Did (or do) you imagine a little girly girl holding hands with you as you skip down the street to have tea? Or did (do) you imagine explaining the parts of a truck to your tough little son?

Were the dreams dashed by the reality of having a baby that was not the same sex as the one in your fantasy life? (Not that you can't skip and have tea with a boy or inspect trucks with a girl -- I certainly do.)

It happens: it doesn't make you a bad parent. Often people do have a secret longing to have one sex over the other, but usually people can work through their disappointment quickly to love their child, no matter what he or she turns out to be.

The sweet, earthy smell of a baby's head, the scent of their milk breath -- it is one of the joys of early parenting and a warm memory of wistful parents.  

But some parents of squirmy newborns may be worried that their baby doesn't smell high-end enough, so fashion designers Dolce and Gabbana have a solution -- baby perfume.

Yes, perfume for your baby, not perfume for you to smell like a baby.

According to the company press release:

“This perfume is also inspired by the smell of a baby and is ‘designed to cuddle and pamper every little boy and girl’, which means it’s fine for delicate skin, is unisex, but ultimately, mimics the smell of a baby’s skin.”

Don't worry though, it doesn't have any alcohol in it. The bottle is going to retail for approximately $45 and will be in an exciting orange box.

I'm sure some people will buy it. They already buy lots of ridiculous items for the baby. I'm sure I did too. 

Recently, I saw a 6-month-old in a Canada Goose Jacket (a cool $265) and Canada Goose mitts, which retail for $50, but aren't worth much when you lose one in the mucky snow. But that is the low-end of ridiculous. How about this crib that starts at $65,000? If you get that crib, then you would have to get this Mediterranean Villa Playhouse. 

And any child wearing D&G perfume better be sucking on this diamond pacifier and bathing in this Swarkovski-encrusted tub (Blue Ivy reportedly has both).

It's never enough for some people.

What are the most ridiculous, extravagant baby products that you have seen? 

Want more chaos? Last year, I wrote about Gwyneth bathing with her kids.

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We have a problem. Not a big one, but an annoying one.

Our kids have forgotten how to sit at the dinner table. Or maybe they never knew how to begin with. 

It started with our middle child. He isn't that interested in food, so he fills up fast and then is on the run to a nearby chair. My daughter may follow with a marker in hand. My eldest starts to feel the pull of the Xbox and then my husband and I are left looking at each other and yelling, "Get back here!" Or, we enjoy the silence.

I've been formulating a theory that the secret to a happy marriage (or at least my happy marriage) is going to bed at the same time. Not because of you-know-what, but because those few minutes in bed chatting about our day, telling funny stories and listing errands makes us feel connected. The fleeting moments without the TV or the kids around reminds us of who we are as people -- not just parents. 

All this to say, that I would never sleep in a separate room from my husband on a permanent basis (there are a few nights where it happens). Leah Rumack at Today's Parent disagrees.

I am probably in the minority in my love for political conventions. It doesn't even matter what party it is -- I love the intrigue, the last minute deals, and most of all I love the feeling of hope. 

The Ontario Liberal Convention this weekend was all of that and more. At the end of the third ballot with two women in the lead, Kathleen Wynne was elected Liberal party leader and the Premier-designate of Ontario. She also happens to be a lesbian. 

She addressed the issue head-on in her speech:

Is Ontario ready for a gay premier? You've all heard that question... Not surprisingly, I have an answer to that question," Wynne said. "I do not believe that the people of Ontario judge their leaders on the basis of race, sexual orientation, colour or religion. I don't believe they hold that prejudice in their hearts.They judge us on our merits.

I don't know how long Wynne will remain in the Premier's office, but in the meantime, I hope to pass on to my kids a few reasons why it is a great thing that Wynne is out and proud:

MILF. Popular definition: Mother I'd Like to F**k.

Nice language. The term was popularized by the American Pie movie series about the hot and available Stiffler's mom. 

Since then, "MILF", its softer cousin "Yummy Mummy", and the nastier "Cougar" have been creeping into our language to describe mothers who might think about sex once in a while. MILF doesn't describe every mother -- just those who are judged to be sexy, young-looking and desirable by a younger man.

Her name means "light breeze" in Icelandic but the government of Iceland just calls her "girl". Fifteen-year-old Blaer Bjarkardottie is suing the government to allow her to use her given name legally.

In Iceland, parents must choose from an approved list of 3,500 names. Blaer is not on the official list of girl's names because it takes a masculine article and no gender-ambiguous names are allowed. Blaer's parents appealed the decision when Blaer was a baby, but the government turned them down and used the term "Stulka", meaning girl, as a placeholder for her first name. 

The parents left "girl" as her legal first name and continue to use Blaer in daily use. The government has responded to the suit by saying that their job is not about "personal taste" but about upholding the law. Icelandic names must have Icelandic grammatical structure and Icelandic roots -- Kelly and Konrad were recently rejected but for some reason Elvis is okay. 

Blaer's story has made headlines around the world. With many in North Ameria aghast at the idea of the government limiting first names. (Though, I'm sure some of us would love to be the arbiter of names so that naming atrocities stop happening.)

Laura Wattenberg from Babynamingwizard.com has a interesting article on how different countries limit names, including Portugal and Denmark. She was on CBC's The Current recently, with a very thoughtful approach to the idea of what is in a name. Seems that Quebec also has a strict policy on names.

So what will happen to Blaer? Will she take Iceland by storm? Will there soon be a bevy of odd and crazy names happening in the small, Northern country? I doubt it, but something's coming.

Should parents be able to name their kids whatever they want?

Want more chaos? Last year, I was happy that Greg Wiggle was back, but now I hear the Wiggles are all retiring. 

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I love and hate strollers. I love that they make going from point A to point B a lot easier; but negotiating them through crowds, small doorways and over snowdrifts can be very stressful.

The most stressful is getting a stroller on to public transit. I don't know how people with strollers fare in other cities, but in Toronto the transit system is very difficult to use with a stroller. Most TTC stations do not have escalators, and streetcars and buses have stairs and are crowded. 

Elizabeth Banks, star of the The Hunger Games and What to Expect When You Are Expecting, upset single moms when she said that after she had her second child, she felt like a "real mom".

Was she saying that mothers of singletons aren't "real moms?"

A UK mum watched her son play with a water gun on a beach holiday over Christmas and made a realization -- and a vow. She would take a stand against "kiddy consumerism" and not spend money on her son in 2013 (except for on medicine).

His clothes will be hand-me-downs, his diapers with be reusable, he will eat the same food as the rest of the family and his activities will be play-based with friends. Hattie Garlick is nervous, but she is even going to cut his hair herself.