Tonight

We had a thunderstorm tonight. It wasn't long or terrible, but Michael and I both noticed the a strange hue to the sky as the storm was passing. Since, if we were back home, an add hue could mean anything from an impressive sunset to an impending tornado, Michael went outside to peek at what was going on. Moments later I heard him call me from the front door. 

"You need to come look at this! And grab your camera!"

Grab the camera? This had to be good! And it was!

None of these pictures have been put through a filter or edited at all. (Except to crop and add my watermark.) What you see is what we saw. These were looking towards the West.

Looking to the East. 

Sebastian and Parker came outside to look too, and after a few minutes of "Oooh" and "Ahhh"ing, Parker ran back inside to watch the end of American Ninja Warrior. (Because both of my boys are going to grow up to be warriors, in case you were unaware.) Michael followed him in, but I stayed outside to snap my pictures, and, to my surprise, Sebastian stayed with me. My little boy, the one who absolutely refuses to step out the door without his shoes and fully dressed (though Parker will run into the back yard with his jammies on if I give him the okay), ran out onto the rain soaked pavement with peals of purely joyful laughter. He tip toed through puddles and delighted in the footprints his wet toes made on the porch. Then he ran around trying to make friends with a local bunny, jabbering at him in a reassuring way as he attempted to get closer enough to touch. The rabbit was never alarmed enough to bolt, (none of the ones on base really are unless you actively chase them, which my boys won't do) but would hop a few paces away and turn to look back at him, ears perked up as if he was actually listening. Bash is a bunny whisperer. :)

I watched this, my heart filling up with that special kind of joy that I never experienced before becoming a mother, as I snapped pictures of the sky. His bunny friend was hopping leisurely in the opposite direction from the house, so I called his name to keep him from walking too far away from me. Without missing a beat, he turned around, grinned, and struck a pose. He's a natural. :) He can't be my son. 

Good show tonight, Colorado! You just might be growing on me. Keep putting up sky shows like this and you'll have me won over in no time. 

The Gender Prediction Project Two: Part Seven

Less than four months to go, and The Gender Prediction Project is still going strong! I'm having a blast doing these, and I hope people enjoy reading them. Thank you for the suggestions so far. Please keep them coming.

Let's dive right in this week!

Beauty or Beast?

When you pass by a mirror do you flinch and look away quickly or are you looking so radiant that you have to stop and stare for a few minutes? Depending on your answer, the Old Wives claim that they can tell you what you are having. Apparently little boys are kinder and more loving towards their mothers (I've noticed this theme in several of these Old Wive's tales.), and they add to you beauty. If you are carrying a little boy your hair will be fuller, you're face will be free of acne, and you will literally be glowing! However, a daughter will selfishly steal all your former glory as her own and leave you looking harassed and worn. 

I looked back at old pictures with my past pregnancies to see how this added up with my boys. I don't think that there was much of a change with Parker. I did look tired at the end, but I think everyone does in those last weeks. So, no radiating beauty, but no boils either. :) He did destroy my hair, but I already covered that one. I'm going to call this one as correct for Parker. When it comes down to Sebastian, I personally think I looked good. I was tired, and oh so hot, but when I look back at my pictures you can actually see the glow. It sounds stuck up maybe, but I was really happy with how I looked during my pregnancy with Sebastian, so I'm calling this as correct for Bash too. 

This time...what can I say? I feel gross, and I feel like I look gross. My face, despite being very dry out here in Colorado, has broken out like it did when I was a teenager. (Who am I kidding? It's worse than it was when I was a teenager!) The dryness makes my skin flaky and spotchy, and I have walked around many days feeling like a giant blob from another planet. Michael assures me that I look beautiful, but he is my husband, and has amazing self-preservation instincts, so I would expect nothing more from him. I can't say I feel the glow right now though, which makes me lean towards calling this as a prediction for a little girl this time. 

Ramzi Theory

This was another one that I had heard about during my last pregnancy, but I didn't include it in the GPP last time around. This time I figured, why not? So many people swear by it, so I felt that it should be included. I also happen to have this information for both my older boys too, so I can't compare all three pregnancies.

The Ramzi theory actually does have some science to back it up, according to Ramzi anyways. :) The theory is that the placenta will form on either the right or the left side of the uterus depending on if you are having a little boy or a little girl. A little boy will be on the right and a little girl will be on the left. This is best seen in an early ultrasound (10 weeks or earlier), and it is important that you ask the person doing your ultrasound which side the placenta is on, because ultrasound images can be mirrored. You need to make sure you know what is truly right and truly left.

