We have a new Fictionista...

Her name is Amber. She's a tiny little thing--4 pounds, 5 ounces and 17 inches long. She was born at 10:57 pm last night by our very own Amanda Brice!!

Amanda's obviously unable to post today, LOL, so the rest of us Fictionistas wanted to give a huuuuuge congrats to the entire Brice family. We can't wait to see pictures of the baby! (hint hint, LOL)

CONGRATS, AMANDA--we love you! XOXO

Everyone, please welcome our newest Fictionista and give lots of love to her brand-new mommy. Thanks!!

Am I having a girl or a boy?

So...I'm five months pregnant. I have the ultrasound scheduled for Monday when you can find out the gender, but I think we're going to be surprised.

Originally, I'd always said I would find out, because I'm way too uptight for that kind of surprise. I need to know, and I need to know now.

But when I found out I was pregnant, I asked Mr. Brice what he thought...should we find out or be surprised and he said he thought it would be fun to be surprised. The more I thought about it, the more I decided I liked that idea.

I mean, there are so few surprises left in life. Why take away this one? Besides, if we don't know what it is ahead of time, we'll go neutral on the room decor and will probably end up saving a lot of money. (I just know that if I was having a girl and I knew that, I'd spend a fortune on all kinds of cute little frilly girly things EVERY SINGLE TIME I WENT TO A STORE. Trust me, I know myself.) This way, I won't be tempted to spend tons of money until I know for sure, and by then, I won't have time to waste on random splurge shopping.

Right?

Anyway, now that I've gotten myself all psyched up for the big surprise of hearing "It's a _______!" in the delivery room, and for it to actually mean something, Mr. Brice is starting to change his mind. Now he's saying he wants to know.

Grrr!!!!!!

I told him no, we're going to be surprised. So he said he's going to ask the ultrasound tech to tell him but not tell me. I think it's just because he thinks it would be funny to lord it over me for the next four months... "I know something you don't know!"

He can be a real brat.

Anyway, I've taken all the online gender predictors, and going by those and all the other old wives' tales I know, apparently I'm having a girl.

I guess that makes sense, honestly. It seems like everyone else I know has had a boy, so statistically, SOMEONE has to have a girl, right? Otherwise, there's no hope for the species if all the babies born in 2009 and 2010 are boys.

OK, OK, I know. Online gender predictors and old wives' tales aren't accurate. But neither is an ultrasound. I knew someone who was told she was having twin girls, but surprise! It turned out they were actually twin boys. And they only learned the actual gender AFTER they'd bought two of everything in pink and with frills.

So yeah, I'm going by the only fool-proof method. Waiting until the kidlet is born. But that doesn't mean I don't like to have fun speculating.

So what do you think? Girl or boy?

Oh Baby, That's Funny!

Have you seen those commercials for insurance (or something) with the laughing babies? I love those commercials. And seeing one the other night got me thinking, that almost everyone says a laughing baby is one of their favorite sounds. James Lipton gets that answer a lot on Inside the Actor's Studio. It's pure; it's elemental; it's the sound of undiluted joy.

What gives me pause and delights me about it is the eagerness in the participation. Babies don't laugh at complicated jokes involving a priest, a rabbi, and a talking dog. No, a baby thinks that you crinkling a paper bag and saying "woobie woobie" is the funniest bloody thing he has ever heard and the coolest bloody thing he has ever seen and pleasepleaseplease do it again, because it never gets old. Like never. OMG you did it again.

That requires something rather miraculous. Think about it. How does a five month old baby know what's funny? He or she probably doesn't. Or, and I like this answer better, he or she knows something we don't: that it's not about what is or isn't funny, but about the joy of just letting things be wonderful and going with it. Crinkly the bag again! Lower the face-cloth and say "boo" again! Make that face again!

Babies don't laugh for just anyone, either. My impression, when I watch those darling commercials with the hysterical little tykes, is that mom or dad is the bag-crinkler-boo-maker. And when you are lucky enough to witness a tipping-over-in-your-huggies laugh, the kind that comes from the toes and bubbles all through the house in rolling waves of silliness, it's not a stranger initiating the launch sequence. Baby is in hysterics because somebody he or she LOVES is involved. Which is yet another facet of the awesome factor, isn't it?

That small person is looking into the face of love and participating in an exchange: I'll trade you my laughter for the joy it brings you. I promise it will be a riot no matter how many times you do it. Keep looking at me like that and I can find a bottomless well of these incredible, soul-elevating, miraculous giggles. They're for me, yes, but they are also for you. This is about us loving one another and becoming giddy with the magic of that love.

It really does make you stop and think that life gives you what you look for in many cases. And that joy, happiness, contentment are choices. It's funny because we want it to be, feel like a good laugh, need a little silly. It certainly can be.

Miracles are so often very, very simple. Isn't that wonderful? I could laugh out loud just for the fun of it.

So what's your favorite sound? If James Lipton were sitting with you and asked that question, what answer would pop into your head immediately? I gotta go with the babies, baby.