Lately..

Life has been busy the past three weeks. I plan on blogging about our happenings in separate posts, but until I find the time and energy to do that, here's the short version.

We enjoyed a quiet rainy 4th of July at home and then headed off to Maine for a family vacation week. We rented a rustic cabin on a lake in southern Maine near the border of New Hampshire. It was an awesome week spent on the water, fishing, swimming, hiking and enjoying the outdoors.

We got home on a Saturday and I flew off to San Diego the next day to attend a week long international GIS conference (photo: esri). It was huge and totally a big deal for GIS nerds like me.

Meanwhile, the day I landed in San Diego I got a phone call from James saying he was in distress and on the way to the ER. He was there for a night and was diagnosed with diverticulitis. It was hard hearing how much pain he was in and being 3000 miles away. The good news is after a few days of antibiotics, he's fully recovered.

And then it was my turn. On my flight home, an overnight red-eye, I was suddenly struck with the worst pain I ever felt in my life. It was dibilitating. Turns out I had a sizable kidney stone attacking my left kidney. Of course I didn't know that at the time. In any case, long story short (I'll eventually get around to telling the long story, maybe) I never made it home that night. Instead I spent five days in a hospital in Pennsylvania, mostly by myself and mostly in incredible pain. I finally passed the stone four days later and am slowly starting to feel like myself again.

It's been a long few weeks. We are all looking forward to things getting back to normal around here!

It's a....

Boy! I totally knew it this time, for sure. It's just been so much easier making this kid than it was making Cece. I knew something had to be different this time around. Hum...are boys really easier afterall...guess we'll find out!

Baby #2: 20 Week Bump & Gender Prediction

I'm 5 months pregnant with my second child. Holy cow, how did that happen? Besides the gaining weight thing, I barely have time to think about or feel pregnant. It's nice feeling the little Barnacle move more these days as a gentle reminder. Looking at these pictures, it looks like not a lot has changed at 20 weeks between my two pregnancies. Maybe the bump in a little higher/rounder?

We have our 20 week ultrasound today! And yes, we're finding out the baby's gender again this time. Below are some well known "old wives tales" for predicting gender. We did this with Cece and the results called for a boy. We all know how that turned out so I have little faith these will tell us one way or another what we're having. If it means anything, I thought I was having a girl the first time around and this time my hunch (along with the old wives) is saying boy. I'll be back soon to let you know if my hunch was right. =)

Gender Predictions Based on Old Wives Tales:
1) This one you can do just by looking south: if you're carrying high, break out the pink. If your bump is low, you're carrying a boy.

I personally have no idea if my bump is in the high or low category. Seems about the same as last time so we'll go with high again. There's one for GIRL!

2) Next time your OB pulls out the Doppler to listen to baby's heartbeat, ask her to tell you what the heart rate is. According to legend, 140+ beats per minute indicates a girl, and below 140 a boy.

So far the bean's heart rate has been higher than 140 beats per minute. Another one for GIRL.

3) Craving ice cream every single day? Some people believe this means it's a girl. If you have to have salty or sour stuff, then it's a boy.

Definitely salty and sour again this time. This one's going BOY!

4) This ancient method uses your age at conception and the month you did the deed to determine gender. Click here to see the chart.

Based on this crazy chart, we're having a BOY.

5) This one's a little out there. Pee in a cup (you've been doing it at all your prenatal appointments anyway, haven't you?), mix a tablespoon of Draino in, and watch to see if it changes color. Green = girl, and blue = boy.

Nope, didn't do this one this time.

6) Legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby's sex by looking at the mother's age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one's even and one's odd, it's a boy.

Age - 31; year - 2014. Looks like another one for BOY.

7) This is one for a friend to try. Place a key in front of your preggo friend and ask her to pick it up. If she grabs it by the narrow part, she's in for sugar and spice and all that. If she picks it up by the round part, it's snips and snails.

Had a colleague do this for me. She grabbed the fat part. This one is going BOY.

8) If you're breaking out like crazy, blame it on your girl babe. The belief goes that girls steal their mother's beauty, hence, those annoying zits.

I never had perfect skin at any point in my entire life but I wouldn't say it's gotten much worse throughout either pregnancy. Giving this one to the BOY.


9) Pop off your wedding ring -- if you still can! -- and tie it to a string. Hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circle, a little guy's in your future. If it goes back and forth, you've got a girl.

Spinning circles for the BOY.

10) Sick as a dog during the first trimester -- or still? Signs indicate you're having a girl. Little or no morning sickness points to a boy.

This whole pregnancy has been easier than my first. Going with BOY on this one.

11) Sleep more on right side or left? Right means girl. Left for boy.

More comfortable on my right side - GIRL!


Final tally - GIRL 3, BOY 7. According to legend, we're having a bouncing baby BOY. Stay tuned!