THE GENDER QUESTION

So at 11:00 PDT today, we'll go to the doctor, and we'll find out what gender this new kid is.

There has been much speculation around the household and among the extended family as to how this will turn out. Almost everyone is hoping for a girl. I guess they're going for balance, and it's hard to blame them. We've already got two boys, so what do we need a third for? Furthermore, our parents have very few granddaughters and this kid may be the last train leaving the grandchild station.

So the pressure's on, and if it's not a girl, I'll likely be blamed, what with me being the one who determines whether the kid gets an "x" or "y" chromosome. So what do I hope it is? Well, I really don't care that much.

I can see the point of wanting a girl, but I'm pretty resistant to change, and I already know what having boys is all about. Nate and Will have already broken everything in our house, so there isn't much more a third boy could do. Plus, naming a boy is easier. Boys have sturdy names that don't change that much over time. Girls names can get trendy, and you have to make sure that you don't accidentally name the kid after someone you once made out with during the Clinton Administration.

I'm also told that girls mess with your mind. I'm resigned to the fact that everything I own will be eventually ruined by our boys, but I'd still like to retain some brain function for a while.

My opinion on the subject won't matter at all once we head into the doctor's office. I'll keep you updated once we know which way is up. It may take a few hours to update the blog, but I'll post the gender as soon as I can to my Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/matthewworkman as soon as I can. (My phone is pretty dumb, but it's just barely smart enough to post to Twitter.)

Take a deep breath... here we go...