Wisdom(?) From the Old Wives

As I may have mentioned once or twice, tomorrow we find out the sex of Plus One. Just as I did when I was pregnant with Ellie, I have spent the last few weeks driving myself crazy with anticipation and begging Eric to agree to an elective ultrasound to give us a sneak peak before the big appointment. But finally, the day is almost upon us!

I have been especially eager to know the sex of Plus One this time around because it just feels like knowing will help us better envision/plan for our soon-to-be family. Last time around, everything was new. The sex didn't really matter; we were buying all new things and trying to imagine something unimaginable. Now, we have a better idea of what to expect and what we need, and it feels like knowing the sex of Plus One will help us better prepare. What new stuff do we need? Could our kids share a room someday? Will we have our "girls," or our "kids?" 

Of course, does it really matter? No. But I'm the type that likes to have a plan, and given that having a child is probably the most un-plan-able thing you can do in life, I'll take whatever I can get.

In my eagerness to know the sex before The Big Day, I did a little Googling for old wives' tales relating to just such a prediction and decided to test them out to see whether the old wives think Plus One will be a boy or a girl. This is how all that turned out:

Heartbeat: GIRL

The theory is that if the baby's heartbeat is consistently over 140 bpm, it's a girl. Plus One's heartbeat measured the lowest it has ever been at our last appointment, it was still solidly in the 145-150 range. Generally it is 165+, so this is definitely a GIRL predictor!

Cravings: BOY

If you crave sweet foods during pregnancy, it is said the baby will be a girl. If you crave salty or sour foods, it will be a boy. My cravings this time were the same as when I was pregnant with Ellie (is that a predictor in itself???), and have been for carbs and cheese. I assume that fits more with the "salty/sour" category than sweet, so I'll say BOY for this one.

Complexion: GIRL

The saying goes that if you're carrying a girl, she'll steal your beauty, leaving you with the face of a teenager in the throes of puberty. Unfortunately, I can definitely call this category for GIRL.

Morning Sickness: GIRL

If you're nauseous and sick during your first trimester, your baby is probably a girl. No sickness means boy. Considering I'm still having flashbacks to smell-induced nausea around the house, this one goes to GIRL.

Spouse Sympathy Weight: GIRL?

If your spouse gains some weight along with you, the baby is likely to be a girl. Eric claims this is the case, although I think he looks as smokin' hot as ever, so I'm skeptical.

Chinese Gender Predictor: GIRL

I used this one and it gave me a prediction of GIRL. (For the record, I also tried it with my information for Ellie, and it predicted her to be a girl, too.)

Mayan Even/Odd: GIRL

This theory says to look at the mother's age at conception and year of conception. If both are even or odd, the baby is a girl. If you have one of each, the baby is a boy. According to this, Plus One will be a girl, but this technique would have wrongly predicted Ellie to be a boy.

Ring Test: BOY

Tie a string (best if you use a piece of your own hair) to your wedding ring and hold it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, it's a boy. If it swings back and forth, it's a girl. I definitely had some circular action, so this test says BOY.

Sleep Position: GIRL

If you prefer sleeping on your right side, the baby is a girl. Left side, it's a boy. I'm definitely primarily sleeping on my right side these days (although in fairness, I really just like to face the wall).

Mood Changes: GIRL

If you have mood swings, it's a girl. I've been a bit of a weepy mess off and on, so I'll call this one for GIRL.

Dreams: GIRL

They say if you dream of having a girl, the baby is likely actually a boy and vice versa. I have only had one dream about the baby (although my dreams have all been wild and very vivid this pregnancy), in which I gave birth to a son. So, according to this theory, that means I'll be having another daughter.

So, the old wives' results are in, and the tally is nine tests in favor of GIRL, and only two in favor of BOY. It seems the old wives think Ellie will have a baby sister!

For the record: Eric and I will be thrilled no matter what sex shows up on that ultrasound tomorrow. As trite as it is, our hopes are pinned on a HEALTHY baby, and that's all that matters to us. It surprises me that in this situation we have actually gotten some comments assuming that we would only really want a boy, that our family will be complete if we have a boy, or that a girl would be some kind of a disappointment. Those types of comments shock me, and thankfully, although most people have guessed that we'll have a boy next, those further comments have not been great in number. Because sure, it would be awesome to have the opportunity to parent both sexes. Eric is a fabulous father to his daughter but of course I would also love to see him raising a son. I would love to have a son, too, and I would love for Ellie to have a brother (an experience I, myself, know nothing about). But, we're head-over-heels in love with our firstborn daughter, and the idea of having another little girl in our family is just as wonderful. As a proud big sister myself, I think it would be very cool to give Ellie a chance at that sister-bond that I have with Heather. Plus, there are the practical considerations of another girl: all those adorable little baby girl clothes get reused! Basically, there is no wrong answer here; either way, our family is really, really lucky.

So, who will ultimately be correct: our family and friends, who have overwhelmingly guessed Plus One will be a boy, or the old wives, who seem to be firmly in the "girl" camp? Stay tuned - answer coming soon!