Boy or Girl?

Well, I have an ultrasound date. IT'S NEXT WEEK!!

Sorry, I'm a tad excited. So, in preparation for next week's ultrasound (where hopefully Ziggy will cooperate and let us see what we need to see!) I'm going to do an compilation of all the old wives' tales, Chinese Gender Prediction Chart, website quizzes and responses from friends and family. (Some are personal so I'll leave those out!) My answers will be in the "color" of the sex immediately following! I'll count the number of responses to see what the Old Wives predict and what family and friends predict. See the results at the bottom!

• Chinese Prediction Chart (from Parents.com) - BOY
• Body Changes (from Parents.com)
• Prefer sleeping on left - boy; right - girl BOY
• Extreme nausea - girl GIRL
• Hands dry - boy; soft - girl BOY
• Craving citrus - girl GIRL
• Skin breaks out - girl (I had break outs REALLY BAD at the beginning, but it's cleared up now - I'm going with both.) GIRL BOY
• Feel graceful during pregnancy - girl; clumsy - boy BOY
• Gain weight in face - girl (I don't think I have. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I promise I won't get offended.)
• Craving salt - boy; sweet - girl GIRL
• Extremely moody? - girl GIRL
• Carrying (from Parents.com)
• low- boy; high - girl GIRL
• in front - boy; all around - girl BOY
• Dangling Chains (from Parents.com)
• Dangle a chain with a charm over palm: back and forth - boy; circle - girl BOY
• How would you show someone your hands? palms - girl; down - boy GIRL
• Dangle a ring over belly - back and forth - girl; circle - boy GIRL
• Toddler boy shows interest in my belly - girl; ignores - boy (The only toddler boy I'm around is Mekhi and he's only asked about when "she" is coming. Since his only experience with babies is with girls, do I count that?)
• Eat garlic; if smell seeps out pores - boy; no scent - girl GIRL
• If I pick up a key by the round end - boy; long end - girl BOY
• Conception Clues (from Parents.com)
• Mother's age & year of conception are both even or odd - girl; one even, one odd - boy GIRL
• Baby's heart beat >150 - girl; <150 - boy GIRL

• Child tends to be the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at time of conception GIRL (At least this is who I think was less stressed. Brad, correct me if I'm wrong.)
• If you dream about having a girl - boy; vice versa (My father-in-law dreamed I was having twin girls; I dreamed I was having a girl.) BOY
• Chinese Lunar Calendar (from BabyZone.com) GIRL
• BabyCenter.com - BOY
• BabyGenderPrediction.com Old Wives Tale Quiz GIRL
• thelaboroflove.com
• Baby Gender Predictor Tool - GIRL
• Chinese Calendar - BOY
• childbirth.org
• Quiz Results - 33% chance boy 66% chance GIRL
• fortunebaby.com - 50% chance GIRL
• pregnancy.about.com - 30% GIRL
• iVillage (Some are duplicates from Parents.com and will not be counted.)
• Boy - It's a boy if:
• You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy.
• Your baby's heartbeat is less than 140 beats per minute.
• You are carrying the extra weight out front.
• Your belly looks like a basketball. BOY
• You are carrying low.
• You are craving salty or sour foods.
• You are craving protein - meat and cheese.

• Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy. BOY
• Your hands are very dry.
• Your pillow faces north when you sleep.
• Dad-to-be is gaining weight right along with you.
• Pregnancy has you looking better than ever. (I sure didn't in the beginning, but I look better now. Since I can't decide which, I'm going to count both.) BOY
• Your nose is spreading.
• You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles.
• You are having headaches.
• You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number. (This is different from Parents.com.) BOY
• Girl
• You experienced morning sickness.
• Your baby's heart rate is at least 140. GIRL
• You are carrying the extra weight in hips, rear.
• Your hair developed red highlights.
• You are carrying high.
• Your belly looks like a watermelon.
• You are craving sweets.
• You crave orange juice.
• You don't look quite as good as normal during pregnancy. (I sure didn't in the beginning, but I look better now. Since I can't decide which, I'm going to count both.) GIRL
• You are moodier than usual during pregnancy.
• Your face breaks out more than usual.
• You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread.
• Your pillow faces south when you sleep. GIRL
• You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side.
• You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number.
• Some of the more personal ones (which I will not detail) result in: BOY BOY GIRL GIRL BOY GIRL
• Family and Friends: (Thanks to everyone who voted.)
• Out of 31 votes, 21 are for GIRL and 10 are for BOY.

So, the final results are:

BOY - 28 or 38.4%

GIRL - 45 or 61.6%

"Simply Call Her Mom"

I remember reading this poem years ago. My previous post regarding maternal responsibility prompted me to go hunting for it. So here it is:

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you.  And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the small child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"

God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."

God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name".

God said, you will simply call her, "Mom".

Week 16

It feels like a week since yesterday. I asked a patient over the phone what she had to eat yesterday and she told me, "Heidi, I was in your office yesterday." Oh. I guess I'm just excited about being off for 5 days in a row! That and I feel super tired. I've been getting anywhere from 8-10 hours of sleep every night and I still feel exhausted.

I've managed to make it back to the gym for some exercise - walking and water aerobics. I feel better now that I can get out of my apartment and do something for a change. And my appetite is still good. (Speaking of which, excuse me while I go grab a snack.)

Ok. I'm back, key lime pie yogurt in hand.

Enough about me. Let's talk about Ziggy!

