We want to be surprised

You know something I've never understood? Parents who say they don't want to find out the gender of their in-utero baby because they want to retain the element of surprise. I mesm. I totally understand not wanting to find out the gender of the baby for a whole bunch of reasons, particularly the superstition variety. But wanting to be surprised at the moment of birth, I don't get, because it makes me think that they think if they find out that piece of information beforehand, there won't be enough surprises at the moment of birth.

I've experienced childbirth twice now, both times knowing the gender of the baby, and if there is one thing I can say with absolute assurance, it is that there is nothing BUT surprise at the moment of birth. That, in fact, is a wild understatement. A totally brand-new human being is coming our of your vagina. It is, I venture to say, the most shocking thing you could ever possibly experience. I don't care if you're the Duggard lady, that shit is surprising no matter how many timss you do it.

So the idea that you'd be lying there, and a baby would come tearing out from between your legs and you'd be like, "Oh yeah, a complete person is evacuating my vagina. Big deal. I know its a girl already." is funny to me.

I, in fact, feel the opposite. I DON'T want to be surprised. There are too many surprises already. I want to know whatever I can. If I could find out, from the sonogram, if the baby would be into sports or chess, I'd get that info now. If I could find out where the baby is going to college, that'd be rad. I'm an in-utero information junkie.