Today’s the day Drew and I (hopefully) find out the sex of our baby. We have the big 20-week ultrasound today, which is mainly done to check the development of the baby and all that jazz, but expectant parents who want to know, can also look forward to learning whether their little one is a boy or a girl (providing he or she cooperates and shows the goods) at this milestone appointment. People ask if I have a preference and the truth is I do have a slight preference, but I know I’ll be thrilled with either. I just hope it’s healthy … and cute! And sleeps a lot.
Anyone want to make a guess about the sex before we find out? Let’s see how psychic the DW community is! (I’ll post the news as soon as I share it with family first).
[polldaddy poll=”5111904″]
Update: OK, since people asked, here’s a photo of me taken this week. As you can see, I look fatter, but not really pregnant. Can’t wait to move past this stage — it makes me feel so self-conscious!
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BoomChakaLaka June 8, 2011, 10:36 am
For me to make a better guess, I would need to see a picture of the belly. They say a rounder belly is a girl. Or did I get that wrong?
Wendy June 8, 2011, 11:09 am
I actually don’t have much of a belly yet. That’s not to say I haven’t gotten big. I’ve gained maybe 7 or 8 pounds so far and everything is widening, unfortunately. But I don’t look pregnant.
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 11:35 am
I’ve personally heard that you get wider everywhere with a girl, and carry the pregnancy out in front, more like a basketball, with a boy. I’m sure there are countless wives tales that would tell you either way, and then confuse the crap out of you.
Tudor Princess June 8, 2011, 11:40 am
I was exactly like what you said, Regina. My son was a little basketball, and I showed no signs elsewhere. You could see me from behind and not know I was pregnant.
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 11:43 am
Glad to know it rings true! My best friend’s mom told me that particular wives tale, and said it was true for her too – she gained weight everywhere with my best friend, and with her son she looked like she had just stuffed a basketball under her shirt. I wonder if it has something to do with the different hormones coursing through your body between girl/boy??
PFG-SCR June 8, 2011, 12:31 pm
“I wonder if it has something to do with the different hormones coursing through your body between girl/boy??”
Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think the sex of your child causes a difference in the hormones in the mother’s body – the pregnancy hormones are the same regardless of the sex, although certain genital defects can cause the hormones to differ from what they should normally be at.
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 2:04 pm
Who knows! I’m far from a doctor…I was just pondering whether you get more estrogen for a girl, more testosterone for a boy?? It makes sense, in my layman’s brain haha. I’d love to hear from a real doctor about this!
Katie June 8, 2011, 8:39 pm
i read somewhere that when a woman is carrying a boy, her body actually makes antibodies to the testosterone (is that the one that women dont have?) that the little boys body is starting to make. and then, each boy that the woman carries, the antibodies get stronger… and so the more older brothers a guy has, he has a stastically larger chance to be gay, and thats why they think it is.
totally werid, but i read that. i swear i did not make it up. lol.
kali June 8, 2011, 11:00 pm
I had two girls and one was all around, the other stuck out in front. People actually came up to me on the street and in stores with her and told me I was having a boy! I also had morning sickness with the first and none with the second. Completely different pregnancies. I vote those are Old Wives’ Tales!!
Whatever you’re having, Wendy, it’ll be a lucky baby!! Thanks for sharing with us!
silver_dragon_girl June 8, 2011, 11:54 am
I think that if you can find a wizened little old lady somewhere, she will drop a button on a string over your stomach and then, based on the direction it swings, will inform you of the sex.
I’ve also heard that girls cause more morning sickness.
I think these things are all thought up by the same people who suggest cures for the hiccups. 🙂
SpaceySteph June 8, 2011, 12:23 pm
Hey! Those hiccup cures totally work! Drink upside down through a straw with your earlobes tucked in and your eyes crossed… works every time. 😀
melikeycheesecake June 8, 2011, 12:31 pm
To really cure hiccups… eat a spoon full of peanut butter.. works like a charm everytime!!!!!
Hana June 8, 2011, 1:58 pm
Thats my favorite. You take a strand of your hair and loop a silver ring or trinket on the end. If it goes back and forth its a boy and if it circles its a girl, I believe. But it could be the opposite.
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 2:05 pm
Funny you should say that, because my grandma still does the string thing! 🙂
silver_dragon_girl June 8, 2011, 2:14 pm
!!!
I totally read that in a medieval historical fiction book a long time ago, no idea which one.
EC was here June 8, 2011, 11:54 am
My Mother was the same way when she carried me (girl) and when she carried my brother. My bro is the oldest and in the picks she looks normal except for an enormous belly. When she was pregnant with me she gained weight all over and didn’t really show until about the 7th month.
