It's a...

As soon as I started telling people I was pregnant, some started to weigh in on what they thought I was having.  Each would use a wives' tale to determine the answer to the most commonly asked question while pregnant.  Some knew what I was having simply by asking whether or not I craved sweets or was sick.  Others were a bit extreme like when my office manager did some sort of  seemingly voodoo trick by using a strand of her hair threaded through her wedding ring which she held over my wrist to determine that I was having a boy. 

All these wives' tales got me to thinking.  What if I went through each of the tales and figured out what I was having.  Certainly by doing multiple "tests" I would be able to determine the gender...

 

(1) Pregnancy Cravings

Crave sweets = girl
Crave salty foods = boy


I don't feel like I've had any cravings given that I haven't had any moments where I've told Shane he needs to go to the store and get "X."  I've always loved sweets and that continued right on the same track with the pregnancy.
Result: Girl

 

 

 

(2) Chinese Calendar

This states that the gender of your baby is determined by the age of the mother and the month of conception.  Easy enough.  Based on the calendar below, I'm having a boy.  (Age:27, Month of Conception: June)

 ...But wait, this calendar show that I'm having a girl. 

I guess the Chinese Calendar is a wash.  

Result: hmmm...not sure.

 

(3) Baby's Heartbeat

If your baby's heartbeat is 140+ then you are having a girl.
If your baby's heartbeat is <140 a="a" are="are" boy.="boy." having="having" then="then" you="you">

Heartbeat of our baby = 160
Result: Girl

(4) Morning Sickness 

If you are sick during your pregnancy you are having a girl.
If you don't get sick, then it's a boy.
I haven't felt sick once.  I've had what I'm sure most would call an enviable pregnancy.
Result: Boy 

(5) Spots

If you break out while pregnant then you are having a girl because they steal their mother's beauty.  I've always had skin issues, but I've noticed an increase in breakouts.
Result: Girl

(6) Ring Pendulum

This is that voodoo thing I was talking about earlier. 

1. Attach the mom-to-be's wedding ring to a strand of the mom-to-be's hair
2. Have the mom lie on her back
3. Dangle the thread over the expectant mother's belly
4. Allow the string to move without interfering with the motion 

• If the ring moves in a back-and-forth motion pendulum motion, the test indicates that the baby is a girl.
• If the ring moves in a circular motion, the test indicates that the baby is a boy. 

When my office manager tried this at work with her hair and wedding band, it moved in a circular motion, indicating a boy.  However, since we didn't use my hair and ring at work I did this one again at home with the my own hair and ring. (We didn't want the results to be scewed based on  adding uncontrolled variables.)  At home it swung in a circular motion.
 Result: Boy

 

 

 

 

 

(7) Drano

I want to know who came up with this one.  It is OUT there.

Supplies Needed:

• Approximately 2 tablespoons of Crystal Drano
• Medium glass or glass jar.
• Two to Three ounces of urine, preferably the first morning urine.

Take the test materials outside. Add your urine to the glass jar with the crystal drano in it. There will be a rapid chemical reaction and it is best to stay well away from the glass jar while the fumes are being produced.
When the reaction stops, observe the color of the test.
If the mixture darkens to a brownish color within the first 10 seconds – It is a boy.
If there is no darkening or color change after 10 – 15 seconds – It is a girl.

I actually didn't do this one.  We didn't have drano and I did not want to go buy it just for this.
 Result: Unknown

(8) Mayan Prediction

The Mayans predicted the end of the world.  Why not the gender of my baby?
They deternine the sex of the baby by taking the mother's age at conception, and the year of conception. If both are even or both are odd, it's a girl. If one is even and one odd, it's a boy.

Conception year = 2012  
Mother's age at conception = 27
One is even, one is odd.
Result: Boy

Summary:  Out of the 8 tests we have 3 for a boy, 3 for a girl, one that is a wash, and one we didn't actually perform.  So I'm back right where I started.  Maybe I should have done that Drano test for a tie-breaker... 

Enough with the wives' tales though.  I want to know what I'm really having.  Baby was shy at 21 weeks so here I am, 25 weeks along, waiting to find out what I'm having.  And the absolute final result is...

...in this bag.  Oh the suspense!!!