What Flavor Do You Want?

Now that the anatomy scan is just around the corner (one week away - eek!), we are getting a lot of questions involving the gender. I swear, I do not remember this much hoopla about it with Will. I think because we already have a boy, people have their guesses about what we'd "prefer."

To discuss this properly, I have to make a teeny, tiny, somewhat horrible confession: I was a teeny, tiny bit disappointed when I found out that Will was a boy. There were many reasons for this. The first and foremost reason was that I was concerned that I would not be a good mother for a boy. I am a bit of a girly-girl myself and honestly don't understand boys a good deal of the time. I am not sports-minded, in fact, am pretty clumsy and uncoordinated. Although I enjoy going to a sporting event, it is far more for the people-watching and food-eating than for the actual game itself. I was afraid that, after everything we'd been through to have him, I would be especially over-cautious and over-protective and turn him into a sissy Mama's Boy. The second reason for my trepidation was that my mom had made her desire for a girl very clear and I wasn't really looking forward to listening to her whine about it.

I had been having some inklings that Will was a boy for about a month prior to our anatomy scan. This was probably very much encouraged by our 13-week ultrasound, where the tech thought she saw boy bits, though she quickly said it was far too early to tell. Looking over the video from that ultrasound, there was definitely something in our child's netherregions, but our unpracticed eye couldn't glean the difference between cord, legs, or anything else. So, I was prepared for the news that our little one was a Little Man, yet I still felt a tug of. . . something when it was confirmed.

When I use the word disappointment, it's not even the right word. I was thrilled he was healthy and I wasn't unhappy he was a boy, in fact within a day of learning of his gender, I was all Team Blue! But there were some fantasies that I had to let go of that involved pedicures, happily baking cookies together (yes, I do think boys can and should do that, too!), and watching my daughter try on wedding dresses. I remember thinking, "Well, if we have another one, I hope that one is a girl." Then I moved on.

So, I figured if we were ever blessed with another child, I would have a strong preference for a girl.
Then, Will was born. And I wouldn't trade him for a million girls in a million super-sweet little smocks with ruffled diaper covers underneath. Cross my heart. He is perfect and I love having a son.

Little girls are wonderful. Many of my friends have little girls and they are adorable. Their clothes kill me with a cuteness that bittle boy clothes just can't achieve. If this child was a little girl, I would be thrilled.

But. . . oh, man, little boys are incredible. They are sweet, they are percocious, they are just. . . .sigh. And what fun it would be for Will to have a brother, a pal, a comrade, someone to be a boy with. My husband has a sister and they weren't that close as kids, with widely varied interests. I am sure they played together occasionally, but all of their childhood stories are of fighting and my MIL backs this up saying she sometimes wondered if they would hate each other as adults after all of the drama they had as kids.

My sister and I, on the other hand, well, we aren't super-close now, but we played together very well as children and got along until we were in our teens (and were forced to share a bedroom, but that's another story). And even now, I would say we have a decent relationship, she is a great auntie, we just are kind of in different places right now as I am fully entrenched in the MotherHood and she is newly married and she and her husband are bound and determined not to have children (a stance she has been consistent on since she was 16, so I really don't think she is going to change her mind).

Of course, we ultimately don't have a preference. We just want a healthy baby, but of course, everyone just wants a healthy baby. Underneath that, I think my husband would prefer another boy, because he keeps mentioning how much easier it would be. He also worries that he wouldn't be a good father to a girl, that he would be the overprotective one, running background checks on potential prom dates and cleaning the proverbial shotgun when they pick her up for the dance.

Me. . . well, if I had to say. . . gah, I really don't have a preference this time. Scouts honor. A little girl would be lovely and I still have those gauzy visions of pedicures and wedding dresses in the recesses of my mind. But another little boy would be wonderful, too, and there are lots of things that I look forward to doing with my son (including not having to pay for the wedding dress - ha, ha!).

Of course, based on the way I am carrying the baby (exactly how I carried Will - must mean another boy!) and the fact that I was super-sick with this pregnancy (much sicker than with Will - must mean it's a girl!), everyone seems to have an opinion. I crave fruits (did with Will, too), sour things like Sweettarts (also with Will), orange juice (could take it or leave it with Will), and don't mind chocolate (with Will, I couldn't stand to even smell chocolate). So, you see, there are some similarities and differences in the two pregnancies, making it difficult to wager a guess.

So, what do you lovely people think we are having? I am putting up a poll for a few days so go make your best guess. If you are really brave, leave a comment with your guess and reason(s) why in the comment secton. We find out February 22nd what flavor of baby Sweetpea is, so check back to see if you are correct!