My ex SIL was the same way. With my niece she expanded all over and gained about 30lbs total. With my nephew she actually lost weight in the beginning so she looked super skinny compared to her stomach. She weighted less after she gave birth than when she got pregnant.
WatersEdge June 8, 2011, 4:36 pm
Same for my mother. Basketball with my brother, big all over with me. Or as she loves to remind me, “Daughters take all your beauty”!
spaceboy761 June 8, 2011, 10:43 am
I say we force readers to back their votes with $20 each and keep this interesting. Losers pay for the baby shower.
PFG-SCR June 8, 2011, 10:54 am
I hope the baby cooperates so you can find out the sex! It’s so exciting, and I hope we can see a new picture of the baby!!
BecBoo84 June 8, 2011, 11:00 am
I agree! Definitely post a pic 🙂
melikeycheesecake June 8, 2011, 11:18 am
Yay! How exciting!
mcj2011 June 8, 2011, 11:33 am
You look great!!! Very exciting!
Rachelgrace53 June 8, 2011, 11:36 am
Squirrel! Definitely a squirrel…
silver_dragon_girl June 8, 2011, 11:55 am
Yay! Exciting day! I hope it’s a red squirrel. Gray ones are so much more trouble to potty-train.
You look great, by the way 🙂
Bricka June 8, 2011, 12:00 pm
Congratulations Wendy! Do you have names in mind in case its a girl or a boy?…or a squirrel? 😀
Wendy June 8, 2011, 12:18 pm
Thanks! We’re solid on girl names, but boys names have been harder to choose.
PFG-SCR June 8, 2011, 12:20 pm
Ah, now I need to change my vote – you’re having a boy! 🙂
Painted_lady June 8, 2011, 12:02 pm
I know you feel huge, Wendy, but you look adorable. Good luck at the appointment – whatever you end up having (I personally am rooting for a squirrel) this is going to be one lucky baby to have such great parents!
Skyblossom June 8, 2011, 12:06 pm
You look fantastic!
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 11:37 am
I’ve thought it was a boy from the second you said you were pregnant, but I’d be beyond thrilled to see you with a girl! Either way, I hope the baby inherits your beautiful red hair! Also, I really wanted to pick “squirrel” in that poll.
SpaceySteph June 8, 2011, 12:24 pm
I was so torn between picking squirrel and actually voting a gender. My vote says girl, but my heart says squirrel.
mcminnem June 8, 2011, 2:49 pm
I was so tempted to say squirrel.
spaceboy761 June 8, 2011, 1:31 pm
Any reason why you think it’s going to be a boy?
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 2:08 pm
Haha no REAL reason…I just have strong inclinations toward one sex whenever someone is pregnant. I’ve been right a fair amount. I envision them with a baby and the answer is clear. My best friend had a baby in February, and I COULD NOT picture her having a boy as her first child. It was a girl! I do it with celebrities, too, and I’m right pretty often. I’d like to say I’m psychic, but the only other premonitions I’ve ever experienced are guessing who it is when the phone rings…and that’s just educated guessing haha.
spaceboy761 June 8, 2011, 2:26 pm
Eh… psychic, heavily subject to confirmation bias… two sides of the same coin I guess.
ncp June 8, 2011, 1:01 pm
I’m not going to guess the sex, just express my annoyance that at 15 weeks, and having gained only 5 pounds on my underweight frame, I STILL look about two months further along than you do. NOT FAIR!
Wendy June 8, 2011, 2:25 pm
Well, that’s cause you’re thin! Thin women always show earlier. I bet you look cute!
ncp June 8, 2011, 4:49 pm
That, and it’s a second pregnancy. I looked 4 months pregnant at 8 weeks this time. Last time, I was still fitting into my regular jeans at 12 weeks.
You look like one of those women who will look “not pregnant” until the very end.
Elle June 9, 2011, 12:52 pm
Are you sure you’re not having twins?
MissDre June 8, 2011, 1:19 pm
Wendy, you look friggin fabulous. Don’t feel self conscious, you’re so beautiful and you definitely do not look fat at all (you are crazy if you think that!). 8 pounds is nothing! I’m really excited for you 🙂
Painted_lady June 8, 2011, 1:34 pm
Yeah, I read that and I was like, 8 pounds??? I usually gain that just from a trip to the Cheesecake Factory.
PFG-SCR June 8, 2011, 1:43 pm
Mmmm….Crusted Chicken Romano! That’s my favorite dish at The Cheesecake Factory (or anywhere, actually)!!!
BoomChakaLaka June 8, 2011, 1:45 pm
I’m eating right now and STILL salivated at the thought of the Cheesecake Factory.
melikeycheesecake June 8, 2011, 2:33 pm
YUMMM CHEESECAKE FACTORY!
