ChiKat

I am sick. Ah choo. My little boy, however, has no tolerance for my plan to nap all day. I am trying to convince my dog to watch the boy for me, but that is not working either. It might have something to do with the fact that the boy's favorite game is to grab the dogs trail and laugh hysterically when the dog leaps up in surprise and dashes across the room, dragging the boy along for a ride.

That poor, poor dog.

In two weeks, we are celebrating my boy's one-year birthday. I cannot believe it. He is an entirely different creature now compared to a year ago. He toddles ahead of me, he plays tag, he is ticklish under his chin, he loves to eat crayons. He's a totally perfect, magical little boy. He's so not a baby anymore.

Which means he will have no problem being dragged across South America! Great!

Ok, he is still a little boy, but he is certainly no baby.

I have found that I love being a mom to a boy. I thought I would want a girl, but being a mom to a boy is so delightful. I went out to lunch the other day with one of my girl friends and her four-month-old boy, and we had a fabulous time spending the day with them. Sure, we tortured them by looking at several fancy dress shops, but they loved all the materials and the tags. I'm sure the saleslady loved the two-foot-high trail of drool that we left in our wake. Drool! It's the next big thing in fashion design!

When my little boy falls down, I tell him he's ok. After all, I think to myself, he's a rough-and-tumble boy. I don't know if I would have that same attitude if I had a girl. I don't want my son to be a Mommy's Boy, so I work hard to instill a sense of independence in him. I don't know if that can really be taught, but he certainly does love to explore and I try to encourage that. When he empties out my cabinets for the five millionth time, I remind myself he is engaging in independent play rather than being a pain in the behind. Even though we spend pretty much every single waking moment together, I try to make sure he does his own things and doesn't cling to me. I'm not sure I would be trying this hard with a girl. I can't remember anyone accusing girls of being "Mommy's Girls". It feels ok for a girl to cling to her mom. It isn't the same for a boy.

I'm so surprised I feel this way. If I do have a daughter down the road, I'll try extra hard to give her the same independence I've given my son. I'm a better mom based on all the things I've learned from my son.

So far, he's a happy, happy little boy, so it's working out pretty well for both of us.