Tuesday, October 24, 2006

31 weeks and still no names

We're still trying to come up with names, and I seem to have a roadblock when it comes to a girl's name. We have a boy's name in mind, actually a couple of them, but even though I've always thought that girls' names are a bit easier, I can't seem to come up with even one that I love! Josh is no help either, he just gives non-committal answers, and his suggestions are atrocious. I would tell you what they are, but I don't want to offend anyone, just in case.

In the meantime, though, we love to make guesses as to what sex this baby is. My only indication is that I can't think of a girl's name- we take this as some sort of proof that perhaps this baby is a boy. Then again, my mom was convinced that I was a boy. In fact, her pregnancy journal is often dedicated to "Eric", and she mentions regularly how much she loves her son-to-be. They were so surprised at my birth, they thought about naming me Erica because they couldn't possibly think of any other names! So you never know, I guess.

How about some guesses from all of you? These are the hints we've received up until now.

1. Chinese Calendar says girl, based on my date of birth and baby's date of conception.

2. I'm carrying flat and wide and low (and apparently my butt and thighs are bigger, as told to me by an acquaintance- gee, thanks).

3. I crave:
protein
spicy foods
apples
sweets
milk
peanut butter
I normally dislike sweets, but now I can't get enough. I also can't get enough spicy foods- especially buffalo sauce. I even ate it on a salad the other day!!! EW!

4. My skin is the clearest it has been in my entire life.

5. I've been told by a few people that I'm prettier pregnant than in real life (also another gee, thanks, moment).

6. I'm sleeping pretty well, and can still sleep on my back.

7. My boobs are bigger and higher than before, but still the same bra size.

8. The baby's heartbeat used to be high 150s, then high 140s, and this last appointment was high 130s.

9. I've only had one dream about this baby, the month before I got pregnant, and it was a boy.

10. Don't forget, the psychic said it was a boy!

So? Any predictions? Any old wives' tales that I'm missing? And if you'd like to throw some names into the mix, I'd appreciate it also!

24 comments:

Girl said...

All I know is if you see a turtle it's a boy. Other than that, your odds of guessing are 50/50 :)

Anonymous said...

Hmm. The only old wives tale I know is that if you carry high, it's a boy; low, a girl. So, based on #2, I'd say "girl."

And it seemed to me that I carried Matt up under my chin, so the old wives tale proved true in my case.

A turtle?! I've never heard that one!

Montreal Mama said...

Even if you don't have set names before the baby is born, you will know what your child's name is when you first look at him/her. :) We have a set name for our son, but what if I look at him, and he doesn't look like the name we chose? LOL

Butterflyfish said...

Boy.

My sister told me that 'girls steal your beauty.' I was a hot looking pregnant woman (boy) and my pregnant sister looks... uh, a little worse for pregnancy wear, and has her whole pregnancy (girl due in Nov.)

Piece of Work said...

Boy. I totally adhere to the dream theory.
And oddly enough, the only old wives tale I heard was that if you carry low, you have a boy--and I did--with both my daughter and my son!

I love all the guessing, that was one of my favorite parts of pregnancy (and there weren't many--favorite parts, I mean)

Anonymous said...

I had names picked out both times and the second time the name was so totally wrong for the child that we ended up changing our minds on the spot. Sometimes you have to sort of say, I like this, this, and this and then see what the baby looks and feels like to you.

Phantom Scribbler said...

I have no guesses. I just wanted to register that I have just died of jealousy over your clear skin and same bra size!

Anonymous said...

I think it's a puppy!

Anonymous said...

Since I am CLEARLY an expert on this stuff, I say Boy.

Here's why I think so:

Sweetie and I could ONLY agree on a girl's name when I was pregnant with Lady. This time? We could only fall in love with a boy's name. Ah ha.

I carried both Lady and Little Mister (so far) the same way, apparently like a boy. Frankly? I am carrying the same way my Mom carried both us girls, so you can't tell anything by the way you are carrying.

(And NO, your butt and hips are not big, I have seen you in person so I know. And WHO said that to you?)

I craved savory with Lady (apparently that's a boy thing) and am craving sweet with Little Mister (of course, a girl thing).

And the kicker? Chinese gender predictor predicted Boy for Lady and Girl for Little Mister.

You, my friend, are having a boy.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I forgot to mention, like Angry Pregnant Lawyer, I had one dream during each pregnancy (well, so far only one with Little Mister) and with Lady's dream I could see my little girl clear as day, and with Little Mister? Could see him clear as day as well. I believe I even called them both by name in their dreams, I know I definitely did in Little Mister's dream.

BOY.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I really have no clue, but a couple of signs to me point to a girl: the fact that you have not agreed on a girl's name, the way you are carrying the pregnancy weight, and the Chinese birth chart. I had the same three things in my first pregnancy, and ended up with a girl. (and some of the same in the second as well -- another girl.)

