What It Means to Have a Little Boy

What it means to have a little boy. She explains exactly what it is like to be a mom to a little boy–the good, the bad, and the surprising!

When the ultrasound technician smiled and said “It’s a boy!” my eyes were instantly full of tears. But not all of them were happy. My heart had been set on having a girl. I didn’t grow up with any brothers, and I knew nothing about little boys. I loved our baby, but I was scared because I had no idea what it meant to have a little boy.

He was so perfect, so sweet, and such a good baby. I still didn’t know what it meant to have a little boy, but I knew that he was exactly what our family needed.

On Friday, Little J turns two. Now I feel like I know a little bit more about what it means to have a little boy.

Having a little boy means having balls of all shapes and sizes all around your house. It means unexpectedly getting hit with balls when they are learning how to throw and catch.

Having a little boy means learning the name of all the different kinds of trucks on the road. Mini loaders, dumpers, scrapers, car transporters, big rigs, excavators, grass cutters, and brush rigs. Things that you most certainly would never learn otherwise, and that you have to look up so that you can teach your son that they aren’t just all called “Bob.”

Having a little boy means dirty hands, bringing rocks in the house, and picking up sticks whenever they see one. And of course you will always want to hold those tiny, dirty hands when they slide into your own, because having a little boy also means you will be getting messy, too.

Having a little boy means seeing your husband’s mini me. You will see your son want to be “just like Dad” in everything, and it will melt your heart every time they do something together.

Having a little boy means building (and mostly knocking down) blocks. It means blocks under your sofa, blocks under your bed, blocks that you step on, and blocks that won’t ever get taller than a foot high before they are excitedly knocked down.

Having a little boy means getting excited over anything with wheels. It means hearing “car!” from the backseat multiple times when you are driving, waiting at the window to watch the trash truck drive by, and jumping up and down whenever you hear a loud truck pass by.

Having a little boy means trains, trains, trains. You will be able to name all of the trains in your son’s favorite shows, because he can name all of the trains in his favorite shows. It means train sheets, train toys, train pajamas, and train books. Trains, all day, every day.

Having a little boy means there will always be a bruise, a scratch, or another kind of “owie” to kiss and make better. It means he will jump off of things, climb on top of things, fall off of things, and run into things. Accidents will happen all the time, and you will always be there to fix them.

Having a little boy means that there will never be a dull moment. There will be lots of laughs at the ridiculous things he does and says. There will also be lots of frustration as he becomes more independent and wants to do everything you tell him not to.

Having a little boy means that there will always be somewhere in your house that is a mess. He will pull books off of bookshelves, dump blocks out of boxes, throw balls down the hall, and pull clothes out of drawers. So having a little boy also means that you will have to let go of always having a clean house.

Having a little boy means knowing that you aren’t going to be the number one woman in his life forever. It means trying to raise the best little gentleman you can, and then letting go when he finds his wife. It means knowing that he will always have a special place in his heart for you, knowing he will always miss his mom’s cooking, and knowing he will always protect you when things get hard.

Having a little boy is one of the best things in the world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.