Wendy June 8, 2011, 1:56 pm
Thanks, you guys. I THINK it’s about eight pounds. I’m not entirely positive what my start weight was — I’d been hovering somewhere between 139-143 for a couple months before getting pregnant and now I’m hovering around 147-149 (but I feel and look like I’ve gained much more than that). I’m a curvy gal, so hopin’ not to add TOO much (a 20-40 pound weight gain is average, and I’d like to stay closer to the smaller end of that spectrum), though I’m certainly not denying myself any cravings.
It’s funny how much pregnancy can highlight body insecurities if you let it. I suppose that could be a whole ‘nother post. I try to focus on being healthy and enjoying this time, but as a woman, it’s not the easiest thing to watch your waist-line expand so quickly…
Anna June 8, 2011, 5:37 pm
You look great, Wendy! I’m not pregnant and I don’t look that good! Plus you have that “glow” about you which I think is beautiful…looking forward to that part of my life someday.
SGMcG June 8, 2011, 1:53 pm
You have that nice new mommy glow working through you Wendy. That’s always attractive, no matter what. No matter what the gender, the baby needs to have a stuffed toy squirrel named Wendrew in it’s crib when it’s spending it’s first night back home from the hospital. 🙂
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 2:10 pm
YES!! I second this enthusiastically.
callmehobo June 8, 2011, 2:20 pm
Wendrew?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/75126625/little-squirrel-handmade-softie-gracie?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_query=squirrel&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_category=toys&ga_facet=
Rachelgrace53 June 8, 2011, 7:35 pm
YES.
SGMcG June 8, 2011, 11:56 pm
It’s cute, but the squirrel needs to be a RED squirrel like the hair of baby’s Mommy:
http://www.amazon.com/Douglas-Cuddle-Toys-3793-Squirrel/dp/B0026YA07G/?&tag=dearwecom-20&linkCode=wsw&
It also has the added benefit of being safe for 18 months and up.
bittergaymark June 8, 2011, 2:17 pm
I am VERY curious as to what Wendy suspects the sex is.
A little over a year ago, with my only sister… she and I were the only two people that guessed the sex of her baby-to-be correctly. It was kinda spooky. EVERYBODY else was simply beyond convinced that she and her husband would be raising a little girl. WRONG!
My sister says she somehow always, just knew. That when she found out she was pregnant she could just picture that she would have a son. She could just feel it.
As for me, I learned that I would be an uncle while I was galavanting around Thailand. I had only known the news for a little over 24 hours when I was wandering through the vast Sunday night outdoor market in Chiang Mai. It was an amazing scene. Golden temples glowed in the shadows cast by the paper lanterns lining the street stalls of amazing oriental goods and wares… There were loads upon loads of cute little Thai dresses for babies… Very feminine. Very, very cheap. Absurdly so. My friend Jennifer was like “You simply must to buy one for your sister!” Immediately as I started sifting through the teeny tiny silk gowns, I realized that this was a waste of time. “No, no. He won’t be able to wear this.” Suddenly, out of nowhere I just KNEW she was having a boy.
Now admittedly, I was kind of biased in that I was kind of –no definitely — hoping for a boy. My sister had already been pretty vocal about how this could be their one and only… Meaning this would be my only shot at getting a nephew! And, hey, I like all the little boy toys better. 😉 Legos…Star Wars… You name it. My sister, too, was also biased in that she has several nieces (husband’s side) and was secretly simply dreading all the princess crap that would undoubtedly be foisted on her by the princess obsessed in-laws…
Neither my sister or I discussed this until we met up in Arizona. We had spent the day with friend’s and family where EVERYBODY went on and on about how she was carrying a girl. All the “signs” were there and blah, blah, blah. Once the party was over, my sister and I went for a walk. “Okay, why is everybody so convinced it’s gonna be a girl?” she asked. “I’m not,” I sad flatly. “What?” “I’m not…” I then told her about my very strong gut feeling while shopping in Thailand and she laughed! “Me, too! A daughter? I simply don’t feel it!”
A few weeks later she learned the sex and the very first words she said when I answered my cell phone was — “WE WERE RIGHT!!!”
Wendy June 8, 2011, 2:32 pm
Aw, that’s a sweet story. I bet you and your sister are really close.
I do have a suspicion what our baby is, but I’m not a all feeling like I know with certainty. And that’s funny, because like ReginaRey, I always have gut feelings about friends and even celebrities who are pregnant and am often right. But with my own, it just hasn’t felt totally clear.
