For as long as I can remember when I thought about having kids, I just assumed I would be a “boy mom” vs. a “girl mom.” I have an older sister who wanted girls only (no boys!) and I just always saw myself having a little football team running around. So it was obvious to us that this is exactly how things would actually go down when we finally had kids. Ya know, how life does that thing where everything goes as planned? {NOT!}
Well, my sister got my boy. And I got her girl. I know, big shocker.
And much to our surprise… it’s perfect.
See, it’s not that I necessarily wanted boys. And I definitely wasn’t opposed to having a girl. In fact, I knew from the moment I peed on that stick that she was a girl and I was 100% happy with that. We had trouble conceiving and after a couple of years of not even knowing IF we would be able to have a baby, we would have been thrilled either way. It’s just that I thought my personality might have been best suited for a pack of crazy boys than a sweet, fragile, glitter-infused girl. I’m known to be pretty blunt and to the point, which can sometimes come off as insensitive. I’m just not overly girlie myself. And until I had my daughter, I did not consider myself to be a natural caretaker. I was never super nurturing. Not that those traits would make me an ideal boy mom either. But I just fancied myself better suited for team blue than team pink.
Well, it turns out that I am totally killing it as a #Girlmom.
My daughter has undeniably brought out my sensitive side. More accurately, she has turned me to mush. God gave me this sensitive little girl to soften my heart, I’m sure of it. She’s always been on the shy side, takes a while to warm up to any new person or place, and is easily scared by loud noises. Think barking dogs or crying babies. She can’t get close enough (physically) to me. She needs all the physical touches, snuggles, hugs/kisses, “cozies” that she can get. And it turns out that I am equipped to take perfectly good care of her sensitive little soul. I just didn’t know it.
I gave birth to the world’s biggest GIRLIE GIRL.
Y’all. Just, y’all. She is now 3 and is only happy if she’s in a dress (it has to “twirl” and the more tulle the better) or a nightgown. She has two bins full of (hand-me-down) “dress-ups” complete with heels, purses, crowns, wings, and more. She is so dramatic when she is belting out her favorite Disney soundtracks, facial expressions and all. She always has to have her fingernails and toenails painted, sparkly of course. I do not EVER remember being this “girlie” when I was young. And I’m certainly not now. But look at me dressing my girl in all the things! Bows and sparkles and dresses, oh my! I’ll be the Anna to her Elsa any day and I’m so glad that she has opened my eyes to see into her girlie little world.
She has brought out the absolute best in ME.
Having this little lady of mine has brought out all the things that I didn’t think I was: nurturing, a caretaker, sensitive, patient, understanding. She has also humbled me. I used to think that shy kids were probably sheltered kids. Wrong. I’ve done all the things to socialize her. Playgroups starting at 10 months, preschool at 1.5 years, frequent/daily trips out and about (not just sitting at home with her all day) and guess what? She’s still just a shy little girl. I used to shake my head when I saw moms carrying their kids that were totally capable of walking. Well, I happily tote my perfectly capable 3-year-old around all the time because she asks me to, and I love to (even though my back does NOT). That’s a very short list of ways that motherhood has humbled me. But the point is… I’m a better person today than I have ever been and it’s all because of my daughter. I think I needed her more than I could have ever known.
My hope is that a new mom who reads this can rest assured that you are equipped to take care of a baby boy OR a baby girl. No matter what you had hoped or pictured for yourself. You’re made for this, mama!
