'Baby needs a gender'

Ever heard of the wacky dreams pregnant women have? Sometimes they're blamed on the increased hormones and irregular sleep patterns. I suppose it's just the subconscious freaking out about -- um, I mean getting ready for -- the baby's arrival. My brain has definitely been working overtime while I'm trying get in a few uninterrupted hours of sleep (a difficult task these days), and some of the visions are quite strange.

The other night I was physically INSIDE of this blog (think Dave Chapelle's visit to the World Wide Web, but more innocent) announcing to everyone who would listen, "My baby needs a gender. My baby needs a gender!!!"

"Your baby has a gender," a voice said. "Your baby needs a name!"

Earlier that day I'd been talking to my mom about how we call this baby "It." She was a little annoyed that she was "Its Lola" instead of "His Lola" or "Her Lola." Needless to say, she is dying to know if it's a boy or a girl. I responded, "Well, "I'm Its Mommy." Great comeback, huh?

It was then that I really started to doubt my decision to wait to find out this baby's gender. Am I doing my child an injustice by not identifying it properly? Is s/he going to have some kind of complex as the elementary school years approach? This is me going into paranoid mode! I almost caved on several occasions, begging J to tell me, only to quickly retract my request. He said that if I slept on it and still wanted to know, he'd point me in the direction of the envelope that holds the secret.

It made me wonder why I am so obsessed with staying ignorant. Babies are a big deal regardless of their gender. I'm sure I would be equally excited on the birthday even if I knew if this child is a girl or a boy. And knowing certainly could make a lot of things -- particularly shopping and name selection -- a little easier. But, for some reason, I want that extra element of surprise.

Maybe the best we can do for now is give this baby a nickname. It won't really keep us from calling it "It" or "S/he." But at least s/he would have a more endearing name than "Baby." It's got to be something androgynous and something cute. I know everyone wants in on the big name game, but maybe we can do a practice run with the nickname game. Any suggestions?

Along these lines, J had a brilliant idea. Since everyone wants to know or thinks they know the gender, he said he'd conduct an auction. The highest bidder gets in on the secret. Any takers? Bidding starts at ... OK, just kidding.

Week 27 developments*

Around this time the baby begins opening and closing its eyes which were fused shut for much of the pregnancy.

Other changes that are happening:

• The baby's lungs are growing rapidly.
• The baby's brain wave patterns are similar to a newborn at birth.
• I should feel at least ten kicks within a two hour period (umm, try ten kicks w/in 1 minute! this baby is a nut!).

Baby's Size (head to rump) this week: 9.7 inches
15.25 inches (head to toes)
<>Weight: a little more than 2 lbs

<>*babyfit.com