Can I make it cool just by pretending it is?

This is really bugging me. Really.

Despite No. 9 being referred to universally as 'him' by all parties, it was very much a default thing because I couldn't and can't bring myself to refer to the embryo as 'it'. I do, every now and again, but for the most part, it's 'him'. It seems so ...unwelcoming. And let's face it, the little toad isn't half giving us jip, so we want him to feel as welcome as possible. Said welcome, my mother tells me, would be very much assisted by my ceasing to refer to the baby as "the little bastard" each time it gives me another dreadful fright, nevermind calling it 'he' or 'she'. She may have a point. Plus there's that whole seventh wedding anniversary thing looming which kind of throws the bastard aspect out the window on a technicality...

Anywho, both the husband and I actually feel quite strongly that No. 9 is in fact, a girl. The husband has been convinced from day one, although I think that his feeling is based on a mortal fear of having a teen aged daughter down the track, and therefore he's of the opinion that Murphy's Law therefore dictates that 'he' is more than likely a she. For me, I was a teen aged girl. Enough said. Mostly, I was still running with the boy thing until a week or so ago when I had the strongest sense completely out of nowhere that I had it rather wrong. But, I've kept up the 'he' because it's annoying when people change their minds all the time and gender-speculating drives me batty. Plus it also meant that I could also still drop the thoughtful clanger, "Do you know, I might be growing a penis in me at the moment?" during a family dinner recently. I really hope my kid isn't like me personality-wise. Seriously. (Size-wise for birth though, we definitely want it taking after me more than the husband)

Anywho. Again. I have a point. Thinking about a girl leads me to casually thinking about a girl's name.

There is one name which I love but which is completely uncool, and therefore could potentially destroy kiddly's life (not to be too over-dramatic about it, of course). Except ...I love it. Really love it. It has ... something special. Personality perhaps.

Surely there is a way to make a name cool over the next seven months?

It's terrible because I'm so old-fashioned and I love old-fashioned things, especially names. Maybe I could say it's vintage, and therefore it may immediately zoom up the coolness scale (or not, of course. Ahem) ... but what happens when vintage isn't cool anymore? But then, perhaps my child deserves to be scarred for life as payback for the bleeding and the cramps. He/she ages me ten years, I stick him/her with a terrible name for about 80. It seems fair.

Sooo. To the polls!

Am I a terrible person for loving the name Harriet? Do I dare consider naming my kid that?

What say you?

I know you'll all be honest, and let's face it, you can always post anonymously or just do the poll if you don't want me to know who you are when you're confirming the hideousness.

And besides, it's better than Poppy. Right? I think the husband would hit me over the head with a spade if I tried to name it Poppy.