Baby Jay

We have a big announcement!!  We knew there was a reason all the Italians kept saying, "Prego!  Prego!" while we were there.  We're excited to say that we'll be welcoming a new little Baby Jay into our hawks nest in January.  We had our big, important 20 week ultrasound today with the perinatologist, who said our Wee Little One looks very healthy!  Sofie's so excited to be a big sister.  Can you tell?

My friend, Cindy, embroidered this matching t-shirt and onesie for Sofie and her baby brother or sister.  Thanks Cindy!

Embroidered t-shirt/onesie by the fabulous Cindy Williams

Sofie comes along to all my OB appointments, and she thinks she has a baby in her tummy too.  She insists we check on her baby from time to time.  Sometimes Sofie's baby is jumpin' and sometimes Sofie's baby is seepin'.  I think it was seepin' here.

Sofie's Baby

Despite the bazillion and one ultrasounds and the amniocentesis we had with Sofie, we didn't find out her gender before she was born.  And in keeping with that tradition, Baby Jay will be a surprise too.  But...that doesn't mean we can't guess, right?  I mean, that's the fun in not knowing for sure!  And as Nana Cheryl says, "There are so few good surprises left in life, and this is a great one."  Very true.  All we care about is having a healthy baby, no matter if it's wearing pink or blue.  That said, I totally understand why most people find out.  It's just so hard not to when you can, and it's fun to buy stuff!

There are lots of fun little "tests" you can do to guess your baby's gender.  I borrowed this list from http://www.intelligender.com/gender-myths.html and then added my own notes.  (And let the record show here, the phrase "wives tales" is used, not "wise tales."  Ahem.  Kenny.)*

gender myths

For centuries, Moms-to-be have used various wives tales to guess whether they are carrying a boy or girl.

• Carrying high or low. High = Girl and Low = Boy  (I carried Sofie low, so I'm saying this is not true!)
• Craving sweet or savory? If you're craving sweets, it's a girl.  (I always crave savory, even when not pregnant.  Didn't crave sweets with Sofie, so gotta say this is false!)
• If the baby’s father puts on weight during pregnancy - it's a boy.  (Never comment on your husband/wife's weight.  I bow out of this one.)
• The Pendant. Swing a pure gold pendant over the pregnant belly. If it swings back and forth, it’s a girl. If it swings around, it's a boy.
• The Ring Test. Suspend a pure gold ring over the pregnant belly. If it swings left to right, it’s a boy. If it rotates, it’s a girl.  (We did this one last time, don't remember what it said though.)
• The Mothers Face. If it's round, full and rosy, it’s a girl.  (I did get the fat face and jowls with Sofie, but I think I'm just a jowls kinda gal, so I'm guessing I'll get em' again this time.) 
• Acne. If you have more acne, it's a girl.  (I did notice this last time with Sofie, so it was right.)
• Interpreting dreams of the pregnant woman. Cigars, trucks, snakes, telescopes = Boys. Tupperware®, keyholes, any fish, almonds, Prada®, Vogue magazine = Girls.  (Sorry, I haven't had any dreams about cigars, telescopes, or Tupperware.  BUT dreams are the main evidence for my guess.  Last time I had lots of dreams about the baby, and it was always a boy in my dreams.  This time the baby has always been a girl in my dreams.  So since my instincts were 100% WRONG last time, I'm guessing I'm wrong again this time, so it must be a boy.)
• The Key Test. If the pregnant woman picks up a key from the thin end, then it’s a girl. (Well this isn't fair, since I've already read the answer before taking the test.)
• The Drano Test. This is not safe or recommended for pregnant women. There are various methods used and the gender is predicted by color or amount of bubbles.  (I don't play with Drano.  My mom says I'm not allowed.)
• Ancient Chinese Gender Calendar. If you're interested in Asian legends, see the Chinese Gender Calendar.  (Okay, now I do believe in this one.  BUT there are tons of Chinese gender charts out there, and you need to use this specific one... http://www.thelaboroflove.com/chart/pred.html.  The gender chart is based on your Chinese age and the lunar month at conception.  This is different than the calendar we're used to, so this predictor figures it for you.  I did my own little study (I know a lot of people with babies, and I happen to work at a place where lots of babies are born) on this specific one and found it to be about 90% accurate.  The Chinese Gender Predictor says we are having...a boy!)
• And last on our list is this new little gem...

http://www.intelligender.com/intelligender-gender-prediction-test.html

The IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test is newish (you could buy it online, but not in stores when I was pregnant with Sofie, and now it's available in stores - Target, Walgreens, etc.)  It's about $30 and can predict your baby's gender as early as 10 weeks into your pregnancy.  According to their website (*cough* biased), it's supposed to be 84% accurate.  The test cup contains chemicals that react with hormones in your urine to produce a color (greenish=boy, orange=girl) to predict your baby's gender.  So here's how our test turned out...

IntelliGender says...It's a boy!  We shall see.  We shall see.

*This is an argument that goes back years, even though I can prove over and over that I'm right.  Kenny is just stubborn in his wrongness.