It's a Girl

So we were lucky enough to have baby in a good position for our ultrasound on Tuesday and to find out that baby definitely looks like a girl. Grand-daughter #8 for the Lockie's!

Although a boy would have been a welcome change, we are very excited for another girl. Shopping for baby thing is so much better when you know the gender of the baby. I've already been and bought several pink things I'd been eying but putting off until we knew the sex of the baby.

What if baby wasn't in a good position for the ultrasound? Well, there's all those old wives tales I mentioned in the last post but unfortunately they are not very accurate (about 80% of those were saying we were having a boy). Just today I found an interesting product called IntelliGender which uses a urine sample to predict the sex of your baby.
I thought it was pretty cool and looked at the website http://www.boyorgirl.com.au/ to find out more. According to the website, this test is 90% accurate and works by testing levels of certain hormones produced when mum depending on if babe is a boy or girl. Sounds pretty good so far. Unfortunately, the price tag seemed a bit silly to me $95 Australian dollars plus shipping (or I could purchase it locally for $139 NZD). Perhaps my thinking about the price would be different if I was one of the 25% of of people whose baby was not in a good position to see the gender on the 20 week scan...

Gender Bender

So, what'll it be? Boy or Girl? Girl or Boy?
Some parents wait until their due date to find out but I am that kind of really curious person who would peek at Christmas presents if I thought I wouldn't get caught!
Today is the day of our 20 week scan. Both my husband and I are hoping to find out the sex of our baby. Not that it matters mind you... I suppose we're hoping for a boy but only because of all the girls born in the family already (7 girls and no boys in the youngest generation so far).
There are a number of less scientific methods of predicting the sex of your baby. Are you hairy? It's a boy! Is the bump low? It's a boy! Is the bump high and visible from the back? It's a girl! Does your wedding ring swing like a pendulum over your stomach when suspended from a strand of your hair? It's a boy. Does your wedding ring move in a circle over your stomach when suspended from a strand of your hair? It's a girl. Is the fetal heart rate over 140? It's a girl. Do you crave cheese and meat? Boy. Do you crave sweets? Girl. Is your right breast bigger than your left? Boy! There are also various online quizzes which will tell you - mine have said boy. And last but not least if the year you conceived in and the age which you conceived at are both odd numbers then it's a girl.
It's all very confusing really so I'm really looking forward to something scientific today! Is it a boy? We'll see but we won't be disappointed either way.

Dressing for Two

At 19 weeks pregnant I’m definitely showing. I suppose I’ve been showing for several weeks now and indeed, I’ve been noticing changes in how my clothes fit since about week 11. I’m at the point now where my regular pants don’t do up and most of my shirts are too short, so I’ve really had to make an effort to tackle this belly issue.
I’ve looked around at brick and mortar stores, online stores, and online auction sites and have felt mainly disenfranchised. Much of the maternity wear doesn’t really fit my style first off, and then there’s the issue of cost. I’m not one to normally spend heaps on clothing (well, not lately anyway) so it seems extravagant to me to spend $100s on articles of clothing I may wear only a handful of times in the next several months.
I have managed to pick up several items and am coping for the moment. I’ve purchased jeans and work pants from a maternity shop, several nice shirts from a regular shop (but they are long and stretchy and will do for some time), and jeans and maternity lingerie online. I’ve also been very lucky to receive some hand-me-downs from a family friend; even though several of the items are still too big, I’ve got a long way to grow!
I intend to stick to my regular style, which is slightly alternative, throughout my pregnancy so I know I will have to continue to look carefully for pieces that suit my style and my changing figure. I may even have a go at making or modifying some clothes to my specifications. I’ll keep you updated :)

PS - If anyone knows of a great looking dress up or down style of maternity pant that won't threaten to fall down at every step without wearing a belt let me know!

Sun damage is like pregnancy...

I was surfing over at Brooke Burke's website ModernMom and this quote caught my eye:

Sun Damage is like Pregnancy. The only true form of prevention is abstinence. And just like sex, it is unlikely we will stay away from the sun.

Too right! And very funny. If you'd like to read the entire article, it's here.

Would you eat one?

I recently came across a picture of a minature baby claiming the baby was made from marzipan. Marzipan sculptures are meant to be edible but eating a realistic looking baby didn't seem very palatable to me. Would you eat one?

After some more searching, I found out the sculputres are not made from marzipan at all, but from polymer clay and mohair. Thanks Snopes.

Mother's Day Redux

So today is actually Mother's Day for the Northern Hemisphere. Thought I'd share a little list of the best and worst celebrity mothers, and the celebs we'd most like to leave our kids with that were compiled based on a survey of American moms (sorry, I'm not sure of the initial source - I heard this on the radio this morning).

American Mothers said they would be most comfortable leaving their children with celeb couple Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi. Second would be Jennifer Aniston, who surprisingly beat out Bradgelia (in 3rd place). Oprah was voted 4th best celeb to leave your kids with (maybe because of all the free stuff they could get?).

