Boy or Girl?
This is the question most asked by observers of my baby bump. (If I were so nosy, I would ask every mother-to-be where she intends to give birth, as this is so much more revealing and important.) But I answer, “I would like to know, but we aren’t doing any ultrasounds.” Most people do not ask a follow-up question, but I wish they would, for I never mind an occasion for my own little bit of advocacy – against the invasion of the baby’s privacy that ultrasounds entail and in favor of more meaningful ways of making pregnancy ‘real’ (see my post on Haptonomy).
So, do I have a preference? Well, actually I do. I am hoping for a boy (although I have never before articulated this sentiment). A sister would be a great gift for my daughter – a life-long best friend – so I will not be disappointed if we have a girl. But I hope for a boy for two reasons.
First, my daughter has set a tough standard to live up to. I fear that a younger daughter would have too much difficulty emerging from her shadow. If we have a boy, everyone, second child included, would be much less likely to compare him to his big sister.
Second, I would like to prove to all the parents of poorly behaved boys (including my brother and sister-in-law), that such behavior is not inevitable in boys. Along these lines, I feel as though I have mastered the art of raising a girl, but a boy offers new challenges and experiences, and I would like to prove myself not just lucky, but rather, instrumental in shaping my children into who they are, primarily through extended breastfeeding and through staying home with them through the first few years.
So, a short post with which to return to blogging after the Christmas break.
Tags: behavior, boy or girl, breastfeeding, extended breastfeeding, gender preference, sibling rivalry
