21 weeks

I thought you might want to see an updated photo.

Weighed 221 this week and am obsessed with all things pumpkin. Or "punkin" as I like to say it.

That boy is big!

In addition to finding out we are having a boy, we also found out that our boy is already running big. Not quite too big, but close. So, I have to go back for another round of ultrasound measurements in three weeks. Based on the measurements they took last week, little Zeus (his current nickname) weighs 14 oz, but should only weigh 10 oz at 20 weeks.

I'm not sure if gestational diabetes is suspected already, but it is known to cause bigger babies. I'm hoping that's not the case. I'm thinking it's just two big people making one big baby.

It's a boy!! (for real)

In case we aren't friends on facebook, it's a boy!! The hubs is obviously over the moon. I'm happy about it too, but I really didn't care either way. I did buy an adorable Illini hat to wear home from the hospital (since it will be the middle of winter) last weekend, along with a fighting Illini onesie. My sister already bought him a set of cars/trucks onesies too.

Now that we know it's a boy and my shower dates are set, a few of my friends are asking about registries. I can tell you where I want to register, but I have no idea what to register for. None. I did end up starting two registries today, but I mostly picked out adorable things like baby loafers and cute outfits. I also registered for cloth diapers because I know I will need those. Other than that, I'm officially open to suggestions.

The unofficial answer is: BOY

Tomorrow will change our lives forever. I want to go to sleep for the night right now. I know once I get to work, 2pm will come quickly. It seems like we've been waiting for this a long time, so I'm super excited to find out if I need to shop pink or blue for the next few months!

It seems like everyone has been asking me lately, “Are you going to find out, or wait to be surprised?” I am a planner by nature, and while I think surprises are fun and certainly have a place in this world, this is not one of them.

In preparation for the official test, I’ve been scanning the web for other unofficial tests to determine the sex of my first child. Some are well-known, while others seem completely off-the-wall and outrageous.

A friend shared this chart with me to compare all of the “old wives tales” related to the sex of the baby. For me, it says I’m having a boy (my husband will be so happy). I filled it out with my answers, and I’ll let you know next week after the ultrasound if this thing is accurate.

Myth Description / Question	Response	Gender	Boy	Girl
Are you carrying low in the “stomach”, or high?	Low	Boy	x
	High	Girl
Are you carrying all out front, or all around your waist?	Out Front	Boy	x
	All Around	Girl
Does your belly look like a watermelon or a basketball?	Basketball	Boy		x
	Watermelon	Girl
Is your fetal heartbeat above or below 140?  The heart rate does in fact change at labor.	Below 140	Boy		x
	Above 140	Girl
Hold a pendant / needle / ring over your hand / belly / wrist. In which direction does it swing?	Circular	Boy	x
	Back and Forth	Girl
Is your husband putting on weight with you, or is he staying the same?	Even	Boy	x
	Gain	Girl
Are you craving salty foods or sweet?	Sour / Salty	Boy	x
	Sweet	Girl
Do you crave OJ every day, or do you not need it?	Not Daily	Boy	x
	Daily	Girl
What does the Chinese Birth Chart Say? (Age at time of conception and month)	See Chart	See Chart	x
Is the combination of your age at the time of conception and the month you conceived even or odd?	Even	Boy	x
	Odd	Girl
Has your chest grown significantly in size, or has growth not been so dramatic?	Normal Growth	Boy	x
	Dramatic Growth	Girl
Is your face full and round, or not?	Normal	Boy	x
	Round / Rosy	Girl
Are you looking good during pregnancy, or not	Good	Boy	x
	Not Good	Girl
Do you have more acne now than before you were pregnant?	Clear	Boy	x
	Acne	Girl
Is your skin dry or soft?	Dry	Boy		x
	Soft	Girl
Is your hair more full-bodied and shiny, or thinner and dull?	Full-bodied & Shiny	Boy	x
	Thinner and Dull	Girl
Does your leg hair grow faster than before you were pregnant?	Faster	Boy	x
	Slower or Equal	Girl
Did you have morning sickness in your first trimester?	Not Sick	Boy		x
	Sick	Girl
Are you getting more headaches during pregnancy than before?	Headaches	Boy		x
	No Headaches	Girl
Do your pupils dilate after staring in the mirror for at least 1 minute?	Dilate	Boy		x
	Do not Dilate	Girl
Are your feet colder now than before, or do they get colder more quickly than before?	Colder	Boy		x
	Not Colder	Girl
When asked to show your hands, do you show them palm up or palm down?	Palms Down	Boy	x
	Palms Up	Girl
Which side do you lie on when sleeping?	Left	Boy		x
	Right	Girl
What color is your urine?	Bright Yellow	Boy		x
	Dull Yellow	Girl
Are you more moody than before?	Not Moody	Boy	x
	Moody	Girl
Do you eat the heel of the loaf of bread?	Heel	Boy		x
	No Heel	Girl
Does the maternal grandmother have gray hair, or not (natural or dyed)	Gray	Boy	x
	Not Gray	Girl
Has your nose changed shapes during pregnancy?	Wider	Boy		x
	No Change	Girl
How do you pick up a key?	Bottom, Round	Boy	x
	Thinner Portion	Girl
Do you pick up a mug with the body or the handle?	Handle	Boy	x
	Body	Girl
Are you performing better or worse with regards to working memory and spatial ability?	Better performance	Boy		x
	Lower performance	Girl
When you eat garlic, does it seep out of your pores, or can you not smell it?	Seeps Out	Boy		x
	No Smell	Girl
What do you think you are having?	Boy	Boy	x
	Girl	Girl
Total Responses	Boy	21
	Girl	13

