Old Wives Tales

Moms have always been curious about the sex of the child they are carrying. In the days before ultra sounds were available, women used all kinds of weird and wonderful methods of defining the sex of their child. Here are a few Old Wives’ Tales…

“If you carry the baby out front then you will have a boy. If others can tell that you are pregnant when looking at you from behind, then you will have a girl.” According to the mirror, my back side looks the same.

“Have the mum-to-be pick up a key. If she picks it up by the round end, it will be a boy. If she picks it up by the long end, it will be a girl. Should she pick it up at the middle, twins are on the way.” Ok that is a little ridiculous; of course, I am going to pick it up by the head so that I can use it. But if I had known that picking it up in the middle meant twins then I would have picked it up differently.

“If the mother's age at conception and the year of conception are both even or both odd, the baby is a girl. If one is even and one is odd, the baby is a boy.” When baby E was conceived in June of 2008, I was 28.

“Hang a gold pendant (preferably one the mother wears often) over the palm of the mother’s hand. If the pendant moves in a circular motion, it will be a girl. If it swings back and forth, a boy is on the way.” My gold necklace made a circle then started swinging back and forth.

“If you suffer from acne during pregnancy, you will have a girl.” I have always had pretty faultless skin until July. Since then my skin has been blotchy and red with a few bumps, but nothing too hideous.

“What side does the mum-to-be lay on while she's resting? If she lies on her left, it's a boy; on her right, it's a girl.” I sleep on both sides. I am a bed hog!

“If young boys (pre-school age) show interest in you while you're pregnant, it will be a girl. If they ignore you, expect a boy.” Small children love me that’s just the way it has always been.

“Ask the mom-to-be to show you her hands. If she shows them palms up, it's a girl; palms down, a boy.” Palm up.

“If you dream of girls, you will have a boy. If you dream of boys, you will have a girl.” I dream of both.

“If the baby is very active, you're having a boy.” Our baby likes to dance around or kick the ultra sound machine.

“If you're craving sweets, you're having a girl. If you're craving salt, you're having a boy.” I love food and I have a little bit of an obsessive personality so any time I get something yummy in my mind I have to have it or I am not satisfied. In general, I crave potatoes of any kind which are not normally part of my diet. I also crave ice cream on a daily basis…but then again I have craved ice cream since the time I could lift a spoon to my mouth.

“A heart rate of less than 140 beats per minute means that you're having a boy, while a heart rate of over 140 beats per minutes means that you're having a girl.” At our eight week appointment, baby E had a heart beat of 165. At twelve weeks, it was at 156. At our last appoint around 16 weeks, the baby’s heart rate was 145. It kind of freaked me out until my doctor said that was normal. She also said that boys tend to have slower heart rates than girls.

So what so you think…will it be a boy or a girl? Only time will tell...lucky for us we only have to wait a few more days. In the mean time, make your predictions on the sex of our child by voting in our poll. Tune in Friday to find out if you were right!

How Do You Know When It’s Time To Remodel?

It was about 2 a.m. …We were jolted awake by the most horrific banging crashing noise that seemed to last an eternity. My first thought was Earthquake. While this may seem like a ridiculous thought to some, we did indeed have a small earth quake last spring. Once I realized the immediate danger was over, I volunteered Ted to go check it out. What Ted found was that after six years the three-tier shelf hanging on the bathroom wall had decided to commit suicide. The noise that we had heard was the shelf giving up, sliding down the wall, hitting the top of the toilet, dumping shells and candles everywhere, and striking the other wall before clasping in the floor. The next morning I found a small hole & crack was made in the toilet bowl. The shelf’s final message… “It is time to remodel – NOW!” We called our wonderfully talented friend Michael who runs M&M Painting. Lucky for us, he happens to paint & REMODEL! So we packed our bags and moved in with my folks for a week while Michael’s talented team moved in for the demo/reconstruction. The results were more fabulous then we could have ever imagined. It looks absolutely amazing. The pictures do not begin to show you the amazing transformation(When Ted bought the house in '01...the bathroom was pink...the tile paint he used was pealing off and discolored). If your house is ever demanding to be remodeled, let us know. We can recommend one of the most talented guys in the business!
Before

After

What Happen to My Brain?

