15 Things I Recently Learned

I spend a good portion of my evenings on the internet teaching myself about pregnancy and childbirth and babies. And of course good ol' experience. Here's what it's like right now in the child-birthin' world:

1. There are no simple baby bathtubs anymore. They are all complicated and fancy. If it were up to me, I'd do away with all the extra nooks and crannies. That's just more to clean up...

2. It is literally impossible to find a perfect thermometer. Did you know there is actually not ONE trusted, absolute, home thermometer available for purchase? I looked at every bestseller on Amazon, and many people had problems with even the highest purchased! Those that rated them highest didn't mention the devices actually helping them when the baby got a fever.

3. There are 164,000 extras that stores and companies try to convince you are vital for your baby's life. Please comment below if you've actually found your $21 changing pad is the only way you can safely and comfortably change your little one's diapers.

4. Target maternity swimsuits are ugly. The cute maternity swimsuits are mostly in the $80-$100 range. There goes that cute Instagram photo I was planning for this summer.

5. There's no clear cut information on where a baby is supposed to sleep for the first year of life. Bassinet and then crib? Skip the bassinet and sleep every night in a rock n play? Go straight to a crib? Is a crib vital?

6. Side note -where have maternity pants been ALL MY LIFE????

7. Back to washing the baby - why are there 7 different things? What's wrong with one all-over wash?

8. I was apparently supposed to ask my ultrasound tech 10 questions yesterday at my anatomy ultrasound, like does the baby's heart have 4 chambers, a spine, two hemispheres in the brain, etc. Because apparently these ultrasounds are just for kicks and techs just like to rub jelly all over you for no reason. I felt like an idiot thinking I had to guide the ultrasound. Ha. Ha.

9. Speaking of the ultrasound, I got to see my baby's ears today! Her little ears are poking out, wondering when her mother will stop making useless mumblings and start talking to her more!

10. A babymoon is a real thing. People in my August 2016 babies Facebook group are booking these big trips and I'm like, "Does an extra-long visit to the grocery store count?"

11. Breastfeeding doesn't exactly start at birth. You can start, er, leaking at 12-14 weeks. So glad this hasn't happened to me...yet.

12. My toes are slowly disappearing....

13. ...and pretty soon I won't be able to reach to shave my legs.

14. There is a LOT of advice out there on baby sleep philosophies. This website has the best. (LOL)

15.  Ice cream is always the answer. Oh wait...I already knew that.

Ties or Tutus?

There are a dozen old wives' tales for predicting the baby's gender. I decided to try some of them out. For any of my friends who are moms, I am curious to know if you tested any of these and which ones "worked." I won't know until the end of February, but it is a fun way to pass time!

Ring on a String
This is the test where you tie a string around your wedding ring and dangle it over your belly. Side to side motion = Boy. Circular motion = girl.
Result: I've done this test multiple times (how bored AM I?). The most recent result was side to side. BOY. *P.S. Once I had Scott hold the ring and it literally did nothing. Multiple times. As soon as I grabbed the string it started moving again. Scott witnessed that my hand was still! Crazy...

Mayan Calendar
Aka the Even/Odd test, the legend examines the mother's age and the year of conception. If one number is odd, one even = Boy. If both are even or both are odd = Girl.
Result: Conception was 2015, and I was 25. GIRL.

Chinese Calendar
Result: According to this Chinese gender chart, I'm having a BOY.

Baking Soda
I'm so tired of peeing in a cup, but this was for a good cause. You put a couple tablespoons of baking soda in a cup and then add your urine to it. If it fizzes like soda, Boy. If it's flat, Girl. This one has "worked" for so many people! The science behind this suggests that the gender of the baby changes the mother's hormones, thus changing the mother's acid content in her urine.  I let Scott be a witness on this.
Result: BOY!! It started fizzing immediately before we even looked.

Acne
The tale is that a baby girl steals your beauty, so if I'm having a girl, my skin would be breaking out.
Result: Yup. GIRL.

Dry Skin and Cold Feet
Carrying a boy is said to give a mother dry skin and (literal) cold feet.
Result: Well, it's Utah and I am always cold, and I always have dry skin, especially in the wintertime. But I'll give this one to Team Blue.  BOY.

Salty vs Sweet
One wives' tale says it's all in the cravings. Craving salty and savory? It's a Boy. Thinking of all things Sweet? It's a Girl.
Result: I've always had a sweet tooth, especially while pregnant, so this one may not be fair. GIRL.

Heartbeat
If the baby's heart beat is below 140bpm, Boy. If it's higher than 140bpm, Girl.
Result: Today at 14.5 weeks, the baby's HB was 150. But don't get too excited...4 weeks ago it was 161, and 4 weeks before THAT it was in the 170s. This one says GIRL but it's definitely slowing down to the 140 line.

Total Tally:
Boy: 4
Girl: 4

What should I do for my tie breaker?

Oh and here's another text message conversation with Scott, for your entertainment. As of right now, I'm still in the closet....

Update: I'm safe now. And eating tacos. Not in the closet.