The Great Gender Debate

29wks down, ~11 weeks to go!

Boy or girl?

Pink or blue?

Tutus or baby bowties*?

Ever since Michael and I decided to be "Team Green" and remain in the dark about the sex of our baby, everyone around us has become a soothsayer, one of the proverbial "old wives," or even, to my huge surprise, a radiologist!  I had no idea so many of my friends and family members took time out of their busy schedules to go to "night school in Mantino and learn a real trade." (Bonus points if you caught that reference.)

I'm not gonna lie...it's annoyed the hell out of me.  Why?  I dunno.  Because I'm hormonal.  Because I know they don't know.  Because it seems disrespectful of my choice to not find out.  Because IT'S MY PARTY AND I'LL CRY IF I WANT TO.  But you know what?  It's really wasting my energy to be annoyed, so I'm just gonna start having fun with it.

[Side note: we were hoping for a puppy, but alas...the 21w ultrasound showed that it is, in fact, a baby human.  So there ya go.]

So let's just have some fun with it, shall we?  I posted a poll on Facebook this morning and have already gotten tons of guesses (well, there are only two guesses, really...but I've had a good handful of responses), and a couple of reasons why -- from the cute ("Because you always dress so cute,  you have to be having a girl!") to the silly ("I flipped a coin.") to the Old Wives' Tale ("You're carrying low, so you're having a boy.").

In case you forgot, here's the ultrasound picture:

Now, science (and my Internet research) tells us that, by these photos, it is impossible to determine the sex of the baby.  If you don't see three lines (indicating girly parts) or a little wing-wang, you don't know.  Our ultrasound tech, because she saw no medical need, didn't even look between the legs.  She doesn't know.  Dr. V doesn't know.  We don't know.  YOU don't know.

But just for funsies, let's talk about Old Wives' Tales:

Low vs. High: "Rumor has it that if you are carrying your baby high, it's a girl. Carrying low? Stock up on blue. Similar tales say if you carry in front, you've got yourself a little boy, and if you expand horizontally, it's a girl."  Well, I think personally that I'm carrying high (most of the kicks are right up under my sternum, in the rib cage area), and out front more than side-to-side (thank God).  Verdict: Split

Skin: "Legends say that if you are having a little girl, she'll steal your beauty. So, if you've got acne and other not-so-pretty skin blemishes, you've got a little princess coming your way. Dry hands and cold feet are signs of a boy. So, if you've got these ailments, break out the baby blue." I've had pretty good skin throughout this whole pregnancy.  Just a few breakouts at random.  I have had dry hands, too. However, I've also been pregnant during the winter months.  Verdict: On the whole, Boy.

Ring Swing: "Take a pin, needle, or wedding ring and attach it to a thread or strand of hair. Hold the dangling item over mom to be’s belly while she is lying down. If the needle or wedding ring swings in a strong circular motion, you will be having a girl. If it moves in a to and fro motion like a pendulum, you will be having a boy."  I've been trying this since the first few weeks of my pregnancy knowledge, and EVERY time it swings in a huge circle immediately.  Verdict: Girl. 

Cravings: "Craving sweets? According to some, that means your going to have a little girl. Salty and sour cravings indicate a boy." Given my intense NEED for Slurpees some days, I think this one is clear. Verdict: Girl.

The Chinese Lunar Chart: This one is a picture perfect example of inaccuracy, in my opinion. Allegedly, it's 90% accurate.  It uses the lunar age of the mother at the time of conception or something like that.  The Chinese gender chart on The Bump said Boy and the one on BabyCenter.com said Girl.  I literally tried the first 5 or 6 Google search results for this test. Verdict: Split

Morning Sickness: "If you're stricken with a queasy stomach during your first trimester, think ribbons and bows. If you sail through your pregnancy with nary an upset stomach, it's blue all the way." I think I threw up once in my first trimester, but during the first 4-5 weeks of the second trimester, I couldn't even breathe in fresh air without literally gagging (but not vomiting).  So what does that mean?  I guess if we take this literally, then I wasn't all that sick in my first trimester, so... Verdict: Boy.

So what's the verdict: THE SAME.  Nobody knows.  It's fun to think about it, though.  Right now, this is how I picture the baby, minus the severed head of Ned Flanders of course:

 
Usually this little monster is how I picture the baby when I feel like it's trying to claw its way out...but I also picture it with a little rock hammer, making a tunnel that it covers up with a poster of Raquel Welch. 

I guess we'll find out in about 11 weeks!
 





*For the record, I sure would put a bowtie on a girl.  So.  Yeah.