Pink or Blue?

It's crazy when I stop and think about the fact that I'm just about halfway through this pregnancy. I'll be 20 weeks come Monday and on Tuesday we'll find out if there's a little lady or gent tucked away in my belly. Most importantly, we'll get another peek at what we pray is a healthy little baby!

When I was pregnant with Sophia, I did a series of weekly pregnancy posts on the blog and I have to admit, I wish I had started that again this time around. It's been fun looking back at all of the details of my first pregnancy that I have already forgotten about it. I keep telling people how different this pregnancy is than Sophia's but in actuality, the two appear to sync up quite perfectly. I think I'll start sharing a few weekly pregnancy updates (and the much-requested bump pictures) after our ultrasound next week. Until then, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the gender predictor quizzes and old wives tales to see if this baby is a girl or a boy. When I did this with Sophia, the tests proved to be correct as nearly all predicted we were having a girl! Let's see what those online gender predictor tests say this time around...

Parents.com quiz: It's a boy!

Babyzone.com: It's a girl!

Childbirth.org: It's a girl!

Justmommies.com: It's a girl!

And just for fun, the Chinese Lunar Calendar says we're having a boy.

And now for the Old Wives Tales...

Carrying High, Carrying Low: According to this old wives tale, if you carry low it's a boy and high it's a girl. This one was wrong with Sophia because I carried really low. Right now, it appears that I'm actually carrying right in the middle, a little higher than I did with Sophia. This one's too close to call.

Heartbeats: The story goes, if the heartbeat is above 140 it's a girl and under is a boy. At our 16 week appointment baby's heartbeat was still a strong 155. Prior to that it was up in the 170's. This old wives tale would indicate we're having a girl. This proved to be true for Sophia!

Craving Something?: Sweets mean a girl, sour or salty foods indicate a boy. I'm actually craving neither during this pregnancy. So far, all I want is bagels, bagels, and more bagels...with a few blueberry muffins mixed in. I suppose if I had to pick between the two, I've had more chocolate than anything sour or salty. I did go through a chocolate milkshake phase early on. We'll give a half a point towards girl on this one.

Time to Shave: They say if the hair on your legs is growing faster during pregnancy then you're having a boy. Thankfully, this one isn't true this time around. Shaving your legs during pregnancy is just uncomfortable! Another point for a baby girl.

Headaches: I didn't look at this one when pregnant with Sophia because it wasn't really an issue. This time around, however, I had awful migraines from weeks 12-17. Everyone kept telling me that meant that I was having a boy.

Green at the Gills: Morning sickness early in pregnancy indicates a girl. Unfortunately, I had plenty of morning, noon, and night sickness early in pregnancy (and even today) so we're giving another point to the girl tally.

Meat or Fruit?: Craving meat usually points to a boy, according to the old tales while craving fruit indicates a girl. Given how sick meat makes me feel during this pregnancy (just like with Sophia), I'm going with fruit on this one. Although, I did have one fleeting moment while out to dinner for my dad's birthday where I indulged in a huge bacon cheeseburger. I absolutely regretted it afterwards and have been staying clear of meat since. Let's see what happens when Sendik's busts out their chipotle cheeseburgers for summer grilling...I had a craving for one of those the day of my cheeseburger incident. Another girl point.

Mirror, Mirror: Story goes, baby girls steal their mother's looks during pregnancy. Unlike with Sophia, the hormones appear to not be impacting my appearance as much. I looked like a pre-pubescent boy during my last pregnancy but this time, my skin appears softer and smoother. A point for the boys!

Mmmm, bread: If there was an old wives tale about bread, it was made for me and my bread cravings. This one has to do with the heel of the loaf of bread. If you eat it, you're having a boy and if you refuse to eat it, it's a girl. Sorry boys, but I toss that heel straight into the garbage once it's sliced right off. Plus, I prefer my bread in round, bagel form these days. Cheddar herb bagels to be exact. Now I'm having a craving : ) Another point for girl.
So, it looks like between the online quizzes, Chinese calendar, and the old wives tales, we have nine points for a girl and four for a boy. It appears that the general prediction is a girl this time around, too. Of course all of those things are just for fun. So what do we think? Well, I've pretty much been convinced during this entire pregnancy that it is a boy. Dave thought it was a boy from the very beginning but is now leaning towards a girl. Sophia, well she keeps talking about her baby sister so it appears her mind is made up. Everyone else says we're having a boy...mostly because of the migraines I was having. After people ask you what you think you're having, they ask you what you want. And honestly, we will be perfectly happy with either a boy or girl. I keep telling everyone that aside from being healthy, I just want a baby that sleeps!!

Sophia Turns Two

It's hard to believe that our sweet baby girl is already two! There's something exciting about having a two year old in the house. She is so much fun and is really developing quite the personality. She loves to smile and loves attention. She really loves to learn which makes this mommy very happy. Sophia knows her alphabet, can count to ten, can talk in simple sentences, knows her shapes (the child can tell me the difference between a pentagon, hexagon, and octagon!), and appears to have a photographic memory because she never, ever, forgets where she puts anything. She's incredibly nurturing - she loves taking her baby dolls on walks, feeding them, and rocking them. She is attentive to the needs of other kids and loves to share her toys. She's still incredibly strong-willed, independent, and determined but those are all characteristics that I think will prove beneficial later in life and I don't see them changing anytime soon. Sophia loves to sing and will request that you sing along to all of her favorite songs - Jingle Bells, Twinkle Little Star, Row Row Row Your Boat, and Mary Had a Little Lamb. She will dance in circles for hours if music is playing. She loves doing jigsaw puzzles, coloring, painting, and riding her bike. She loves soccer and basketball and I think she's going to be a great athlete someday. She has to pick out her own hair bows each morning but will quickly pull them out to play soccer. She's the perfect mix of sweet little girl and rough little tomboy. I don't think it's possible to love her any more than I already do but then she gives me a, "Mommy, love you" and my heart melts. She is such a joy and I look forward to watching her grow over the next year!

Since her birthday fell on a Saturday this year, we planned a full day of celebrations. We started the morning with candles atop our muffins, a Dora balloon, and some presents from mommy and daddy (puzzles, coloring books, and a basketball hoop).

After some playtime at home, we got ready and met up with Sophia very bff, Ayden, at the indoor playground for some fun. It's so much fun watching those two play together. It's even better when the daddy's are around to chase after them! After Just 4 Fun, Sophia took a nice long nap while her godmother came into town to help me get ready for her party. Have I mentioned how much I love her godmother? She is so so SO good to Sophia and loves her so much. And she's pretty good to me too because she helped with the decorations that I simply didn't have the time (or creative energy) to make.

I decided on a "You are My Sunshine" themed party for Sophia this year. What's better than adding a little bit of bright colors to the mix in the middle of a cold Wisconsin winter? One of the downsides of having a February birthday is that you're stuck inside but we had fun with this one. Sophia truly is a little ray of sunshine - her personality just shines through and she brings so much joy to us and everyone who loves her.