The BEST celeb moms:
1. Jennifer Garner
2. Michelle Obama
3. Reece Witherspoon
4. Angelia Jolie

The WORST celeb moms:
1. Courtney Love
2. Dina Lohan
3. Britney Spears

I'm a relatively frequent follower of celebrity "news" and thought this was funny and worth passing on. Anyone they left out? I might pick on "reality celeb" Ocotomom Nadya Suleman, but maybe that's because I just don't understand her...

Happy Mother's Day

Today is 10th May, Mother's Day. We will be celebrating by visiting my husband's parents for Sunday lunch. Sounds good to me.
Yesterday I had a nice day meeting up with a friend who recently, and unexpectedly, told me she's also expecting. She hadn't been planning on a baby, indeed she had been planning a 6 month trip to Europe instead. Things have changed substantially for her with her news but she seems happy and like she's adjusting to it well. We had a nice brunch and then went on the prowl for maternity clothing and for a browse at baby stuff. Each of us got 1-2 new tops and I bought some baby socks and booties as well as a onesie.
I hope all mother's out there are having a fabulous day today and that they end up spoiled by those who love them this Mother's Day. Which reminds me...Mom, if you're reading this, I haven't forgotten you, I'm just running late ;)

What would you do if...YOUR BABY CHOKES??

Today while driving in Hamilton, I saw some advertising outside of the Red Cross for their first aid courses. The first line said "What would you do if..." and the second line said in all capital letters "your baby chokes??" Now, it's true that if your baby chokes, you should have an idea of what to do however I disagree with this type of advertising. This type of advertising is basically fear-mongering. Playing on people's emotions to try and get them to sign up for a first aid class is the wrong thing to do. Sure, they will learn techniques that can help them in situations such as if their baby were to choke, but unfortunately there will still be times when even a first aid trained individual, and indeed ambulance drivers, nurses and doctors will not be able to save someone.
As a provider of first aid education, I do know how important and effective the manouvers for basic life support you learn on first aid courses can be. Unfortunately, not everyone has the means or inclination to attend an 8-16 hour course. Lucky for all of us with an internet connection, YOUTUBE is full of valuable resources such as this video which shows basic techniques you can use to help an infant under 1 year old who is choking.

Baby Booty

I must be nesting. I spend my time online looking for next little thing we might need for the baby. At 17 weeks, these issues are hardly pressing but I'm a woman obsessed. Lucky for me, my husband's family have been very forthcoming with gently used items for the baby. Our sister in law has furnished us with a giant bag of soft toys and rattles, a wooden changing table, a brand new baby backpack thing (for hubs), and a gorgeous simple bassinet.
Today I'm trawling trademe for baby bargains on shoes and "nature baby" branded items.
Looks like I've scored these sweet checkerboard baby slippers for just $1 plus shipping:
I'm also on the look out for maternity wear. I've got a belly on me already and it's making dressing, especially for work, hard. I ordered a pair of maternity jeans on 19 April but they've not yet arrived. The lady I ordered them from said she would track them late last week but I've not heard back from her yet.
Ordering clothing has never been something I've been very comfortable or happy with but the styles offered online seem much preferable to those offered in the selection of stores I've been to. Out of desperation, I bought a pair of straight leg Pumpkin Patch pants with a stretchy band attached that goes up behind the waistband and although they are comfortable and don't look too bad, the waistband that is meant to make the pants look "normal" is a bit too big and folds down at times...yes, I should wear a belt but I don't have any that fit me at the moment that will go through the beltloops. I generally love shopping and trying clothes on in stores but have quickly got over that lately with the dissatisfaction I've felt with the maternity things I've tried on lately. I could use some advice on where to shop and even an extra set of eyes to help me spot things that will look good and last me through to October.

Busy Week

I read a few blogs and most of them are updated daily on weekdays, and sometimes even on the weekend. A couple of the bloggers I follow don't have regular day jobs and devote much of their time to writing their blogs, running their household, and other creative endeavors. How I would love to do just that... Unfortunately, I have a full time day job, a husband whom I love to please, a young child 3 days a week, and other various, albeit small, commitments. I thought doing a daily blog would be an easy thing to do but I'm finding out how much effort all of those wonderful bloggers put into each post solely for the entertainment of others (and perhaps for their own creative outlet, etc).
This week has been rather demanding for me. Several vaccination clinics at different sites daily plus working on immigration papers, trying to sort out a matter with a foreign organization, a midwife appointment, and arranging other upcoming appointments.
The midwife appointment was good and the woman we saw very thorough. She answered most of the questions on my list before I even had to remember them. She will be our LMC and we will meet her back up person in time. It's relieved a bit of stress to have this taken care of and the next appointment with her as well as the next ultrasound scan booked.
Now onto the next thing, dinner with hubs.