ReginaRey June 8, 2011, 3:19 pm
I really wonder what that gut feeling IS. I get it so often with pregnant people…I just KNOW that it has to be one or the other, to the point that it’s ridiculous to imagine them having the opposite. Interesting to know that you and Mark have experienced that feeling as well. And even more interesting that you don’t have any certainty with your own…makes the anticipation even better! 🙂
WatersEdge June 8, 2011, 4:41 pm
My mom is a little bit psychic. She knows when people are pregnant before they announce it, and a few times even before they knew it themselves! She even asked my one cousin if she was pregnant, but she had just miscarried. 🙁 Spooky.
CJ June 9, 2011, 12:05 am
My mom has predicted everyone one of my stepmom’s pregnancies. Every single time. The last one she and I had a big argument about it and I was like “Ma, they only want 2, the girls are 5 and 8, she’s not having another one.”
When I came home a few weeks later and said “G-d damn it, woman, you were right!” she instantly knew what I meant.
Addie Pray June 8, 2011, 2:35 pm
You look great, Wendy! And I am going to pretend to be a pyschic here and say: you’re definitely having a girl and you’re going to name her Norah. I can see it. (If this happens, everyone remember this post so I can brag about it.)
Skybird June 8, 2011, 3:18 pm
Are you craving foods yet? I seriously craved protein when I was pregnant with my son. I don’t know about cravings with a daughter, as I don’t have one and was in my late 30s with my son, so no more kids in the future for me. I also carried all up front, as did a friend of mine who also had a boy. The only part of me that looked pregnant was my belly, so when you get a little further along, I’ve heard that when pregnant with girls, many women are pregnant ALL OVER (face, bust, butt, legs, ankles, etc.). ENJOY this time of your life, Wendy! I am so thrilled for you and Drew! Take care of yourself, drink plenty of water, and if you’re like me and craving ONLY ice cream for the last 3 weeks of your pregnancy, so be it.
dobby June 8, 2011, 3:45 pm
I voted for Squirrel and I’m sticking by my vote! 🙂
(I love the movie ‘Up!’ Doug is 100% just like my big goofy dog. Don’t know if that was your inspiration but from the day I saw that movie, I knew the word Squirrel would never be the same.)
Painted_lady June 8, 2011, 4:23 pm
Hahaha! My goofy wondermutt reminds me of Dug the same way. We have definite “Squirrel!” moments in the backyard.
Also, I live close to the coast and work just a few blocks from the beach. After “Finding Nemo” the seagulls never sounded the same, either.
WatersEdge June 8, 2011, 4:42 pm
minemine, mine, mineminemine
niki June 8, 2011, 3:57 pm
I’m currently 12 wks and my mom and sister-in-law are convinced I’m having a girl because the baby’s heartbeat is pretty rapid (168 bpm). The reearch I’ve done says that it’s just an old wive’s tale, but my mom swears by it. I wonder if anyone else out there has heard about this?
melikeycheesecake June 8, 2011, 4:06 pm
Yep I have.. and the ole heartbeat speed has proven correct with both my brother’s children.
Skyblossom June 8, 2011, 6:30 pm
It was wrong with my son.
kali June 8, 2011, 11:08 pm
I’ve heard this one too and it didn’t work with EITHER of my girls. Also my doctor was famous for predicting sex correctly (this was back before the days where everyone got ultrasounds) and he was wrong on both my girls!! But I was right. 🙂
Emsz June 8, 2011, 5:47 pm
When my mum was pregnant with my brother and sister (twins) you could look at her from behind, and then she would turn, and you’d be shocked because she was so HUGE.
She told me this the other day (I was two when she was pregnant) and I just couldn’t believe it, because I’ve seen pictures of her belly from the side. It was ENORMOUS.
RoyalEagle0408 June 8, 2011, 11:08 pm
Based on how you’re carrying and what you’ve said, it’s definitely a squirrel.
AKchic June 8, 2011, 11:10 pm
The general rule of thumb is:
Carrying high and in the front – boy. This means that for the most part, the bulge is high hips (or even above the hips) and people can’t tell you’re even gaining weight when they look at you from behind. If your boobs can rest on your stomach kinda thing. *laugh* With my chest, I was able to rest my water bottles between my boobs and use the stomach as a shelf – completely topless.
With a girl, supposedly (from everything I’ve seen, as I have never carried a female child past 20 weeks before) they sit lower in the hips and the weight sits both in the lower front and to the sides as well.
Either way – good luck 🙂
MsMisery June 9, 2011, 10:46 am
Whenever people very close to me (good friends, family) are pregnant with girls, I have a dream that they are smoking cigarettes. I don’t have any dreams if it is a boy. This has happened 4 times (only one of the aforementioned mothers was a smoker and she quit during her pregnancy). I have no idea what the correlation is.
Another thing I have noticed (from friends and thousands of pregnant coworkers) is girl babies tend to be shy during the untrasound. So Wendy, if your baby is crossing her legs and you can’t get a clear picture, you might just be having a girl.