Ziggy is about 5 inches long and more than 3 and a half ounces - the size of my open hand. (That's a visual, no?) (For those of you who seem to enjoy the fruit/vegetable theme - the baby is as big as a turnip!) Body fat is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the rest of the pregnancy. By the time Ziggy gets here, body fat will make up 2/3 of his or her weight! Chubby, chubby!

Remember last week: that the bones in the ears were forming? Well, Ziggy should certainly be able to hear things now! In fact, loud noises - our crazy dog, Maggie, barking, for example - could actually startle Ziggy. This is good news, as it will actually get him or her used to it. Babies in the womb who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through the dog's outbursts. (Thank goodness, right?)

The eyes are making side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed.

And here's some proof that Ziggy will truly be one of a kind (like I need any!): within the next week or so, the pads on the baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases. (Fingerprints!)

Reflections:
I have commented to many people how God truly knows the desires of our hearts.  During a particularly difficult relationship in my life, I remember a yearning in my heart for the man I was with to say and do certain things. Those things have since been fulfilled in my husband. I never told anyone those things. I never even prayed them aloud. But somehow God knew. He knows the desires of our hearts.

I have dreamt all my life of someday being a mommy, holding a newborn in my arms, kissing boo-boos and tucking little heads into bed at night. I've wanted nothing more or as much as the privilege of being a mother. But I understand that it's a privilege. I take motherhood very seriously. It's no ordinary job being a mom. You are responsible for the one thing God finds most precious - a child. Everything you say and do can affect that child. For good or bad. It's an awesome responsibility.

And now, I have been granted, again, the desires of my heart - a child. And with that promise has come other good things. My husband has become more aware of his health and has taken actions to improve it. I have found my relationship with both my mom and my mother-in-law strengthening. Things that were of great importance before have now fallen to the side. Even my relationship with my Creator and Savior has gotten stronger. When God blesses you, He doesn't do it half-way. It's a ripple effect.

So, I have no idea what you may be going through today, but whatever it is, know this: God knows the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4 says "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." If you delight yourself in him, he will give you the desires of your heart. And if I know one thing to be true, it's this: God keeps His promises.

Little Ziggy

This week's post is in honor of my wonderful brother-in-law who so lovingly nicknamed Baby Titus "Ziggy".

I am 15 weeks 1 day. I feel like a million bucks since the doctor put me on those anti-nausea and antacid meds. My appetite has increased. (If you don't believe me or have trouble imagining how much my appetite has increased, just ask my father-in-law about how much food disappeared from his house this weekend...)

My sweet tooth has also grown. I'm craving anything fruity and sweet. I have a wonderful cherry turnover made by one of the ladies at church to eat later this morning. (Can't wait! Yum!)

And little Ziggy must be growing because the lower part of my stomach feels like someone used it for a punching bag. Several websites tell me it's the "round ligaments stretching". Ouch.

Little Ziggy will be the size of an avocado by the end of this week. That's anywhere between 4 and 5 inches. That's a long way from 1.5 mm! He/she will also be able to hear by the end of this week. Studies have shown that babies who are sung to in the womb recognize the same song when sung to them after birth. Which means I'm going to be doing a lot more singing in the shower. :)

I went to the doctor Friday and all is well. He's scheduling my next ultrasound this week so hopefully I'll soon know the exact date we found out what gender Ziggy is. I can't wait! I can't wait to start talking to that little one growing inside of me. I can't wait to start calling him/her by name so he/she can recognize my voice; to start imagining what that little person will be like, what he/she will look like. *contented sigh* The doctor says the next ultrasound will be at 18 weeks. Well, folks, that's 3 weeks from yesterday (December 6)! Whoo hoo!

So, if you haven't yet, don't forget to vote on what you think the baby will be! Boy or girl? (Remember: you can't say twins to get out of a decision - two ultrasounds have shown only 1 Ziggy, not 2.)

Week 15

So, once again life is busy and I haven't been able to blog. Senior Bible Quizzing season started and I've been busy prepping for practices and cooking for bake sales. I also had a recent scare that sent everyone one close to me into a panic. But baby is fine and mommy is now, too. :)

Today, I am 14 weeks 3 days. The baby is the size of a navel orange (around 4.5 inches). That's a long cry from a sweet pea! Since, I missed a few weeks, I'll catch you up on the stages (and fruits!) I missed. After a plum at week 12, there was a peach and a lemon. So, baby is growing nicely.

Baby is busy all day practicing and getting ready for his/her big debut into the world. He/she is practicing breathing, sucking, swallowing. He/she is also practicing moving, too - daily aerobics classes with kicking, curling toes and moving those arms and legs.

(The other day, I think I felt the baby move! I'm not entirely convinced, but I know it wasn't gas! It felt like little butterflies and then like a little tiny finger poked me from the inside. Oh, how my heart flipped when I felt that! I told Brad and he immediately put his hand on my belly to see if he could feel, too. But nothing. I told him it would be a while till he could feel it from the outside. Still, it was exciting!)

I go for my monthly check-up this Friday. Hopefully, I'll find out when the 2nd trimester ultrasound will be. From my best guesses and estimates, I'll be having it the Monday before Christmas. :) That ultrasound will tell us the gender of the baby.

So, that being said, I want to do a little poll and see who's right. Post a comment to this blog and tell me what you think it's going to be. Girl or Boy? (And you can't say twins - the doctor has confirmed twice that there's only one little punkin in there!) Get guessin'!