In today’s world, there are very few surprises.

But, David and Melanie Adams are in for a big surprise.

The Troy couple is among the minority of couples who forego the ultrasound and actually wait until the birth of their baby to find out, boy or girl?

David and Melanie are expecting their second bundle of joy on June 2 and are patiently awaiting their surprise. But curiosity is killing the cat for others.

“Everybody has an opinion based on something, usually old wives’ tales,” Melanie said, laughing. “If you carry a baby high, it’s a girl. If you carry it low, it’s a boy. I’ve been told our baby is a boy. Even strangers will come up to me and say that I’m having a boy because I’m carrying it low.”

Melanie had morning sickness for nine months with her first baby. Morning sickness is a strong indicator that the baby is a girl. This time, she has pretty much sailed through the months, an indication the baby is a boy.

Out of curiosity and at a church supper, a friend tied a string to Melanie’s wedding ring and dangled it above the baby in waiting. If the ring swung in a circular motion, the baby would be a boy. If the ring swung back and forth, it would be a girl.

Some observers thought the ring swung one way and others thought it swung the other.

“But, most everybody thought the ring swung in a circular motion,” Melanie said. “If they were right and the ring was right, it’s a boy.”

Most close observers and subscribers to old wives’ tales say David and Melanie will be surprised with a baby boy. They can tell by the way Melanie walks – left foot first. And, if the couple wants that verified, there are ways. One way has to do with sprinkling salt on Melanie’s head while she sleeps. David’s not doing that.

“We’ll just wait,” Melanie said. “But, I really think it’s a girl because I look the same way I did with Macy.”

David’s not putting any stock in old wives tales or rings on a string. He’s just hoping – hoping for a boy but betting on a girl.

And, David just might get the boy he’s hoping for. An old wives tale is that if a woman gets more beautiful as she is carrying the baby, it’s a boy. That’s reason to smile, David said.

But, only time will tell.

“Some of our friends think we’re crazy. They don’t see how we can wait,” Melanie said. “They want to know, boy or girl, so they can buy baby clothes, pink or blue, and fix up the baby’s nursery with either bows or balls. We’ve fixed up the nursery but we don’t really have a theme.”

Melanie said, because this is an ultrasound world, most baby clothes are themed pink or blue, boy or girl.

“It’s not been easy to find baby things in neutral colors,” she said. “We don’t have a theme. We’ve just decorated the nursery for either a boy or girl.”

David is a CPA by day and a glass artist by night. He has made an array of colorful, stained glass birds and perched them on the limbs of a tree he cut for just that purpose.

Their baby’s nursery is filled with birds, frogs caterpillars and other critters that are sure to delight any bundle of joy.

As for names, if the swinging ring was right, baby boy will be a junior. But if not, David and Melanie will wait until they see her to name her.

“When we see her, we’ll know what to name her,” Melanie said.

If their baby does arrive as planned on June 2 , and it should if Mother Nature doesn’t deliver, then the baby will be born on Melanie’s birthday and what a birthday surprise that will be.