Despite the multitude of people who swear by this 110%, it only has a 50% accuracy rate with us so far. The boys placentas formed on completely opposite sides, but they are both 100% boy, so I'm not sure that I put a whole lot of faith in this "very scientific" method of sex prediction. Still, I asked my RE where the placenta was during my early ultrasound with Bean, because I was curious. Bean apparently implanted very, very high (which was a good thing), and also slightly to the right. Based on this, we can expect a little boy in October.

Left or Right?

Another very simple tale to test is the left or right test! Do you sleep on your left side at night? Congratulations. It's a boy? Do you prefer to sleep on the right? It's a girl! 

This one is difficult to call for me. I flip around a lot while I am sleeping, especially when I am uncomfortable and pregnant. I often go to sleep on one side and walk up on the other (sometimes several times during the night), and I've even woken to find myself on my back before. (Which is supposed to be a big no-no during pregnancy.) For the sake of a prediction though, I'm going to go with the side I fall asleep on most often, though I am not confident in this method giving me a correct result. Since my husband sleeps to my left, I usually fall asleep curled towards him, which would mean I fall asleep on my left side a lot...But not always. Between frequently waking to pee and legs that don't want to quit, it's a complete gamble whether or not this one is actually predicting a little boy for us. 

North vs. South

Grab your compass. You're going to need it. This Old Wive's tale requires that you know which way your pillow faces at night. If both your pillow and compass are pointing to the North, you can expect a little lad. If your pillow is to the South a lass is in your womb. ;) 

Though I didn't add this one to the original Gender Prediction Project, I can report my findings on this Old Wive's tale for all three pregnancies. During my pregnancy with Parker our bed was positioned with our pillows facing true North. You can't get more North than our pillows were, which made it accurate with Parker. With Sebastian's pregnancy the question gets a little more complicated, since I was home for much of that pregnancy and stayed several places with my pillow in different directions. However, my pillow would have been North again when we conceived him, so I am not sure that the other directions my pillow faced during pregnancy (which would have been West, East, and South) matter. It would make sense that it would matter most where your pillow was at conception, right? That's what I'm going to go with, which would make this particular Old Wive's tale accurate with Sebastian too.

With 100% accuracy so far, maybe I really will have a little girl this Fall. Our pillows were pointed South at the time of conception. (Even though our pillows are facing West now.)  

Two boys against two girls this post, which would hold with the 50/50 shot I generally give the Old Wive's tales anyways. All together it brings the count up to 24 predictions for a boy and 13 predictions for a girl. The boys are still winning it, it seems, but we won't know for sure until sometime in October. Keep reading to find out if the ladies can catch up, and keep playing along!

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*

The Gender Prediction Project Two: Part Six

Oooooooh! I'm excited today! Today we will be exploring some new methods of gender prediction that I didn't do with either boy or include in the first Gender Prediction Project! It's fun to try new things. :) With some of them I will be able to go back and tell you what the prediction would have been had a done them during my first two pregnancies, and with some of them I'll have no idea. (Not very scientific of me, but I hope you can forgive.)

Also, now that we are branching off into uncharted territory, I really do need your suggestions of Old Wive's tales and methods of predicting the sex to try. A couple of these were suggested by readers, and I look forward to trying many more in the months to come! So send those suggestions to me! If it doesn't involve spiders or extreme heights I am probably game. ;)

Warning: Some of the methods of gender prediction we go over today involve bodily fluids. I won't include any pictures of said fluids (on their own), but if you are squeamish about fluids of any kind, you might want to skip over this post. (Though it would be a terrible loss, because it's a rather entertaining piece of blogging, if I do say so myself. Also, if you are preparing for a new baby in your home, the time to get over bodily fluids of all kinds is now. Your future is filled with fluids.)

Cabbage Test

I don't really like cabbage. Usually the smell gets to me even before the taste does. (I should actually say here that I do enjoy several dishes that include cabbage, but I don't like cabbage on its own.) My like or dislike for cabbage has nothing to do with this test though, except that I had to make a special trip out to buy some red cabbage since we didn't have any in the house at the time. (Before anyone accuses me of wasting food, all of the cabbage was used, and it was quite yummy.)

If you want to play along with this one you will need a red cabbage, boiling water, and an urge to use the bathroom. (First morning urine is advised, but not necessary according to my in depth research into the matter.) It's very much like a chemistry experiment, so pull out some goggles, a lab coat, and some beakers if you'd like!


First I chopped up some red cabbage. (It needs to be red cabbage. Don't bother with that silly, non-colorful green stuff!) I ended up using about three (3) cups of red cabbage for this particular test.

I boiled some water on the stove, then I poured the boiling water over the chopped up cabbage in one of my large, glass bowls. I let the cabbage seep in the water for fifteen (15) minutes.

After allowing the cabbage to sit I strained the cabbage out and put the leaves to the side. The cabbage water ended up being a really pretty color!

