Joy of a Boy

Let me start by saying that we were not the couple that got pregnant a third time only with hopes to have a boy. We didn’t care at all. As Finn’s due date drew close, I just knew I’d be a mom of three girls. When he arrived with all his little male parts, I was pretty much shocked but instantly knew he was meant to be a part of my life. I love that I have been given the blessing of raising both a boy and girls, but can honestly say that I would have considered it a blessing however it panned out. So, I have a boy….

There are numerous things that Finn does that the girls would have never even thought to do. He runs straight away from me whenever we are in public, he eats everything in sight (see October’s “Gotta Light?”), he climbs to unimaginable heights and he continually destroys anything in his reach on purpose, and then laughs. He is an enigma to me, that’s for sure. His latest trick has left me the most perplexed…. Constantly screaming the word “OWWWW!” whenever I touch him. (When he doesn’t want me to.) This is fine at home as I’m sure you can imagine, but in public, well…. I’m sure you can imagine.

Yes, that’s me with my child in the grocery store. You hear the “Owww!” and wonder, “Is that his mommy? What’s she doing to him?” You even go in for a closer peek and give me a pitied look when you realize he’s the one in control of the situation. I feel terrible for him and for how I appear, but I trudge on through and keep doing whatever I’m doing; wiping his messy face or hands, taking away a choking hazard, moving him from an unsafe location or carrying him across the parking lot. All the while, the “Owww’s” follow us wherever we go! On top of all his other illustrious acts, this fully exhausts me by the end of my day and I can’t wait for bedtime. And then, as soon as he’s down, I miss him.

Because you see, Finn has some very endearing qualities as well. He is more attached to me than I ever could’ve imagined and even cries when I go to the bathroom. He loves to be held and when I hold him he plays with my hair and whispers “Mommy” over and over. He is so cuddly and will actually sit in my lap and watch at least part of a movie which is pretty impressive at 18 months. He goes to bed like a champ, happily trotting up the stairs, picking a book and saying “Nigh, nigh.” He has the deepest blue eyes you’ve ever seen and I’ll cry the day those white curls turn dark. He is so in love with his teddy bears that when a dear friend brought over her 18 month old daughter, he held all three of his favorites in a death grip for hours until she left. He does a head bob when he dances, loves to spin and get dizzy. And when you drive him around to see Christmas lights, he screams “WOW!” over and over. It’s adorable.

So Finn is new territory for me and a learning experience every single day. Even with all his boy craziness, his sweetness outweighs his “Ow’s” by far. I guess they’re the price I pay for the cuddles and the hair playing. Someday soon, he’ll grow up and things will change. I’ll miss it all as we move onto to new things. So for now, say “ow” Finn, say “ow.”