Liz Miller said...

Boy.

1. Your dream.

2. The name. We couldn't decide on a girl's name and Muffin Man's name practically picked itself.

But just in case it's not a boy, what about the name of your favorite author(ess)? Or the name of a favorite character in a book?

Anonymous said...

The only thing I can say is that when hubs and I were looking for names we found the girl name we wanted RIGHT AWAY, but we couldn't decide easily on a boy's name and - according to the 20 week ultrasound - there is a baby girl in my belly. I'll let you know for sure within the next 10 days (or so) if she is indeed a girl, but I'm guessing boy purely because you can't think of any girl names.

Also? I played the Sims when I was first pregnant, and made a family including my husband and I (with our real names given to the characters) and I made them have a baby, and it was a girl - so you need to play the Sims, because that is truly the only way to tell lol.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with APL. If you've dreamed it's a boy, then it's a boy. My mom and I both had dreams when I was pregnant with my first that it was a boy and we were right.

Neither one of our children were named until we were practically leaving the hospital. I had a hard time giving them a name until I spent some time with them to see what they were like. It worked for us:-)

ccw said...

I have thought all along it was a boy. I have no idea why.

I dreamed that Kid L was a girl and Nonami was a boy. I never had one of those dreams with NSBH.

Knit Wit said...

The chiense lunar calendar was right for us the first time and right this time. We did find out the sex of this baby. It has also been right for almost everyone we know.

I dreamed with my first that she was a boy. We got a big surprise when she was born. Dreams aren't always accurate or the motherly intution as I thought for sure she was a boy.

We are stumped on names too. Boy names are always easier for us to choose. My husband, Josh, has picked a name that his loves for this one but I am not grovin on it just yet.

Good Luck!!!

Anonymous said...

I vote for girl. When I was pregnant with both of the boys, I craved carbs-pancakes, chocolate chip cookies. With Kaitlyn, I craved protein big time, and spicy food.

I came up with her name by combining some family middle names. Maybe that would work for you?

Kimba said...

well, if I believed most of the old wives tales I've read, then my ultrasound would be waaaay wrong! With my first (now 12 yrs old) I saw her in a dream and we never did have a boy's name picked out. With the one I'm carrying right now, I just knew all along he is a boy, had a dream too, and the ultrasounds say so as well! Oh, and we had a girl's name, but could never decided on a middle name...going with those instincts, I'd say a boy.

As for names...I suggest thinking about names of people you know or through history or in literature who have those qualities you want your child to possess.

Crunchy Domestic Goddess said...

i vote for boy, but either way, i can't wait for you to find out when the little one makes his/her grand entrance. :) not too much longer!

Anonymous said...

I have heard clear skin = boy, bad skin = girl.

Also, we had a much easier time picking the name we gave Snuggly Girl than coming up with a good boy's name. So since you've got a boy's name ready, and great skin, I vote boy.

On the other hand, we weren't so motivated on the boy's name because the ultrasound tech said it was "probably a girl." Our OB said "Probably? What was she talking about? They don't get those wrong very often.

My one piece of solid name advice: Don't tell anyone what you choose. Anyone! They can't complain (to your face) after the deed is done. I knew my mom would be meddlesome, so I made that rule. A work friend, despite my advice, told her parents her boy and girl names, and they *hated* her girl name. Luckily she had a boy.

Anonymous said...

THIS is why it's so fun not to find out. We spent ages doing all those tests and deciding whether my hair was growing more or less, etc.

Of course, I had all boys!

I named all my boys after grandfathers. Do you like any of your grandmothers and/or their names?

Anonymous said...

Since you asked for some girl name suggestions, here are some of my favorites:

Maia
Juliana / Julia
Celia / Cecelia
Jane (as in Austen)
Josephine nn Josy or Josie
Miranda
Lucy (or Lucie or Lucia nn Lucy)
Ilana
Genevieve :) (not my real name so I can put it here)
Madeleine (as in L'Engle)

Leslie M-B said...

Do you have the book Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana? I found it helpful in narrowing down names. We had a girl's name picked out, but then found out we were having a boy. Isn't that always the way?

OneTiredEma said...

Heh, I was supposed to be Eric too!

I carried Miss M and AM exactly the same way; had very similar symptoms with both. (A precise mimic of my mom with me and my brother.) Chinese gender chart, which was right for, dh, and others we plugged into it as "controls" was WRONG for both kids.

With Miss M I had no inkling, but with AM I "knew" he was a boy from 8 weeks. I'd go with any instincts/dreams. So my guess is a boy.

As far as the name thing, though, we didn't decide until AM was almost born, and we'd had 20 weeks to think about it. We even picked his English name (just for legal purposes) in the hospital.