Several years ago, we were expecting our first child. At the third month of pregnancy, we decided to find out the baby’s gender. I was really hoping for a boy. I always wanted my firstborn to be a boy. So, during the timely ultrasound, we asked the doctor to determine the baby’s gender. But it didn’t work out. The baby just wouldn’t reveal its secrets, perhaps because I really wanted a son, and all our relatives assured me it would be a boy.
My mother-in-law even once commented that my belly looked the same as when she was pregnant with my husband. My grandmother said that if I was craving sour things, it would definitely be a son. I believed it too and started choosing names for a son with my husband. I looked through a lot of names and their meanings, but neither of us liked any of the ones we saw.
One day, while walking in the park near our building, I met a young family with a newborn baby. Their baby boy was very cute, and they named him Artemiy. I asked the young mother whose idea it was to choose that name. She replied, “He chose it himself. When he was still in my belly, I started saying different names, but he didn’t react. When I said ‘Artemiy,’ he started moving.”
She continued, “So, my advice to you is to do the same. Your baby has the strongest connection with you right now, and he will surely react.” I decided to follow her advice. When I got home, I lay down on the bed and started saying both male and female names. He didn’t react at all, until I mentioned one name with “he” in it. That’s when he began to kick with his little fists.
However, during the second ultrasound examination, it was confirmed that we were having a boy. So, I didn’t think much of it at the time. I only recalled this story when I gave birth to a girl.
Despite what our relatives had said and what the ultrasound had shown, I welcomed a beautiful princess into the world, with a name I had chosen in advance.
