Why We're Waiting & Old Wives' Tales

As some of you may know, Aaron and I have decided to not find out the gender of Baby Echols. My apologies now for referring to Baby Echols in this blog or in person, as any (and all) of the following: him/her, Baby E, E-baby, muffin, little one, Scout's brother or sister (just kidding), alien, etc...ok, not alien, although I may or may not have been known to say that in the past...

We know that this is a little bit crazy, especially depending on your audience. So far, it's been a mixed reaction. Our parents are thrilled, mostly because they didn't have the option to find out when our moms were pregnant. Many of our friends are really excited about this surprise and many are, well, confused.

Before you go thinking Aaron and I are in fact NOT planners and somewhat type-A, we have thought about this and have talked a lot about it. I have always wanted this to be a surprise and, well, Aaron is a good sport and supportive husband. I was going to go into a list of pros and cons but apparently, babycenter.com beat me to it. In my 14 week email this morning, they talked about just this topic! Read on:

Decision Guide: Should you find out the sex of your baby?

Boy, girl — or big surprise? Sixty-four percent of mothers-to-be in a BabyCenter poll said they wanted to find out the sex of their baby ahead of time, while the rest preferred to wait. "We decided that the surprise of 'it's a boy!' or 'it's a girl!' is the same surprise at 5 months as it is at the birth," said Jessica. Michael disagreed: "I think the old-fashioned way is the best. Finding out before birth is like opening your Christmas presents before Christmas!" If you're still on the fence, here's a look at the pros and cons of each side. A word of caution: If you want to keep your baby's sex a secret, let your provider and the ultrasound technician know right away so they don't inadvertently blurt it out in the middle of an ultrasound exam or while reviewing your test results.

Benefits of finding out:
-Many women say they feel a deeper bond with the baby once they know the sex and can picture a little boy or girl.
-You can prepare an older sibling for the arrival of a new little brother or sister.
-You can narrow down your list of baby names.
-You can pick out a gender-specific nursery theme or baby clothes, if you want to.

Benefits of waiting:
-You, your partner, and your family will have a delightful surprise on the day you give birth.
-Your desire to know whether your baby is a boy or a girl might motivate you during the toughest parts of labor.
-You'll be following in the tradition of your parents, your parents' parents, and so on.
-There will be no mistakes — what you see is what you get!

These pros/cons are right on with the discussions that Aaron and I have had. Honestly, the one about motivating you during the toughest parts of labor is huge for me. We have some great friends who have waited with both of their babies (both girls) and I'll never forget what Jenny told me when I asked her about it. She said one of the best moments of her life thus far was hearing her husband Matt say "It's a girl!!!" My pregnant self could cry right now just thinking about it.

Of course, it would be more convenient to know ahead of time. The nursery could be done and ready, the list of potential names could be cut in half, we wouldn't have to see a shred of yellow--or orange--or green. But, we just feel like there are very few surprises in life and even fewer that you get to experience simultaneously with the one you love. Getting engaged was quite a surprise but only for me!

So, with waiting comes all the guessing. And we're really getting a kick out of the old wives' tales (OWT). Hopefully, all of the guessing won't wear us out from now until August, haha! Here's what we've heard (or experienced) so far. If there are some other "tests" out there, I'd love to hear 'em!

-Very early on, I just had the feeling that Baby E was a girl. Mother's intuition?
-At about week 8, I had a dream that our baby was a girl.
-A few weeks ago, Aaron had a dream that he was on bathroom duty for a little boy.
-I have had zero morning sickness and have felt pretty darn great so far = boy (OWT)
-I have craved salty foods almost exclusively = boy (OWT).
-Baby's heartbeat has been 167bpm and 160 bpm so far = girl (OWT).

So, what's your guess? Don't forget to vote in our little blog poll on the right!