Here's where you need the bodily fluids. ;) You need to mix equal parts cabbage water and urine. The amount you choose to use of each doesn't really matter as far as I can tell, so long as you use equal parts of each liquid. (Ex. If you use 1/2 cup of urine you also need to use 1/2 cup of pretty cabbage water.)

Then you take out your scientific pen and pad of paper and make notes about the color reaction. If your cabbage water/urine solution turns red/pink it means that you will be having a little boy. Purple/blue indicates that you can expect a little girl.

I'm certain that this couldn't be mistaken in any way shape or form as anything other than what it is, but just in case the colors on your monitor are off, I can assure you that my cabbage water turned an unmistakable red/pink. (More red than pink, I think.) There wasn't even a hint of purple or blue, and I tried it twice just to make sure. (I had leftover cabbage water, so why not? Waste not, want not, right?) As with many other methods before it, this method of sex prediction is a strong point for team blue, predicting us another little boy in October!

Baking Powder/Soda Test

This one I didn't have to buy anything for. I always have baking soda and baking powder around the house somewhere. I have seen this old wive's tale be used with both baking soda/powder, and so I decided that I should do both to be safe. That way no one can say I wasn't taking this seriously. :)

Just like the cabbage test, if you are adverse to your own bodily fluids, this one isn't for you. You're going to need two containers and the desire/need to pee. (Let's face it, if you're pregnant, you probably have to pee.) You take one cup and put a little bit of baking powder/soda at the bottom. In the other cup/container you collect some of your urine. When you are ready, pour the urine into the baking soda/powder and watch for a reaction. If you get bubbles/fizzing, kind of like the head on a beer, you are pregnant with a little boy. If there is no reaction you are having a little girl.

Don't worry. I didn't take any pictures of this one. ;)

With both the baking powder and the baking soda I got a very obvious fizzing reaction. In fact, the baking powder fizzed to such an extent that it almost flowed over the side of the cup, and I had only put a small amount of powder and fluid inside. Barely enough to fill 1/10 of the cup. (I did almost take a picture of that, because I was impressed!) No matter which way you look at it, this was a very strong prediction for a little boy in October. 

Skull Theory

This one might sound like it actually has some basis in science, but I can't find any studies outside of new mommy chat boards. Though archaeologists can (sometimes) tell the sex of a skeleton based on skull shape, those specific changes wouldn't happen until sometime around puberty. They certainly wouldn't be visible in infancy, right, but do not tell the people on the mommy boards this! They believe! So we'll try it out. :)

Apparently, the shape of your baby's skull as seen in an ultrasound can tell you your baby's sex. Boys, so they say, tend to have a skull that is blockier and more angular, while the skull of a little girl is more rounded. The forehead should be more prominent on a boy too, in theory.

As a bonus, though I didn't do this with either boy at the time, I can still compare their results now by looking at their old ultrasound pictures, so I'll be able to tell you how accurate this theory is for all three of my littles...Though I will fully admit, even after scouring more Mommy Boards than I can count, I am not sure that I am an expert at the skull theory yet. I suppose I could be calling these incorrectly according to the "skull experts", but I'm going to give it a try. Someone else might have more luck.

Here is my oldest. The skull certainly looks more rounded to me. I don't see any of the blockieness or distinct slope in the forehead that I've seen in the online examples of boy's skulls, which would lead me to predict  little girl using the skull theory. Of course, my oldest is a little boy, which means this was incorrect with him. 

Above is my youngest Earth Side baby. To me there is a very obvious and distinct angular shape to the forehead. The jaw looks more angular, and the brow is more prominent. Using the skull theory I would predict a little boy for this pregnancy, and it was correct this time. That means that this theory has a 50% accuracy rate for us so far. 

Here is baby Bean's profile, (at both 14 weeks and 22.5 weeks) and to me it looks more rounded than Sebastian's skull looked. Perhaps not as much as Parker's, but there are certainly no obvious angles like you can see in Bash's ultrasound. I'm not sure the top was the best picture to be going off of, but the second picture looks rounded too, making me think I would predict a little girl this time. Of course, one could argue that the skull is prominent...As I said, I could be completely off, and I am very open to any insight any "skull theory experts" out there can offer. :) This is not my area of brilliance.

Flip A Coin

This one was actually suggested by an old family friend, and it is as simple as taking a coin out of your pocket and flipping it. As it was told to me, this is an Old Wive's tale with a Native American background. Simply toss a coin and see where it lands. If it lands on heads you are having a girl, and tails means it's a boy. Do it three times in a row, and best two out of three wins it I suppose. ;) Easy peasy!

Flip one: Heads. Flip two: Tails. Flip three: Tails. It looks like even our quarters are on team blue, and this Old Wive's tale predicts another little boy for us in the Fall.



