What a ham!

We took lady to get pictures taken yesterday. They came out perfectly! We promised her a cupcake if she did a good job. Needless to say, she worked for it! =)

oh belly...

Here I am at 19 weeks. I said it before, I'll say it again...my belly expanded A LOT sooner with this pregnancy! I'll try to stay current on my belly bump pictures, but it's so hard to find time these days. =(

elephants and all things blue...

Since the moment we learned that we are having a boy, all I can think about are elephants and all things blue! I knew long ago that if we ever had a son, his room would be decked out with these cute creatures. Check out these these adorable nurseries!

The Scoop on Gender Predictors

I forgot to mention that last Thursday (before the ultrasound), I had a dream that we had a baby boy and that his name was Max! After the dream, I started to wonder if my intuition was wrong about having a girl... but then I just dismissed it altogether. I should have known better, considering that when I was pregnant with Taylor, I dreamt that I was singing to a baby girl...and what do ya know! Both of my dreams were dead on. So what does this mean?

My fascination with gender prediction continues with the Chinese Gender Calendar. According to the calendar, we are having a boy; with Taylor, it was right on with a girl. (Use the online calculator, don't just look at the chart. The calculator automatically converts the lunar year for you) You may laugh at the thought of putting your trust into an ancient calendar, but I think it really works! Obviously you have a 50% chance either way, but I did a poll amongst friends and it was correct for 18 out of 20 people!

As far as gender predictors, what I do not trust are "Old Wives Tales." I've heard of predictions based on morning sickness, your skin, cravings, how you carry the baby, even the baby's heart rate. Some of them do seem believable, but most have not been an indicator of what I have.

Here is a rundown of different "wives tales" and my experiences:
Morning Sickness: If you experience morning sickness during pregnancy, you are having a girl.
Answer: Not true! I have been sick-free for BOTH pregnancies.
Skin: If you are breaking out during pregnancy, it means you are having a girl.
Answer: Not true! Breakouts are just a result of hormonal changes! I currently look hideous even while pregnant with a boy.
Cravings: If you crave sweets, you are having girl; sour foods, boy.
Answer: Not true! I have craved sweets with both pregnancies...but I've ALWAYS had a sweet tooth!
How you carry baby: If you carry low and out front, it's a boy. If you carry high with weight evenly distributed, girl.
Answer: Not true! I carried Taylor like a basketball, with the weight out front! Too early to tell how I'm carrying baby boy.
Baby's heart rate: If your baby's heart rate is under 140 beats per minute, its a boy; above 140, girl.
Answer: Not true! At baby boy's last ultrasound, his heart rate was 156 beats per minute.

So after careful thought, I've concluded that you shouldn't ignore what your dreams are telling you. And that the Ancient Chinese are BRILLIANT! And finally, that all those "old wives tales" are purely myth and don't work...at least not for me. Your best bet? An experienced ultrasound technician or wait until the baby is born. =)

OH BOY!!!

Let me start by saying that from early on, I was CONVINCED we were having another girl! So much so, that I had already been thinking of girl names (and ONLY girl names), planning her nursery, her baptism, 1st birthday and telling everyone that Taylor was going to have a sister! I was also basing this on how I was feeling. The "symptoms" were the same from when I was pregnant with Taylor.

BOY, WAS I WRONG! My motherly intuition was way off! We had an ultrasound today and the technician's words were, "this is definitely a boy, he is not shy about showing off!" LOL! I am slightly still in disbelief, but 150% EXCITED!!!! I knew that whatever the gender, as long as the baby was healthy, it didn't matter! With that said...WHOOO HOOO, WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!! haha! Deep down, I really wanted a boy and now Taylor is going to have a baby brother. =)

On a side note, If I had a dime for every single time a friend or relative has said,"I hope it's a boy," (or something similar) I would be RICH! Talk about pressure! Good thing we are having a boy, because I would have disappointed a lot of people! =)

Here are the pics from the ultrasound. Baby boy measures great and is moving along just fine. The first two pics show baby's boy parts =).

It's true...

that with your next pregnancy everything happens SOONER! The expansion of the waist, the fatigue, the joint pain and my favorite, feeling the baby! I started feeling the baby do somersaults the day after Mother's day, at 16 weeks...a whole month sooner than with the first! Gonna get technical here; the uterine wall has already been stretched from the first pregnancy, so not only do you show quicker, you feel everything sooner too. Not to mention that you already know what it feels like from experience.

If it were up to me, pregnancy would last much longer, at least a year. Before you think I'm crazy, hear me out. The first trimester is spent being paranoid about miscarriage and for some, morning sickness. After that, you're paranoid about what your expanding belly looks like...an actual baby bump or a bloated mess. I swear some people think I'm just getting fat. And then when you finally "look" pregnant, and get the perks of pregnancy like feeling the baby kick and people going out of their way for you..its almost over!

I love being pregnant and feeling the baby grow inside. I love feeling tiny movements. After Taylor was born, I missed it so much. No, I'm not going to get all "19 Kids and Counting," but if it were up to me and we lived in a mansion with loads of money, (and hired help) I'd breed enough children for a soccer team...so make that "11 Kids and Counting." =)

Here we go again!

Aiyee...I've been meaning to jump back on this blog. And why, may you ask? It could only mean one thing. I'm pregnant again! I'm 18 weeks and well into my 2nd trimester. Jason and I are so blessed to be able to bring another baby into this world. And I've been lucky enough to have a some-what easy going pregnancy again. Easy in the sense that I never had any morning sickness. But this go round, I am super tired and super worn out. I knew that this pregnancy would be exhausting...but man, I miss those days when I could just come home and take and nap without having to worry about a little toddler running around! And the back pain...lord! I wasn't expecting this until at least late second trimester, but carrying around a little girl while pregnant is doing numbers on my back (yes, I know I'm not supposed to, but easier said than done). Other than that, life is good and I am going to enjoy every second of this pregnancy. I learned quick from the first one that once its out, there is no turning back! =)

Taylor, by the way, is doing awesome! There are really no words to describe how much I love her. She is 2 years old now and I can't believe how smart and beautiful she has become. She is a healthy, happy little girl and I couldn't ask for anything more. She will (I hope) be such a great big sister! She already acts like a little 'Mommy" to her numerous baby dolls & stuffed animals. She hasn't quite grasped that there is a baby in my belly, but she does seem to understand the concept of having a brother or sister. Either way, ready or not, this baby is coming!

Here is a picture of our 6 week ultrasound. If you squint hard enough, you can see the baby!