I don't mean to say the child isn't extremely important form a world-building perspective. Just that given what Bakker has said about the start of the next book being weeks after we left off, and that the other book will be the Crabikiad, I think the baby will just be a baby.
If there is a post-TNG world with significant time jumps, or I guess if TNG itself includes time jumps to make the baby a relevant age, then it'll be extremely important. I'm just not sure that in the limited timeline that I think is going to be TNG, that the baby will be old enough to be vital to the plot.
He doesn't even need to get to adolescence or adulthood to actually play an important role as a character. In TAE we had 8-year-old Kelmomas play a major role. Granted, Akka Jr. isn't Dûnyain or even half-Dûnyain, but there's still the unknown effects qirri might have had on him while in the womb...
Baby is of the utmost importance. Last child born before the rise of the No-God. I don't find it likely, but the baby Kellhus theory does stand on its own two feet.
I think that we will see a redemption of mankind. I don't thinknthe baby will matter much in that, but will be utterly important to the future of Earwa.
Playing devil's advocate/being nitpicky here, we don't know if he was the
very last born before the No-God rose. Eärwa is a big place, after all... (Please don't take this as a slight on your theory, MSJ, I'm just pointing out this possibility.)
But yes, it's possible the symbolism of the birth might have relevance in the future.
Was the "two weeks after TUC" something he said here? He must have reiterated it at ZDC. On that note, at ZDC he definitely was unsure of the exact style of at least one of the TNG books, so its very possible it ends up being very much like an Earwan-Contemporary Sagas, and actually covers the entirety of Resumption up through to the end of the world (or the descrution of the NG/Consult, however it goes).
Did Bakker actually specified "two weeks" as opposed to a more vague "a few weeks"? I can't even remember what was said about that back in July/August anymore...
It's definitely possible he will change his plans on the outline/timeline of TNG, or at least concerning the non-Crabicus part of it.