It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a...... baby!

Something I’ve learned since being pregnant is that there are a LOT of baby experts in the world around us. Previously, I wouldn’t have suspected that the grocery store cashier (pick ANY grocery store), the barista at Starbucks, or the random customer at Wal Mart or Sams Club would know quite so much about babies and pregnancy, but it is in fact, quite true. We don’t need ultrasounds or tests to determine the gender of our baby, just ask anyone who has ever had a baby. I promise they will know.
It seems that almost every one of strangers I encounter knows more about the baby inside of me than I do – specifically whether it is a boy or a girl.
For the past couple of months, I have not been able to go out in public without being asked when my due date is and what am I having? Daneel’s favorite response is “a baby.” 
I don’t mind the questions at all. I enjoy the fact that so many people come up and talk to me. I just find the wealth of knowledge amusing.

Here are a few of the things I have heard:

Stranger: Are you having a boy or a girl?
Me: We don’t know, we’re going to be surprised.
Stranger: Did you have bad morning sickness?
Me: Yes
Stranger: Then you’re having a boy. I had 2 girls and didn’t have any morning sickness.

(Repeat first part of conversation)

Stranger 2: You’re having a girl. I had a boy and didn’t have any morning sickness.

Stranger 3: Well you’re carrying low, so you’re having a boy. I carried my girl up high.

Stranger 4: You’re carrying high, so you’re having a boy. I carried both of my girls low.

Stranger 5: Oh, you’re having a boy because you’re carrying out front.

Stranger 6: Do you crave sweet or sour foods?
Me: Food in general. But always sweet over sour.
Stranger 6: You’re having a girl. You’d be craving sour foods if you were having a boy.

Stranger 7: Have you had any abnormal hair growth on your face since you’ve been pregnant?
Me: HUH???
Stranger 7: If you have extra facial hair growth you’re having a boy, if not it’s a girl.
Please sign me up for girls if that one is true!

This was a funny one that happened at Sams Club. I was standing in line to buy a drink and the 70-something year old man in front of me asked me what I was having. I told him I didn’t know.

Elderly Man: I guess you’re having one of both.
Me: Oh I hope not! (Not that we’re against twins, but the ultrasound showed ONE)
Elderly Man: Now let me tell you a story young lady. Do you listen to Paul Harvey Radio?
Me: Uh.. no, not really
Elderly Man: Well he had a story on his program about a family that wanted a baby but couldn’t have one. So they decided to adopt. They adopted twin boys and 8 months later the orphanage called to say that they had twin girls available. The family decided to take them too. Well a month later, the mom got pregnant with triplets. Within 2 years they had 7 chidren. So you should be happy to have twins.
Then he asked the cashier, ‘Shouldn’t she be excited about having twins? She doesn’t think she’s having twins, but if she has a boy and a girl, she should be thankful for that!’
The cashier looked at him and looked at me and replied: I’m staying out of this one.

Ok – I promise, we will be thankful AND happy to have a boy, or a girl, or both, or seven…
But just for the record, we’re having ONE :)

One would think that with all of the scientific diagnostics that Daneel and I would know exactly whether our baby is a Junior or a Juniorette, but the only conclusion we have come to is just as Daneel has said all along – ‘It’s a…. BABY!’ 

And we’ll know in a few more weeks.

If you have any thoughts or guesses on the gender, the due date, or anything else, feel free to share! It's fun to hear.