Introducing -- Chalupa Batman

If you don't watch The League on FX then that reference means nothing to you.  If you do watch The League, then you know that it means we are having a little boy!  

I know, I've said this entire time that I was thinking we were having a girl (mostly probably because that's what I wanted).  But about 3 weeks ago when we didn't get to find out what it was, I (and apparently John as well) started thinking that it was a boy.  I think it was mostly because of the idea of Murphy's Law or something like that.  Whatever you think, the opposite will happen.  So I started thinking that it was a pretty good bet that it was a little boy growing away in there, although we both kept it to ourselves.

But we finally got our organ ultrasound last Friday.  We were almost thwarted for a second time because when I had made my appointment for Friday I assumed that it meant they would understand everything based on the doctor's notes that I was supposed to be getting an ultrasound.  When we sat down in the office to wait for my doctor I started getting nervous because there wasn't a single word being said about an ultrasound... seemed like bad news.  Luckily when my doctor came in and asked if we were getting one today and I responded with a hesitant "I thought so?" she immediately left the room and must have put the smack down on either the ultrasound folks or the front desk folks because within minutes she was back in the office saying that they were going to be able to squeeze me in.  Phew!  Disappointment averted.  

When we sat down for with the tech, she asked if we were interested in finding out the sex and John and I without hesitation and I think in sync both said "yes, definitely".  I think that's our strongest response to this whole pregnancy thing yet!  Hahaha.  So luckily at the very end everything aligned and he let us see his goods!  After about 40 minutes of staring at a screen with sort of clear/identifiable images of various body parts she finally has the eureka moment and while looking at the screen says "there you go, that tells you what it is - what do you think?  Boy or girl?".  John and I are both staring at the screen, I'm terrified of guessing the wrong thing ("yes honey, when we were looking at the ultrasound we totally thought you were a little girl...") but I took a chance and assumed that what we were seeing was on the outside, not the inside.  Thank goodness that gamble paid off!!

So now we get to really get into this whole baby thing and start figuring out what we want, how much money we are about to drop (holy crazap is all I can say), and how adorable our little boy is going to be!  I can definitely stand to wait the next 20 weeks out - I say that now because I can still see my feet, tie my shoes, and I'm not swollen yet, etc. - but it seems more exciting now that we have more concrete information in place.

On the showing front, John thinks I am, yesterday my stomach felt so expanded I could barely breathe or sit up straight, but all my pants and shirts are still fitting just fine (aside from one pair that has a higher waist that I finally succumbed to a belly band for and then just decided I should stop wearing them entirely since they weren't comfortable and I had other pants that were).  So looking good so far!

And here are some new pics of Baby Boy McDonald!  I have more if anyone is interested, but I didn't think that posting Chalupa Batman's little boy privates on my blog was such a good thing to do - in 18 years he would probably be mortified...

The verdict is....

... still out.  Goodness, all this build up and we found out NOTHING today... Okay, that's not true.  We heard the heartbeat again (156 bpm) so we found out that it's still in there, it's not a figment of our 4 weeks ago imagination.

I guess it's my fault.  I didn't specifically ask if I was getting the ultrasound.  At my last appointment my doctor had said that we were going to do the second trimester screening blah blah blah the next time which to me meant bloodwork and ultrasound.  For the record, it JUST meant bloodwork.  Bummer.  But, she gave me the go ahead to come back in 3 weeks instead of 4 weeks.  So I jumped on that opportunity and I'm most definitely going back on October 19.  We are doing the full work-up, ultrasound and seeing all the parts and whatnot then (at least as far as I know, otherwise we're waiting until the 3rd trimester at that point and that seems a bit excessive).

So until then, while I'm sad we didn't get more information today, I'm glad that we at least had the appointment.  I'm still "in the family way", so I guess I should enjoy the fact that my pants are still fitting.

Now I just have to figure out the best way to learn patience for the next 3 weeks.  I'll work on that while I try to learn how to NOT sleep on my back.  Ugh, this is going to move slow.

21 Wives' Tales

I pulled this 21 Wives' Tales that tell You if it's a Boy or a Girl from my friend JuliAnna's post (you can find her results here if you're interested - and as a side note, she had a boy).  I thought it would be interesting to throw it out there and I think most of them are a bit ridiculous, and some don't apply -- but why the heck not, right?  I should be finding out the gender this Friday, so thought this would be a fun precursor.

So here are my responses below, enjoy.

Sleep Position: Pay attention to which way you lay down in bed tonight.  If you prefer sleeping in your left side, you'll have a boy.  Right side?  You're pregnant with a girl.

BOY - I don't necessarily know what to make of this one since if I'm on my side I'm typically on my left side regardless of baby or not.  And now I'm trying hard to no longer be a back sleeper since I've heard that's bad.  Which then only means that I'm not sleeping well because if I wake up from moving in the middle of the night and I realize I've been on my back, then I start to panic that I've deprived the baby of oxygen for the last few hours.  But in strict answer of the question, I guess I'll go with left side.

Upset Stomach: Little girls aren't always sweet.  Extreme nausea means you are having a daughter.

GIRL - I'm not extremely nauseous anymore, but I hated life for about 2 weeks when I was throwing up 3-5 times a day and just the thought of grilled chicken made me dry heave.  Now it comes and goes in waves, usually based on whether or not I've had enough water (see this post for confirmation).