Another week, another round of predictions, and this week's seem to be leaning more towards team blue with one prediction for a girl vs. three predictions for a boy. I'm not really shocked. So far our count is up to 22 predictions for a son against only 11 predictions for a daughter. The boys are winning by half, but there is still time to sway the scales towards the pink side. Besides, this is all just for fun anyways. I don't think the baby cares one way or another what the Old Wives think about his/her sex.

See you next week for some more predictions!

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*

The Gender Prediction Project Two: Part Five

I still have a little over 4 months to go, but I'm burning through methods of prediction quickly, so if you have any ideas you'd like to see me try, please put them in the comments. I'm game for almost anything. ;) I'm having a lot of fun with these so far, and I'd like to keep them going until October.

Let's jump right into this week's post!

Daddy's Weight

In a nice turn of events for a pregnant lady, this old wive's tale makes Daddy get on the scale. The way this old wive's tale goes, if Daddy gains weight during the pregnancy you will be expecting a little boy. However, if he maintains his pre-pregnancy weight it will be a little girl. Don't ask me how it works. I'm not sure. I know that it was correct with Parker. As a matter of fact, Daddy is the only one who gained weight during that pregnancy. (Which, I have to admit, tickled me a bit.) With Sebastian, this proved to be an incorrect method of prediction. (Though, with Michael in Afghanistan, I had no way of checking up on him. I took his word on it. I trust him though.) So far, this method of prediction has a 50% accuracy rate for us.

This time around, Michael reports that he has maintained his pre-pregnancy weight so far. I have no reason not to believe him, so that means we should be getting ready for our first little girl. Of course, with 4 months left to go in this pregnancy, that could change. ;)

Nipple Color

As this story goes, if the color of your areola has darkened considerably it can tell you the sex of your new bundle of joy. If you notice a considerable darkening you can expect a little boy. No change, and a little girl should be on the way. This one is terribly easy for me, because my normal pigment is something between bleach white and fresh blinding snow, but it might be harder on someone who actually has some color regularly. 

This is actually one of those predictions that has been 100% correct with both boys! I have a very noticeable change during my pregnancies, though the change hasn't lasted either time. (Because I am so pale I'm practically see through. Lol.) This time I noticed the change much earlier than I had before. By six weeks there was a considerable difference in my coloring, and it doesn't seem to be stopping. Based on that, we are expecting another little boy this Fall.  

Front or Back?

Sorry to ask this, but how are you carrying your extra weight? All in the bump and you can proudly say that you are expecting a little boy. All in the rump and a little lass is headed in your direction. No one should ever, ever make a prediction based on whether or not your rear end is getting wider, or if they do they most certainly should not tell you about it, but I get the impression that the Old Wives had no issue saying whatever popped into their head. (I can't be the only one who has noticed that many of these predictions have to do with the mother's looks getting better or worse, and I can just picture some crotchety old bitty happily informing young mums that they were going to have a girl based on the widening of their bums!)

Regardless of the political correctness of this particular prediction method, I can report that it does have 100% accuracy rate for us so far! I carried both boys way, way out front. There at the end of my pregnancies I resembled a fun house mirror reflection. Though I still have awhile to go this pregnancy, I have been very obviously out in front for several weeks already. I feel wide, but if you look at me it appears that I am smuggling an award winning watermelon under my shirt. Based on this Old Wive's tale, we're having another little boy this time too.

Show Me Your Hands!

Because it will let us know the sex of your unborn baby! I can't think of the last time in my every day life that I have had someone ask me to show them my hands, but if I were to present my hands palms up in would apparently mean that I was expecting a little girl. If I thrust my hands forward palms down I would be having a boy. I'm not sure I understand the science behind this one (or any of them for that matter), but it was incorrect with both boys anyways. 

It turns out my instincts are still to present my palms upward, meaning that we should be getting ready to welcome a little girl in 4 months or so.  

The total number of boys vs. girls in this post stands at two for a little girl and two for a little boy in a 50/50 split. If I add that to the previous predictions we have ten predictions for a little girl against a very impressive nineteen predictions for a little boy so far. It would appear that the odds are favoring a little more blue in my house come October. What do you think? Do you have any more Old Wive's Tales you would like me to try out? Leave them in the comments, and we'll see if you can sway the odds any. :)

*Disclaimer: This, and all posts for The Gender Prediction Project, is something I am doing for fun. I am not a doctor, and I make no claims that these methods of sex prediction work. This should in no way shape or form be taken seriously. Please do not go out and buy clothes, furniture, toys, paint, or wallpaper based on any of the prediction methods you see here. These blog posts should be taken with a grain of salt, and if you choose to participate in them along with me, realize that there is no way to know the sex of your baby 100% until they are in your arms and you are looking at the evidence with your own two eyes. Even ultrasounds can be wrong, so join in at your own risk! ;) Happy predicting!*