Monday, January 21, 2008

Comfort Amidst Chaos

I have been a devoted lurker (stalker?) of Julie of Mothergoosemouse for some time now. Today, she is having a virtual baby shower! So, I am putting my two cents in as to what it is like to raise boys.

When I was an all-knowing and world-weary 19 yo and pregnant with my first child (soon to be a single mom) I wanted a girl. (Because ohmygodwhatwouldidowithaboy! hehasapenis andgirlsclothesarecuterthan boysclothesanyway) (hehe) And lo and behold, some 9 months later, a girl was born unto me. And we had a blast. She was an easy baby and we had that great mother-daughter bond thing going on. And then she became a pre-teen..... But that's another story.

Some 10 years or so later I am with this wonderful man and we are thinking of having another child. And then... BOOM... I am pregnant. And the ultrasound shows another girl! Yay! (Because Ohmygodwhatwouldidowithaboy etc etc etc) So... long story short.... two weeks before my due date I have another ultrasound and the doc goes "look a penis" and I am all"WHAT????? WHAT PENIS!?! YOU SAID IT WAS A GIRL! Girls DO NOT have PENISES." To which he responds "I know girls do not have penises but this baby does have a penis." And I am all like "Are you sure it's not a three-legged girl?" And he left the room. (Or something similar to that, anyway... you get the point.) So. I had me a baby boy cooking. And I panicked. What do I know about boys? Not one thing. I had never once changed a baby boys' diaper. I was kind of weirded out by the whole idea... ya know? I was scared I would hurt him the first time I changed his diaper. How was I supposed to know how to clean that thing??? You get used to it very fast. And you develop a quick reflex with the cover diaper or blanket... and an ability to easily tell when they are gearing up for a gusher....

Basically, my boy is the most wonderful gift I have ever received. And my second boy is pretty darn alright too. The wet, sticky, messy, crumby, juicy boy hugs are da bomb. And the way they cuddle up on the couch and play with your hair? It rocks hard. Boys are different from girls. They are faster and harder and more into dirt, bugs, mud, rodents, choo-choo trains and anything that could possibly get them hurt. They climb. Everything. They run. Everywhere. They spit. They get great thrills from beating on each other and giving each other bruises and rug burns. My 10 mo boy LOVES to jump onto his brother's head and pull on his ears.... whodathunkit?? Chasing boys is a challenge. You have to develop really good closing speed. And be prepared for ANYTHING! My middle child climbed on top of his dresser and was beating on his window and crying.... when he was 9 months old. Wow. And they pee. Anywhere, anytime. Watch out for the penis... it is out to spray you! And when they discover it... they will not leave it alone! After the first few times of seeing them with their hands in their diapers.... you almost don't notice it anymore. Really. I just calmly tell my middlest that that is for the bedroom or the bathroom. LOL. Oh, the gray hairs I have from these two boys is amazing.

But.... my boys are comfort in the midst of chaos. When one of them climbs into my lap and looks me in the eyes with hands holding my face.... my heart melts all over again. And when they come crying to me because of a boo boo because they know mommy can make it all better... it is a thrill! There is never a dull moment. There is never a time that one or the other of them cannot make me laugh through my tears.... or cry with laughter for that matter! The headless or stemless flowers, hands of sand and cute little rocks are precious. The bugs.... not so much.... but it's the thought that counts! They LOVE their mommy. With every beat of their hearts. Boys are big cuddlers. They are just special.

Girls are special too. And wonderful. Just different. My mom always told me that sons are different. Now I understand what she meant. I love all of my children to pieces. And my daughter has a special place in my heart that no one else could ever touch... but that boy love! It is a wondrous thing. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Julie.... enjoy your boy!

5 comments:

Julie Marsh said...

Oh, that was wonderful! Although I have to admit that the thought of a child who's not even a year old climbing to the top of his dresser and beating on the window...that's much scarier than a whizzing penis.

Tracy DeLuca said...

Yes. He has been turning my hair gray since he was able to sit up and creep around. I will tell you that this particular incident occurred in less than 10 mins of his playing in his room all nice and quiet. I learned my lesson and he was not allowed to play in his room by himself for A LONG TIME afterwards! And you also quickly learn that quiet = danger. LOL

Anonymous said...

oh yeas, my grey hairs have been coming fast and furious lately due to my two BOYS.

but the cuddles and hugs, awesome. Little J has been giving me puppy dog eyes and "I want a hug" everytime he gets in trouble. He still hasn't learned that after the hug he will still be going to his bed. :)

JessicaB said...

I agree with it all. Lil' Bum was a joy. We never had to babyproof the house. She is strong willed of course and such a daddy's girl (I am still the one that she wants to sleep with her every night though).

Baby Bum is so opposite. He is more bubbly. Almost always smiling and up until recently always had to have me. He is warming up to daddy alot lately but Momma is da bomb. He started crawling at 6.5 months and the kid can't be stopped. He is not afraid to venture to other rooms and will literally crawl around looking for me. He prefers to play with things that he doesn't need. Just to put it point blank, he is my easiest baby but he is going to be hell. We are already making our babyproofing plans.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful and so much fun to read. I especially enjoyed it after just spending time with "them". Also love reading the responses from the "ladies". Mom.