

Belly Button in or out? In-nie.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody. I'm still waiting for that glowing feeling.

Looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby.

Doctor's Appointment

We had a doctor's appointment today so they could take a large amount of blood, 7 tubes, from my arm. They took so much blood I started running out of blood. Seriously, she had to squeeze the top part of my arm to get more blood to go into the tube. They will be running a lot of tests and I should hear back the results soon.

We also got to hear the heartbeat, it was 165 bmp and sounded very healthy she said. That is very exciting news!

She gave us some information on medicine that I could take and food that I should try and stay away from. Which was basically take Tylenol for everything, stay away from salty and raw foods. She said there are risks with everything but I would just have to make own decisions when it comes to certain things like deli meat, sugar free things with aspartame, and caffeine. Being married to the pregnant Nazi has really helped me stay on track to eat healthy and stay away from the "bad" things. Sometimes its annoying, but I'm very thankful that Ken is being so supportive. It's cute how protective of the baby he already is, even while it's still in my belly.

I'm still taking Zophran in the mornings, and because of my nausea I have lost 8 pounds. She also said it could have something to do with me trying to eat healthier now, not drinking as much sodas, and walking more. She said I need to add at least 300 more calories to my daily diet. I'm going to have a hard time eating an extra 300 calories when I can barely get my normal amount of calories in.  

My next appointment is in 4 weeks, which they will draw even more blood. They are going do the quad screen which screens for birth defects. We are both praying for a happy and healthy baby!

10 weeks

How far along? 10 weeks

Due Date: March 5, 2013

Total weight gain: O lbs

Baby is the size of a: Prune

Maternity clothes? Not wearing any yet still wearing the same comfy outfits days in a row. 

Stretch marks? Not yet.

Sleep: Still sleepwalking through most of the day. 

Miss Anything? COFFEE!!

Movement: Nope.

Diet: Lots of fruits and veggies, starches, and potatoes. 

Food cravings: Everything I'm not supposed to eat.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Any meat is starting to look gross.

Gender: Unknown.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Nausea, acne, bloated and tired. 

Belly Button in or out? In-nie.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody. I'm still waiting for that glowing feeling.

Looking forward to: Feeling our baby move. 

Nursery Inspirations

Here are some nursery inspirations, but I don't think I will settle on anything until closer just some ideas.

For a girl I really like anything that's pink. I also have a lot of pink things that I could use if we had a girl. I thought that I would like everything that is pink and green, but that leaves mostly floral designs and I've never really been into floral print. It seems that everything I am drawn to is pink, white, and black. It's very strange because I would have never thought that. Here are a few pictures that I've found that I like. More than likely the walls will be pink and the furniture will be white. 

I pretty much love everything in this picture. Its so pretty and girly.  I love the ballerina picture and the crib ruffle sheet is adorable.

I love the bedding with the bows, its so girly and cute. I also love the mobile and the valance.

Apparently I am obsessed with the crib ruffle sheet, because I love every picture with a crib that has one. I love the pink polka dots.

For a boy it has been harder for everything, harder to pick a name, harder to find cute themes, and harder to find cute nursery ideas. It seems like the boys nursery will be a bit of everything that I like thrown together. Here are a few inspirations I have found for a boy's nursery. 

I really, really like the squares painted around the window. It allows for everything else in the room to be simple, I'm sure my husband would love this painting project. HA!HA!

I am in love with the bedding in this one. The orange and blue are so cute together and it's not the traditional colors you would put in a boys room. The pop of orange makes it look really happy!! I also love the boys name above the crib, I'm pretty sure I will do that no matter what I decide the nursery will look like, and I will do it if we have a girl.

The only theme I can come terms with liking is sports, I don't know why. It seems like everything I like is very simple with bright colors.

I really love the idea of doing some sort of alphabet in a boy's or a girl's room. I really like the idea of doing every letter different. I guess it depends on what we finally decide to do with the nursery in the end. I might even just save this idea for when the baby is a toddler.