Picture this...It's a sunny afternoon; a beautiful day to do some causal shopping. For twenty minutes or so I stroll down the isles of BabiesR'Us dreaming of the cute, fun little things that our baby might need or that mommy can't resist. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot this adorable bib that I decided a can't live without. Take it up to the register and proceed to my car. As I am driving out of the parking lot, I realize that I don't know what I did with keys. Quickly I grab my bag and begin checking the usual places. But they weren't there. My first thought is "Crap that is what I get for up sizing bags. I can't find anything. That's why no one should buy a bag bigger than their hand." Then I quickly get back to the problem at hand...looking for my keys. I begin to really fret thinking of having to hunt all over the store for my keys. I must of picked up a hundred different items in which at any point I could have put down my keys. In a panic, I pull over the car wondering how I am ever going to get home if I can't find my keys. At this point, I can only imagine Ted's reaction when I have to call him out of praise team practice to come get me on the other side of town in rush hour. After all, how am I suppose to get home if I don't have my key chain with my house key and my car key. Yes, it was then that the light bulb went off...I was driving my car...My keys weren't lost. They were exactly where they were suppose to be in my ignition. So I sat their for minute as I let my heart rate calm down wondering what happened to my brain? I guess I call it pregnancy brain, but as Ted says it's only a temporary excuse for an already frequent problem!

We're sick!

Some prayers would be great right now! Shana is at home(takin' a sick day) with strep throat. I am feelin' pretty cruddy myself(and not taking a sick day...normal for me). I'm wondering if I should have my tonsils removed??? It seems that every time I go to the doctor for sinus/throat stuff...they say, "WOW YOUR TONSILS LOOK TERRIBLE!" Always fun to hear. However, they have never suggested that they be removed? Wonder why?? I know it is harder on an adult, but if it would help me from getting sick every other week....it seems worth it? Who knows?!?

Anyways...pray for us to get better soon. Baby doesn't seem to like Shana's antibiotics.

2 WEEKS TILL WE KNOW

BOY or GIRL

October 16th we'll find out if we will be having a little Ted Jr. or a Teddwina(I'm totally kidding about the names!!). People keep asking...."NO...BE HONEST...WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT??" I can tell you with all honesty....I'd be thrilled with either!

On the Grandma front....OH MY GOSH?!?!?!?! This being the first grandchild for both sides....you can imagine it is a very exciting time for Grandma & Grandpa Lankford and Grandma Edinger!!!! Shana's mom bought a shirt or onesy for the baby that says "WHAT HAPPENS AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE...STAYS AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE!". That pretty much sums it all up! ha ha The last time I talked to my mom she was asking about when we would know if the baby was a boy or girl...BECAUSE: " I CAN'T WAIT TO START BUYING STUFF FOR THE BABY!!!!! "

This little one is going to have a lot of love...and want for nothing over the next few years!!!!! We might want for some storage space though!!!

A Trip Through the Produce Section

What does a poppy seed, half a peanut, blueberry, olive, raspberry, prune, plumb, and a peach have to do with our latest & long awaited blog? They are the sizes our baby has been over the past few months!!! Most of you know by now that we are expecting our little blessing this March(or maybe not so little...is the 9 month fruit a watermelon?). With school starting....grad school starting(Ted).....our bathroom remodel(pictures & blog coming soon)...and waiting for the right pictures.....this post has been a long time coming! The picture below is our little one at about 3 months waving hello to us! I...being a big dork...waved back at the screen. It just took me by surprise. It was like our baby was goin'..."Hey there mom & dad!!!" Seeing those five little fingers blew me away!

Baby E had his/her little hand resting on it's check. So sweet!! The doctor commented on the fact that the baby is bigger than it's actual age(Shana looked at me). Then the doctor commented on how the baby's mouth was moving the whole time(Shana looked at me again). Then the baby waved at us....and Shana looked at me and commented to the doctor on how the baby was extroverted & friendly...just like daddy! Though...I do want to point out that Shana was a big baby too(we were both 9 lbs)......and she has no problem carrying on a conversation!!! ha ha I'm sure our baby will be a fun blend of us both...and have special characteristics that are all their own!!! We will find out Oct. 16th if Baby E is a Boy or Girl! HOW EXCITING!!!! We don't care one way or the other...we're just excited that the Lord has blessed us with a little one to love!! We're happy we are finally able to share our news with our blog friends!!

Where Does the Time Go?

Wow, I can not believe it is September already?! Where does the time go? I heard that time seems to go faster the older you get, and I would say that is true. I remember as a child how long it took for hours, days, and months to arrive. Now it seems that I blink and a year has passed by. Maybe that's because we get busier as we age? When we were kids...all we had was time. When you're an adult...all you have is work, meetings, time with family, mowing the yard, trying to squeeze in some down time(when you have to schedule down time...life is too busy!)...etc. I'm not complaining, I love the life the Lord has blessed me with!!! I love my wife, my friends, my job, grad school(as of right now), and all the adventures that come my way. If I had nothing to do I'd be bored out of my mind and complaining about that!! ha ha

When it is all said & done, we are all given the same amount of time in a day. How we use it is about all we have control over. We can't make it go slower or faster, but we can use it wiser! I want to be wise with the time God has given me. I want to be able to love more in the time that I am given. I want to laugh more with each day I am blessed with. I want to live the life God has given me for His glory.