DEAR ABBY: I'm two months pregnant with my second child. Our first child is a boy. My problem is my mother. She loves her grandson dearly, but she's desperate for a granddaughter.
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Recently, the subject of names came up. Although we have already decided on a name if the child is a boy, we had not discussed girls names at length.
When Mother asked me what the girl's name would be, I said I had always liked "Melody," and that if I had my way, that is what I'd name a girl. My mother immediately started knitting an afghan with the name Melody on it.
A week later, my husband said that while he didn't mind the name Melody, he thought we should decide on a name together. I tried to tell Mom that Melody might not be the name we choose. Her response was, "Well, my granddaughter will always be Melody to me."
Mom and I are very close, but she can be extremely stubborn. What's the best way to tell her we have decided on another name? -- WHAT'S IN A NAME IN CANADA
DEAR WHAT'S: Tell her in plain English, and do it before the afghan has to be unraveled and redone. If she insists on completing the blanket with the wrong name, accept it graciously and quietly donate it to charity.