14 Weeks - Gender predictions?

So ... I decided to write a list of wives tales and try them out to predict what our baby's gender will be. :) I know silly me. But we will found out the gender next week, so this is the last week to try these things and folks are already trying to guess. I hope this just makes you laugh! :)

Heart RateIf the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl.  If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.  This baby's heartrate has been around 160 - 180 range ... so Girl??

Mayan TaleThe Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception.  If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl.  If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way!  According to this, we are having a ...... Girl!

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 can't tell with this one. I keep craving different things at different times. Last night Isaac took me out on a late night trip to get ice-cream and a few weeks ago all I wanted to eat was pickles! Lol :)

Moodiness and a Little PeckerIf 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. Isaac says I am not any more moody than usual ... so maybe a Boy?

Chinese Gender ChartThe 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. According to this its a Boy

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.  Definitely a Boy!

Breast TestIf a pregnant woman’s left breast is larger than the right breast, she’s having a girl.  If the right breast is larger, it’s a boy.  Isaac? Help me with this one? ..... He says, "Left" .... so girl?

Morning SicknessIf 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. Nope ... no sickness here ... Boy!

ProteinWhen a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy. Ugh! Wow! This is a definite NO! Girl!

Baby NamesIt is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particularly baby.  Well, we have already picked out the girl name ... and can't agree on boy names :) Girl!

Silliness! What do you all predict? Let us know!

13 weeks - Ode to My Husband

No, nothing new has happened this week. I just wanted to talk about my husband.

Isaac keeps wanting to take pictures of my belly. He tells me, "Don't hold it in", "Your belly looks so cute" ... and the new one today, "You are never going to be 13 weeks ever again with this baby." He has an app on his phone that tracks the baby's growth and it allows you to take pictures each week to remember. Sometimes I wonder if he just wants to take pics of me so he can use his phone more. :)

In the last month or so, Isaac has come alive to me. It was as if he never knew what to do with the miscarriages or grieving .... but now he knows exactly how to be a dad and supportive husband. He hasn't complained once about how  tired I am all the time and how the housework never seems to get done fully. He lets a lot of things go, and then right when I need, it he gets up and does my work for me (usually in the form of washing dishes). He does all of this joyfully and then comes to me, kisses me and tells me how pretty I am.

It makes me cry to think of how long and lonely this last year has been. I never blamed Isaac for not getting attached to the babies that died so young. I knew I would love them in a way he couldn't. But now .... it makes me cry to see just how perfect this feels... to have Isaac right beside me through this pregnancy, to see what fruit our baby is each week, to decide if we want to use cloth diapers or disposable, to read parenting books out loud to each other...

I love watching my husband. I love how he thinks about our baby just as much as I do (ok, maybe half as much as I do, but that is still saying a lot). I love seeing his face when he is dying to tell someone that we are pregnant ... or how he is racking his brain to think of something else to say when we are trying not to tell folks that we are pregnant. I love how he has come up with several ideas of  how to tell people on facebook. I love how he even PUT a baby app on his phone so he could keep up to date with the pregnancy without me filling him in. I think I probably ask him more questions about each week than he does to me. :) I love how he thinks I am still beautiful when I feel like I am just fat. And you should see the pride on his face when we are listening to or watching our little one with the doppler or ultrasounds.

My husband is going to be such a good daddy. He has such a servant heart. I can't believe how much I have seen him transform in the last month. My heart is filled with so much joy right now! I love you, Isaac.

Baby Pics

6 Weeks - It is barely a spot on the picture. The neatest thing is that at this young age the whole body was pulsing with the heart beat. 

8 Weeks - The head is on the right side of the picture and there is still a tail nub on the left side. The Ultrasound Tech called it a Gummy-Bear because the arms and legs are also just nubs. :)

11 Weeks - It almost looks like a real baby! They gave us another picture showing what we thought to determine the gender, but we are not going to post that one. :)

Isn't it so cool comparing the pictures at such a young age? I wish we could keep getting them, but the next one will be at 16 weeks and the last one at 20 weeks. YAY!

12 Weeks - Baby Bump

Isaac and I were looking online at our baby's progress and it grew one whole inch in the last week! It practically doubled it's size! No wonder I have been so tired ... and no wonder my stomach looks like I'm not holding it in. I have now pulled out all of my loose shirts and am about ready to pack away all the tight shirts that show off my waist.

My friend walked into our house for dinner one night and the first thing out of her mouth was, "Look at your cute baby belly!" .... Ummm ... thanks! Now I feel great. Everyone else must be noticing that I'm looking fatter too.

I feel like working out constantly so that I don't feel so fat and bloated, but the more active I am, the more miserable I feel. If I rest and relax more I feel great. I guess I'll never win. Isaac keeps telling me I look great, but I don't believe him. I think he is just trying to be supportive. Although, he was adorable yesterday! :) He was leaving the house, he kissed me good bye and said, "I love you both." :) Ah, how my heart melts to hear him talk about our baby and grow attached to it.

Well, that's all for now. It is time for another nap. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through all of the Super Bowl tonight ....