19 weeks

This morning, I weighed 214. Here's a belly shot with the tripod!!

Not the best shot ever, but you can see there's definitely a bump. I also sort of feel like people don't walk up to me yet because I look like I might have just given birth and not lost the weight yet. Kind of a in-between phase of large belly-ness. 

I still feel really good - except for the minor ear stuffiness - and am loving the way the baby moves around. It usually happens driving to and from work. Not sure if it likes the bass or that I am usually hungry or have just had breakfast. 

I can't wait to find out what it is next week so we can assign it a name!! We've had our names picked out for probably four years now, so the decision is made on our part. We just need an ultrasound to tell us which name to use. 

18 weeks

At my checkup this week at the OB's office, the baby's heartbeat was in the 140s - lower than it has been. It was in the 160s last time, so I guess that means it's developing?  I gained nine - yes nine - pounds in the last four weeks according to her scale* and she said that was "a perfect weight gain so far" so I'll take her word for it. :)

She was shocked that I can feel the baby moving already - and have been for a couple of weeks now. I think the hubs' explanation says it best "He's strong like bull."** If it is a boy, and if he's anything like his daddy, he will be naturally super strong and my poor organs better watch out in the next few months.

On my own scale at the house, I weighed 212 this morning. I'm mostly posting this here as a way to keep track of my weight gain for my own personal knowledge - not because I think you all want to know. Some of you have been reading this forever, and know that weight is an issue for me, so I'll continue to post about it. I'm sure it will be much more of an issue next spring when I'm trying to lose it all! Right now, it's just part of the process. After the baby is born and I have the go-ahead to work out again, you can bet my butt will be focused.

*I was wearing corduroy pants - those things weigh more than most pants!!

**The hubs has been calling the baby "he" for a while now. We do not know this for a fact. We find out in two weeks.

Treats!!

I rarely eat anything from a gas station (or fast food for that matter) but when we go on a road trip, sometimes even the best planners don't have enough snacks. I love getting the Golden Graham treat bar on a road trip - it's my prize for sitting in the car that long, right? (I took this on our way home from Dallas in May - that was about a 12-hour car ride)

On Pinterest, I saw a recipe for making these treats at home and immediately had to make them last night.

Source: macaroniandcheesecake.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

They are so awesome!! I highly recommend you try these.

Bedding!

Everyone has been asking me how I'm going to decorate the nursery - almost since day one. I really had no idea and I was trying to wait to see if the boy/girl decision (Sept. 21) gave me any inspiration. I went to Babies R Us a few weeks ago with a friend because she needed to pick up something. While we were there, I decided to peruse the bedding to see if anything jumped out at me.

Most of it was too "baby" looking for my tastes - lots of pastel colors and cutsey animal prints. I just didn't really like most of it. I was walking away pretty disappointed - not to mention SHOCKED at the prices. This miniature bedding is more expensive than the king-sized stuff I bought for our bed!!

Then, as we were walking toward the door, we spotted the clearance section. I found it. I loved this pattern and it was on clearance. I sent a pic to the hubs to get his approval and bought it.

The set came with a comforter, diaper holder, bed skirt, fitted sheet (the polka dot) and bumpers. I love the classy colors and that it's gender-neutral. I can add pink or blue to make it more girly or manly. The bunny's are cute, but not too overly baby-looking.