Mother’s Day came early for my sister when she gave birth to an adorable baby girl on Monday. Ivy has the distinct honor of being the first little lady to join a family of boys — cousins Levi and Asa and her big brother, Max.
Truthfully, I never anticipated I’d raise boys; I always imagined I’d have a daughter. I still hope that one day I will, although I know that after giving birth to two sons (and being so dang old now), the odds are probably stacked against me. There’s a good chance I’d end up suffering from gender disappointment a third time like I did when I was pregnant with Levi and Asa. (You can read about my experiences here and here).
I might’ve been wary about having sons during my pregnancies, but being a mom to two boisterous, comical, opinionated, silly, and kind boys turned out to be a totally rewarding (and completely exhausting) job. Levi and Asa have taught me a new way to love — not to mention the names of every type of construction vehicle and all the Thomas the Tank Engine characters, too.
Plus, they’re both full of unconditional love for their mama. What could be better than that? Levi and I have a secret hug/kiss/handshake routine that he insists we perform every time we say goodbye, whether I’m dropping him off at school or meeting up with my girlfriends before his bedtime.
And I die for Asa’s tight bear hugs and slobbery mouth kisses, and the way he scoots his tush into my lap when he wants me to read him books about construction sites and dinosaurs and little blue trucks and robots.
Also, it turns out that little dudes are easier to dress than girls. When I found out that Levi and Asa were boys, I lamented the fact that I wouldn’t be able to outfit them in ruffled sundresses or patterned tights or cozy cardigans with heart-shaped buttons. The truth is, however, that clothing for little boys can still be pretty cute.
Gymboree, for example, always has adorable options for every occasion, such as these preppy plaid-centric outfits. I wouldn’t necessarily send Levi to preschool looking so put together since everything he wears comes home with food, dirt, and paint stains, but this navy polo shirt and plaid shorts combo from Gymboree would be perfect for our One Big Happy Mother’s Day celebration.
Speaking of Mother’s Day, this will be our third time celebrating the holiday with the same friends. It’s a tradition we started in Omaha four years ago that I’m delighted we’re able to continue here in DC. They also have two young boys, and the mom and I spent our first Mother’s Day together without our husbands because they were both out of state for work, I believe. Wow, that feels like forever ago!
How will you be celebrating Mother’s Day this year? And on a more serious note, I’m curious whether you also dealt with gender disappointment when you found out the sex of your baby. How long did those feelings last and how were you finally able to move past them? Please leave a comment below!
Thank you to Gymboree for sponsoring today’s post. As always, all opinions are my own. Check out www.gymboree.com for children’s outfits perfect for your One Big Happy Mother’s Day moments. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that help support this blog.
I read your gender reveal posts. They were beautifully written. Happy Mother’s Day!
That’s so kind of you to say. They were hard to write, as truly personal pieces often are. While I don’t disclosure every little detail about myself, there are some things that I think are worth sharing if they may help other women feel less alone or more understood. I hope those gender reveal posts were able to do that.
Like you, I always envisioned having girls and I was a bit disappointed (and scared of the energy!) when I found out we were having a boy. Now that he is here, however, I can’t even imagine why I would have wanted anything different. Though I’m still scared of the energy ahead of us!
Oh my goodness, boys just keep getting more and more crazy! I’m totally exhausted by the end of the day!