9 weeks

How far along? 9 weeks
Due Date: March 5, 2013
Total weight gain: O lbs
Baby is the size of a: Green Olive
Maternity clothes? Not wearing any yet. My wardrobe consist of flowy dresses, skirts, and lots of Kenny's clothes.
Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep: So sleepy...ZzZz
Miss Anything? COFFEE!!
Movement: Nope.
Diet: I can finally eat something other than crackers and mints. Yay! Don't get me wrong I still carry a handful of mints in my purse, but I can finally eat lunch and dinner and I am in the process of working on breakfast.
Food cravings: Dots, orange juice, and celery. I have eaten 3 stalks of celery this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Any strong smells. 
Gender: Unknown.
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Nausea, acne, bloated and tired. 
Belly Button in or out? In-nie.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody. 
Looking forward to: Starting the second trimester.

Not much has changed from the 8th week, I have been less sick and mainly only sick in the morning. I've been counting down the days until the second trimester. Which I have heard is a lot easier than the first. Hope I will get the pregnancy glow then.

Showered with Love (and gifts)

I am telling you, I have the best friends. I know everybody says that but there really are no other girls in this world like my friends, I am so blessed.

Already they are showering me with lots of love, and some wonderful gifts for me and the baby! 

Allyson brought me a care package of:

 Sprite...yummy!

A Baby Name Book...we need this desperately. 

A Pregnancy Journal...which is awesome because its the baby's first scrapbook!

Amanda bought the baby the cutest onsies! They are so small and I can't wait to put him/her in them. It makes me smile every time I look at them because they are so tiny.

Stephanie Dodd sent me a gorgeous flower basket and a teddy bear, the baby's first stuffed animal. 

Erin brought me an adorable oversize sweater...which I will definitely need being pregnant mostly through the winter time, and all the seasons of Friends! I'll post a picture of me wearing it soon.

Seriously...I have the best friends! I love you girls!

The Great Debate

The popular question at the moment to Ken and I is, do you want a boy or a girl? So I thought I would share a few thoughts.

First of all, let me say that we are 100% OK with a boy or a girl. We are so blessed to even be able to have a baby that we don't care what sex our baby is. We are just praying for a healthy baby. 

I have been a nanny for the two sweetest boys for the past 4 1/2 years, and I think if I have a girl I might not know what to do with myself. But boy would I love it. I would love to have a little girl to dress up, put bows in her hair, and play barbies all day long. I would also love a girl who wants to play sports, but she can play sports with bows in her hair! :) 

Kenny on the other hand, practical as always, would like a boy because they are cheaper. They play with cheaper toys, there are less clothes to buy for boys, and when they get married the groom gets away cheaply compared to the bride. 

I know that whether we have a little girl or a little boy, that baby will have their daddy WRAPPED around their little fingers and toes. I can't wait for that day to come.

Some advice we have received from my Great Grandma Amshoff; She says to make sure you talk out loud to the baby everyday. So, I talk to our little tadpole (Thanks Aunt Allyson for the nickname) everyday telling her I am so proud of her when she doesn't make mommy feel sick.

8 weeks (32 to go...but who's counting?

How far along? 8 weeks
Due Date: March 5, 2013
Total weight gain: O lbs
Baby is the size of a: Raspberry
Maternity clothes? None as of yet. My wardrobe consist of flowy dresses, skirts, and lots of Kenny's clothes.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: I've never been a good sleeper, but I am definitely a lot more tired than usual. If I don't get a nap in by 2 or 3, I am in bed by 930.
Best moment this week: Not having to take Zofran 3 times a day!
Miss Anything? Sushi, coffee, and being able to make it through a day on 5 or 6 hours of sleep.
Movement: Nope.
Diet: Crackers, sprite, and gum.
Food cravings: Salsa and grapes.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Pretty much anything.
Gender: Unknown.
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Nausea, and sleepy.
Belly Button in or out? In-nie.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody, just ask Kenny, ha-ha! I'm sure the nausea and the sleepiness have a lot to do with it.
Looking forward to: Finding out the sex of our baby and not being sick when I wake up.