Soft or Dry Hands: If your hands are dry during pregnancy, you are having a boy; soft - expect a girl.

GIRL - My hands are pretty soft, but it's not winter yet so that's probably going to change when I get scaly and dry during the cold months.

Food Cravings: Your favorite pregnancy foods may tell you what sex the baby is.  If you're craving citrus while pregnant, you're having a girl.

BOY - I don't think I'm craving citrus, in fact I don't think I'm really craving anything in particular.

Adult Acne: If altering hormones makes your skin break out, expect a girl.

GIRL - I haven't broken out this bad since high school.  It's not pretty, especially with my particular aversion (for lack of a better word) of taking time to use make-up in the morning.

Graceful or Clumsy Pregnancy: If you feel as though you're gliding through the day, you'll have a girl.  Stumbling?  It's a boy.

BOY - I'm always clumsy though, so this makes no sense and doesn't seem like a good indicator.  As my friend Brian told me in college, "I didn't know your mom, but from what I know about her, if she had the foresight she would have named you Grace".  That about sums it up.  If this is an indicator though, I'm going to be destined for boys.

Face Weight Gain: If your face gets fuller, it means you're having a girl.

BOY - My face seems to have actually slimmed down, but that could have also been from the weight loss I had at the beginning of pregnancy (read back to upset stomach above, and also the removal of alcohol from my diet).

Sugar and Spice Food Cravings: Craving salt during pregnancy? Potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn means a boy is on the way.  Need a little something sweet?  Ice cream, chocolate, and candy means you're having a girl.

GIRL - I'm eating more sweets than usual, although I think it's mostly because I no longer allow myself to feel guilty about making that stop at the Dairy Queen or having the extra cookie.  Although, I guess I have been eating more donuts and I have to say those used to be a big no-no for me and now they are delicious.

Mood Changes: If you're experiencing pregnant mood-swings, expect a baby girl to arrive soon.

BOY - After talking this one over with John he doesn't think I'm experiencing mood swings so I think I'll go ahead and trust him on this one.

High or Low Pregnant Belly: If you're carrying the baby low on your stomach, expect a boy.  If it's high, you're having a girl.

BOY - So, I'm not showing really.  I've got nothing.  I guess if I had to choose something I would say low, since it's definitely not high?

Baby Weight: If you're carrying baby in front, it's a boy.  Is the baby weight spaced all around your middle?  It's a girl.

GIRL - It seems as though it's kind of just all over, and not isolated to a certain location.  Since I don't have a belly sticking out in front of me, I guess that means it's spaced all around my middle.

Pendulum Test: Dangle a chain with a charm over your palm.  If it swings back and forth: boy.  In a circle: girl.

GIRL - Although I'm not sure if I'm doing this one right.  Should I start the swinging and see what happens?  Or see if it just starts swinging on it's own?

Model Your Hands: "Show me your hands".  If you would hold your hands palms up, it's a girl.  Down?  You're having a boy.

BOY - ??  But I don't think I understand the question.  Why am I showing my hands?  I don't know, it seems silly.

Toddler Advice: Get baby advice from a nephew or friend's little boy.  If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you'll have a girl.  If he ignores you, it's a boy.

I don't know any toddlers - let alone little boys, so this one's out.

Eat Garlic: Guess the baby's sex by eating garlic.  If the smell seeps out of your pores, it's a boy.  If there's no scent it's a little girl.

GIRL - I have not been told that I smell like garlic when we eat garlic.  But maybe we're just used to it?

Key to Pregnancy: If you pick up a key by the round end, you're having a boy.  If it's by the long end?  A girl.

BOY - I don't know when I would ever pick up a key by the long end.  I did know what each meant before participating, but testing it out, it felt weird to pick it up by the long end.

Even and Odd Numbers: If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it's a girl.  One even, one odd means a boy.

BOY

Baby's Heartbeat: If the baby's heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you're pregnant with a girl.  Less than 150, it's a boy.

GIRL - 156 or 153 at my last appointment.  (I feel like these are things I should remember without having to guess... all I know is that it was over 150)

Stress Test: A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.

BOY - John and I are both pretty even keel, but I guess in the overall scheme of things he's less stressed than I am as a general rule (and I went back a couple of years ago in blog posts and read the ones where I cried at FedEx and just generally was overwhelmed so I think it's safe to say that John is less stressed than me).  I'm with JuliAnna here though, if this is a true test then we are always destined for boys.

Dream Meanings: If you dream about having a girl while pregnant, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.

BOY - I have had only one dream so far and it was with a little girl.  But I think this is silly because I want a little girl, so clearly my subconscious is going to put that in my dream.

Breast Size: If your right breast is larger than the left while pregnant, you are having a girl.  If the left is larger, it's a baby boy.

I think mine are about the same.  I haven't noticed that one is larger than the other - just generally large.

(I liked JuliAnna's categories below, so I have stolen them and used them for my own)

A Child Called It = 2

It's a Boy = 11

It's a Girl = 9

This pretty much tells me that it's still a 50/50 chance.  Imagine that.  How very scientific.

Anyone have any thoughts about what it could be?  Get your guesses in before Friday afternoon!  Appointment is at 1pm, so hopefully we will actually find out.  Otherwise, I'm going to feel very silly for getting all excited.  Ha.