The Joy of Boys

When Jordan and I arrived at the hospital early in the morning on October 25, we did not know whether we were going to leave the hospital with a Natalie or an Isaac. Despite not peeking at our sweet one's gender, we both had this strong inclination that the baby gestating within my belly was a darling baby girl. During my pregnancy, I'd had at least 3 dreams that our baby was a girl. I was one of 3 sisters. We have a girl dog. I know girls... I mean, I am one. *obvsly. I had purchased a white bow for her to wear immediately, as a frilly, fluffy announcement of her sweet femininity. Jordan also believed our little one was a Natalie. He'd purchased James Dobson's "Bringing Up Girls." We walked in not actually knowing, but in our hearts we were totally anticipating baby Mims to be a girl.

Imagine my surprise when our little one turned out to be Isaac. 

Of course, immediately I realized that it HAD to be Isaac. It was always him. From the very first moments of life, it was Isaac. Those first kicks, those last few uncomfortable days, they were all Isaac. All of a sudden, I was a boy mom.

Wait a second... I know nothing about boys.

But what I DO know, or at least formerly thought I knew: boys are smelly and dirty. They like bugs. Boys are wiggly and hyperactive. They grow up to be "pigs." Boy clothes aren't nearly as cute as girl clothes. You must be exceptionally careful when changing boy diapers or run the risk of getting sprayed (this one just so happens to be 100% true.). Guys burp and fart without remorse. They devote entire afternoons to watching football/baseball/golf/Nascar/insert "manly" sport. They have egos which require frequent stroking. 

However, when that perfect little buddy was thrust into my arms, I realized there are so many wonderful things about boys. Here are a few things I've discovered so far:

1. I don't have to learn how to braid hair. I've never figured this out. Not on my own hair or anyone else's and to be honest, I was overwhelmed at the daunting task of learning how to braid hair. High Five Little Buddy! No hair to braid!
2. Coming on the heels of hair, I also don't have to match every outfit with a bow. What a weight lifted! Bows aren't cheap! And in addition to bows, there are rings and bracelets and necklaces and purses. A girl's gotta have her accessories. But boys? Jeans, a t-shirt and some sneakers is the unofficial boy uniform and I'm ok with that. 
3. No PMS. Amen.
4. Robots and superheroes and dinosaurs and monsters! Wee!!
5. No Barbies. And no struggling to live up to unrealistic standards of beauty.
6. Boy clothes might not be as great as girl clothes, but I happen to think that when my little buddy wears a shirt with a tie on it, that I might die from an overdose of cuteness. 
7. Boys just aren't slaves to their emotions like girls are. The drama is low, there aren't double meanings in their conversations, and there aren't ulterior motives. Girl-speak always holds a lot of emotion, which lurks dangerously underneath the surface. Boy-speak is more "what-you-hear-is-what-you-get."
8. I've been told that a mother-son bond is incomparable to mother-daughter bonds. I cant say from experience that this is true, but I will hold tightly onto the adage that "boys love their mommas!"
9. One day, I'll get to teach him how to be kind and how to show grace and mercy to others. My prayer is that he will love Jesus passionately, and become a leader and a light for the people around him. 
10. One day, I'll show him what it means to be a gentleman. We'll have to beat the girls off with sticks.