Were We Duped by Baby George's Gender?

It should come as no surprise that Mother Nature reigns supreme... but the gender of the royal baby came as a shock to many of us (myself included!).

The majority of people in the UK thought the royal baby would be a girl. Initial theories that William and Kate would have a princess stemmed from Kate's early bouts with chronic morning sickness, and the widely believed wives' tale that tummy troubles mean a baby girl is on the way. The princess theory was further propelled in March by reports from loose-lipped Britons that Kate "dropped a huge hint" that she's expecting a "d..." (daughter?!) -- to which royals replied the sex wouldn't be known or announced until the birth.

Other tabloids tried to decode Kate's cravings, which reportedly ranged from vegetable curry to Haribo candy... so no clear conclusions there. Meanwhile, the UK revelled in the change in the laws of succession, meaning a first-born daughter of William and Kate could easily be crowned queen someday. To boot, the queen changed an old rule so that the royal baby would be called "Princess" and not "Lady." It had us all dreaming of pink, pointy princess hats!

Of course, some other reports (such as rumors possibly started by Prince Harry) indicated it would be a bouncing baby BOY.

Any parent's ultimate wish is for a healthy baby of either gender, and the rumor mill is all nonsense anyway. But, during the final "push" (while Kate was in labor), the final flurry of tweets and bets was GIRL all the way. Would she be Elizabeth or Diana? Or maybe Mary or Victoria? Perhaps all four! Elizabeth Diana Mary Victoria has a regal ring to it, eh? (Nostalgia for Diana runs deep... maybe that was the real driver of all the princess hopes and dreams.)

Anyway, we were fooled -- and maybe the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were, too! IT'S A BOY! George Alexander Louis will surely be a cutie and a joy to watch over the years.

I've been fooled in the boy/girl department before. My entire family was 99.9999% sure that my niece was going to be a boy. It's easy to forget the 50/50 odds of the gender game when wives' tales and gossip and visions of playing catch or shopping for wedding dresses enter the mix.

Did you have a strong hunch whether your baby was a boy or a girl? Did your hunch prove true at your ultrasound or in the delivery room? A baby's gender can be such a shock, but it's so much fun to discover!

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