The Mother of All Posts- Conclusion

All right- I'm moderately well-rested and have a few minutes to spare in my lunch hour. Let's see if we can't bang this thing out. There were a few other topics of discussion that I didn't cover in the first half that I wanted to point out here:

Wanting to Know the Sex of the Child:

I kind of already discussed this when talking about coming up with baby names. But honestly, I don't think I've come across a more polarizing decision than a couple who decides to find out the sex of their child before the big day comes. Some want to know as soon as we do; others can't comprehend why we wouldn't wait until the big day arrives. There's an interesting article on Slate's website talking about how in some cultures early-gender screenings (some as early as six to 8 weeks through chemical testing) have become increasingly popular. Unfortunately this is being done so that a termination of the pregnancy can occur early in the pregnancy if the gender isn't "right". I'm not going to go into the millions of things I find morally, etchically, and emotionally disgusting about this; just know our interest is pure. But then why you ask? The answer is simple...

We're anal-retentive.

We don't care boy or girl; we'll be happy either way. We just want the LAB to be healthy and happy. But, we also like to plan ahead- it's just who we are. And quite frankly, neither of us is good with surprises so finding out now means we get to enjoy knowing now and get to enjoy the birth of our child as an entire seperate event come late July.

Preparing Too Much v. Too Little:

I've been reading books. Lots of Books. I've been visiting websites too. Way too many to count. I guess I want to be prepared for anything even though I know that's an impossible quest. Really, all this preparation isn't for the LAB to-be; it's for the parents. It gives them something to do besides wait anxiously and stress each other out. And who knows, maybe one day I'll get on Jeopardy and there will be a category devoted entirely to diaper rash and baby butt-balm. If that ever happens, I'm gonna be a freakin' millionaire.

The Joy of the Boppy:

My wife loves her Boppy. I love my wife. Ergo-I love the Boppy. The Boppy was my Valentine's day gift to her this year. It's a five-foot long pillow that looks like a pair of fat commas (,) attached to each other:

http://shopboppy.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=15&zenid=50a38d57cbb7ba7dff15601b1ce5e7fa

And while I realize it's not the most romantic gift in the world it has allowed her (and consequently me) to sleep worlds easier. She takes it everywhere in the house with her now (couch, bed, chair- if she could cook sitting on it I think she might). So to anyone reading this who plans on having a baby sometime down the line, just remember the Boppy.

Learn it. Live it. Love it.

I did.