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New Mummy Blog: Why NOT Finding Out My Baby's Gender Was A Good Idea

Our mummy blogger is thrilled that she left finding out the sex of her second baby until he was born

“It’s a boy!”

Possibly the happiest thing my husband has ever said in his life. Including “I do”.

It's a boy! [Giphy]
It's a boy! [Giphy]



Don’t get me wrong, if our second baby had turned out to be a girl, he would have been thrilled. We really weren’t choosy. It really didn’t matter either way – if it did, we wouldn’t have opted not to find out the baby’s gender at one of the three second-trimester scans we had.

A second daughter, a sister for Honor only 19 months younger, would have been wonderful.

Having a child already made us realise that it’s not about the gender, but about the little individual each baby becomes.

We wouldn't have minded which gender our second baby was, but to have one of each is exciting [Tumblr]
We wouldn't have minded which gender our second baby was, but to have one of each is exciting [Tumblr]



Which is all very well, but I knew that underneath it all, my husband really, really wanted a son - much the same as I probably would have secretly hoped for a girl had our firstborn been a boy.

A son to wear blue, to play rugby, build dens, love cars and trucks and trains. A son who wants to be like daddy, and who grows up to carry on the family name.

It's a boy! [Rex]
It's a boy! [Rex]



Of course, there’s absolutely no guarantee our son will do any of these things. And absolutely nothing wrong if he doesn’t.

Like I say, he’s an individual, not a stereotype.

But my husband has his boy. And while the boxes (and boxes, and boxes) of baby girl clothes stay put in the attic, and I fill the dresser with tiny items covered in stars, planes, frogs, we are getting used to having a baby boy in the family.

My husband has his boy... Henry [Copyright/Yahoo]
My husband has his boy... Henry [Copyright/Yahoo]



I don’t know whether there are intrinsic differences between boy babies and girl babies*, or it’s that every baby is different.

*Excluding the obvious, of course. We’ve already been caught out there – more than once. Our first lesson: when a boy wees mid nappy change? It. Goes. Everywhere. The floor, the walls, far too near my face. I assume we’re not the only ones this has happened to, and it seems some people must really struggle to get the hang of it, as there are actual things you can buy called Peepee Teepees (I kid you not) to help in this situation. Who knew?

Honor and Henry are very different children [Yahoo/Copyright]
Honor and Henry are very different children [Yahoo/Copyright]




But, while our two look alike, it’s already apparent that they are very different characters. Where Honor was (and is) full on, non stop, a bundle of energy, Henry is quieter (apart from at 2am), more relaxed, with eyes that look full of wisdom beyond his days-old age.

But does Henry’s unassuming nature stem from him being our second child? With a toddler to run around after, has he already come to accept that sometimes he has to wait his turn? Or are we, as second-time parents, more laid back, and is this rubbing off on him? There are other differences, too.

Unlike Honor, Henry is not as windy, with no signs of colic (yet). And while they both like to be held and cuddled at all times, he likes to be held inwards, snuggled into my neck, while Honor always wanted to be held outwards to allow her to observe the world.

But there are similarities too, like the uncanny knack of waking up and wanting a feed at the exact moment dinner is served.

But that’s all babies, right?

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