Reactions to the News

We told our family and friends different ways, and I wish I would have taken pictures of all of the reactions we recieved because alot of them were awesome. 

Some of my favorites:

"What? Really?"

"Sorry son, you're getting nothing for Christmas this year"

"Who's going to be a grandma?"

"Yay, thats great"

"That means I can have a baby now!"

"I'm going to be an aunt"

"I'm going to be an uncle"
"Can I babysit?"

"Are you pregnant?"

"Are you naming your baby after me?"

"I'm going to be the fun uncle"

"Is that yours?"
"That really is amzing"

"I knew it"

All of these reactions included excitement, lots of smiles, and even some happy tears. 

I'm not going to say how we told everybody but I will tell you how we told our parents. I wanted to tell all the special people in our lives a special way, but I was just so excited I ended up just spitting it out most of the time.

We told my parents and my grandpa on my Grandma's birthday, my Grandma recently passed away so I thought it was the perfect day to announce our new addition and bring some happiness on that day. I gave my mom a card that said, "Mom, the greatest thing about you being my mom, is being able to make you a Grandma. Love, Kenny Stephanie and Baby Longshore." My mom was so excited but couldn't react much because we were in the middle of El Nopal. The reactions from my parents, brother and grandpa is exactly what I thought they would be, so excited and ready to have a new little baby to hold and spoil. 

We told Kenny's Mom and Steve next. We told them by cutting "You're going to be a grandma" out on a cricut mat. This is the only reaction I have a picture of. 

I told her I had to come over to cut something out for somebody else, so she wasn't expecting this at all. I handed her the mat and said look how cute this is. She read it out loud and said, "Who's going to be a grandma?" We said you, and that's when the tears started.

Next we called Kenny's Dad and Deb, who were in Florida for a wedding. We couldn't wait for them to get back home. Kenny called them and when he answered Kenny said, "Stephanie was wondering what you would think about being a Grandpa?" He was so excited and said he couldn't wait to be a Grandpa. 

After we told our parents, we went down the family line from there. It was so much fun to let our family and friends know. Every single person's reaction was different and so sweet. Once all of our family and close friends knew, we posted to Facebook because you know nothing is official until it's on Facebook!

We are so blessed to have family and friends that support us, and our new addition. We know that this little baby girl or boy is going to have a lot of people looking after them, and we are so thankful for that. 

Photo Opp.

The first portrait of our baby. Looks just like his/her parents :) 

The first time we got to see our baby, and we were both so speechless. The heart beat is great and the doctor is happy with everything she could see and hear. Don't ask me how fast the heart beat was because I have no idea, I stopped listening to the doctor once I heard the  heartbeat, it was so amazing and I heard nothing else. I can't believe there is a living being growing inside of me.

We're Pregnant!

WE'RE PREGNANT!

Growing up I was your typical princess, dreaming of her wedding and family. It just seems like this day has come faster than I ever dreamed. I am ready, scared, excited, nervous, and so much more. Words can not express how happy I am that I am finally able to start a family of my own with my best friend, my husband Kenny. 

I took a pregnancy on a Thursday, and when I saw the positive symbol I couldn't believe my eyes. I literally laughed out loud and screamed this can't be real. I called my doctor to make an appointment, they couldn't see me for two weeks, so the waiting officially began. We didn't want to share the news until the doctor gave us the go ahead. Kenny was at work and I was due to see my mom in an hour. It killed me to sit next to her for 3 hours and not even hint at the fact that I had a little baby in my belly. On my way home I stopped by the store and bought a t-shirt that said "My parents are cooler than yours". When I got home I woke Kenny up from bed and showed them the shirt, he was in a zombie like state, but excited none the less.