One, Two, Three or More? Money in the bank, not gender, usually dictates how many children a family decides to have.

Publication: Newsweek

Publication Date: 26-JAN-04

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Byline: Barbara Kantrowitz

Kevin and Katie Amos waited two years to start a family so they could save for their three-bedroom colonial in Willowick, Ohio, and they deliberately put only two years between Nicholas, 3, and Ryan, 1. "I think that as they grow," says Katie, 33, "they'll have a lot in common." For most families, the picture would be complete--the average American mother has two kids--but the Amoses recently decided to try again before Katie turns 35. It's not because they want a daughter, although Katie's aching to buy "those cute little girl things." They just want one more bundle of joy. That moment in the delivery room, says Kevin, "really is Christmas morning."

The Amoses sum up the way most Americans make decisions about how many kids to have: some planning, a lot of longing and a little luck. Wanting a child of a certain gender is just one of many factors that...

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