Thursday, April 2, 2009

To Find Out or Not Find Out

C and I have some friends who are expecting their first child in early May and have decided not to find out the baby's gender. Well, mostly the mom has decided, but I firmly believe it's the mother's choice on that one. So, of course, I wanted to knit another little hat! Remember this...
Now it's all done!


So, as you may have guessed from the ribbon, the mom is really hoping for a girl! However, if it's a boy, I'll just pull that pink ribbon right out, and the little guy will have a cool light green hat! The hat is a really light green and looks much better in real life, I promise. So, this was my first completed project knitted in the round! Hooray!
Back to my post title, though, I am always interested in how the question of finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl can really raise some hackles. People seem to be either very for or against finding out. We did not find out with our first child (although, C would have liked to do so), and we did find out with our second (because we had "girly" furniture that I thought I might need to replace, but we haven't, poor W). Some people really seemed to be miffed when you tell them you're not finding out. I just wanted it to be a surprise, and I felt it would give me something to focus on during labor (not so sure that worked, but that's a different post). Also, I was very hopeful that we would have at least two children, so I preferred getting "gender neutral" (read: yellow and green) clothes and blankets that could be used again regardless of baby number two's gender. So, if you have any children, did you find out or no, and why?

4 comments:

Kate Coveny Hood said...

We HAD to find out. Both times (actually 3 times since we could only find out about one twin at their 20 week sonogram.

I'm a planner - so I just wanted to know in advance. And it was still a surprise - it's not like I got to pick.

But even if I wanted a surprise at the birth - my husband couldn't handle the suspense. He would have exploded by month six.

mel said...

Chris wanted to find out at first, but then changed his mind. I didn't want to know at all and I, like you, thought it would give me something to direct my focus on when labor got hard and fast. It really did help both Chris and me as I got further on in labor. We enjoyed the suspense of it too and I won't lie and say that I didn't enjoy getting the in-laws goats! ;)

I agree too that people are either very for or against it. Every time someone asked what I was having they gave me this "What are you? CRAZY?!" stare when I said it was a surprise. The comment I got most often was, "How can you prepare?!"

Hope you guys are doing well!! It's back to work for me tomorrow. :( I'm missing my sweet girl already!

mel said...

OH! I LOVE the hat!!

Heather of the EO said...

Love the hat!

I found out both times. I think it's because I'm terribly impatient.

I'll never forget those days in the ultrasound room, my husband and I looking at each other all excited and then having a little "WE KNOW!" Party.

Makes me want to do it again...uh oh.