Four against One (learning I'll never have a daughter...and how I feel about it)

This is a guest post I wrote for A Family Village - if you haven't checked them out yet, I encourage you to do so! It is a wonderful networking site where families can interact with others with similar interests. Sort of a Facebook meets Match.com for families :) Plus, I am over there every other Wednesday sharing new pieces that you won't find here! You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.
I’m already outnumbered. The testosterone to estrogen ratio in my house is 3:1. And soon, it will increase once more. I’m due in August with our third baby, which we found out today, is another boy.
Being a mom of boys has been a huge joy. An accomplishment, even. I am thrilled to be adding another one to the troop. I felt this coming – there was only a small period of time after finding out I was pregnant that I thought this baby may be a girl. Not only because I was so sick for the first few weeks this time (and wasn’t with either of the boys), but also because I heard that if you don’t look all glowy and beautiful during pregnancy it’s probably a girl, as they “steal” their mother’s beauty.
Unfortunately, those old wives tales proved wrong which means this boy just wanted to be difficult in the beginning and my acne and lack-luster hair, well, that’s just a product of weird pregnancy hormones and my age.
Having two boys already, everyone assumed I wanted this baby to be a girl. Sure, it would have been nice to change things up a bit. And I will even admit that I would daydream every now and then about accumulating dolls, buying frilly pink dresses and having princess tea parties.
Most were shocked when I would say that I truly had no preference – or perhaps they thought I was stretching the truth. “Come on,” they’d say, “deep down you want a girl, don’t you?”
In all honesty, I’ve always felt like I was meant to be a mom of all boys. Maybe it’s because I’ve just gotten so used to the life I have now. Or perhaps it is the fact that my husband and I hyperventilate when we see the latest girl “fashions”. I already think I’m going to be an overprotective mom, but having a daughter would amp up the crazy momma-bear tendencies to a different degree. Poor thing would be wearing turtlenecks until adulthood and I’d never let her out of my sight.
So sure, it’s going to be four against one in my house. I’m okay with that. Really, I am. Besides, I can look forward to the days when they venture out on father-son bonding adventures like camping (I don’t camp) or attending college football games (not much a fan). I’ll kiss them all good-bye then spend a weekend doing all sorts of girly things on my own.
Did you ever have a strong preference for the gender of your child(ren)?

3 comments :

  1. When I was pregnant with my now 11month old daughter, I had a strong feeling it was a boy (we wanted to be surprised so we didn't find out) and deep down, I think I *wanted* a boy (though all I really cared about was a healthy baby to love)...but now that I have my girl, I can't imagine having a son and I know this was meant to be...in fact, if we have other children I'm terrified of having a baby boy because now I "know how to" mother a girl! Lol...I think you get what you were meant to have...congratulations, Taryn!

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  2. I have 2 boys ages 5 and 1. I always wanted a girl. I cried both times when we found out they were boys. And everytime I hear someone else having a baby girl, my heart breaks alittle. And even makes me wonder if my miscarriage between my boys was a girl.
    But no one in this world will love me as much as my boys do. :-)

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  3. I have 3 boys and just found out that our 4th (and final) child will be a boy. I have always wanted a girl and really thought this one was going to be a girl. I had no idea I was going to take the news it was another boys as hard as I did. Don't get me wrong I am not disappointed that I am having a boy. I am just really disappointed that I will never have a girl. I have always seen myself taking a pink clad, pigtailed girly girl to ballet and painting a room in my house pink with floral bedding and now I have to come to grips with the fact that will never happen. It feels as though I am "grieving" for my dream of having a girl. Some people think I shouldn't have found out what we were having because of how I am feeling but I needed to know so I can deal with it now and not when I'm supposed to be enjoying my newborn son.

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