It's a boy!

I spent 9 months fantasizing about tights, and tutus, and tiaras.  I dreamed of pink walls and sheets and rugs and, well, anything.  And I swooned over one teenie weenie, itsy bitsy, yellow polka dot bikini that I saw at Bloomingdales.  And then the big day came, I pushed and I pushed (literally...only twice...life is not fair) and out came my beautiful baby girl boy.

Pink dreams turned very quickly to a blue reality, and, as you probably know, I fell in love with the little guy.  Now-a-days, I can't imagine having a girl.  Ari is such a boy.  He loves looking at and playing with trucks, he digs in dirt, and he flirts with women young and old.  I dress him in blues and greens, cargo shorts, and polo shirts.  And, I think his features look very masculine.  (For a baby at least.)

Here he is, preparing for the hurricane:

Imagine my horror surprise when, a few weeks ago, a neighbor's son asked me, "What's her name?" 

Excuse me?  Are you talking to me?  Her name?  He's a BOY!!  (I quickly scooped up my tyke.  He was mortified.  We went home so he could play with his penis trucks.)

I'm reminded of a report I saw on The Today Show a few months ago about a family that decided to keep the gender of their child a secret.  Yup, the Canadian couple "hope their third child, Storm, can remain untouched by the connotations of pink versus blue, male versus female, long enough to make up his or her own mind." 

They went on to say, "We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place? ... )."

Yeah, I'm not sure I understand. 

Ever seen this book?  "I'm glad I'm a boy! I'm glad I'm a girl!"  The author's concepts of what boys and girls are: "Boys are handsome. Girls are beautiful. Boys are doctors. Girls are nurses. Boys are pilots. Girls are stewardesses."

That's what I'm talkin' about!  I should have raised Ari in the 70's.  Plus, I still forget to call them "flight attendants."

Hopefully one day Ari will have a sister.  He better have a sister.  Okay.  Matt?  In the meantime, Ari will be sporting blue.  He will be playing football.  And he will be tough!

And he will be told girls have cooties.  All girls.  Except his mommy. 



(Please no hate mail on this one.  I exaggerate.  I believe in gender equality.  I don't actually think that book is good for kids.  But I will not dress Ari in yellow or red or pink anytime in the near future.)