I, being very stubborn and a firm believer in that some things should be left (an amazing!) surprise, chose not to find out what I was having when I was pregnant – both times.
But, not-so-secretly, I LONGED for a girl when I was expecting my first baby. Much as I also knew that what really mattered was a healthy baby, of course. And it’s not that I didn’t want a boy, per se, I was just such a girl’s girl myself, and have grown up in a family where we all just have girls. My mum has one sister. I have one sister. My sister has two little girls. You see? Boys were just not on my radar.
So you can imagine my joy when the midwife lifted that warm, slippery bundle up to me and I found out I had my baby girl… It was (up until my little boy was born three years later) the single most amazing moment of my life. (Now, of course, I have two of those moments tucked away in my heart, both equally filled with magic.)
Six years and two children in, I know that being a mum is amazing, no matter what gender your children are, obviously, and I LOVE how I now have one of each. (Like; trust me, I am obsessed with my cherub-cheeked little boy too).
There are beautiful advantages and highlights to having both girls and boys, (and the list is growing every day). And here are my ten absolute favourite ones about having a little girl:
1. The clothes
I know this sounds totally shallow, but seriously; shopping for a baby girl (when you are a fashion loving mama) is SO amazing. Frilly dresses and floral rompers. The tiny tutus. The cashmere cardigans. The baby-sized Uggs. The mini-me versions of dresses. ALL the pink. It is so, so amazing. (And also; bad news for your credit card!)
2. The fashion talk
Ever since she was old enough to be aware of her outfits and being dressed in clothes, my little girl has been a total Carrie Bradshaw in the fashion department. Or maybe an Anna del Russo even. That girl takes some serious fashion risks, and while I sometimes have to work on my tolerance for leopard glitter leggings paired with My Little Pony t-shirts and topped with a tiaras and these flamingo-shaped sunglasses she found in a park and is refusing to get rid of, part of me can’t help but admire her fashion forwardness.
2. The ballet
Demi-pointes, pirouette and vole. And tuille and tutus. What’s not to love?!
3. The gentleness
This, I LOVE, and didn’t really discover properly until we had our boy, but, wow, girls are a totally different breed when it comes to being gentle and considerate, qualities my little girl embodies in every way. Meanwhile, my little boy runs thought the house like a tornado on steroids, leaving a trail of broken things (glass vases, Missoni throws, sunglasses, Barbie houses, you name it, he has wrecked it), in his wake. Oh, and he is loud. (Our neighbors LOVE us!)
4. The hair
I LOVE how our bathroom now is overflowing with sparkly hair clips, pink glitter bobbins and hair bands with gigantic bows on them. Somehow I have tons more fun doing N’s hair now than I do my own!
5. The Disney princess film
Ah, what can beat a night in on the sofa watching Frozen (for the 71th time)? (Actually; L, being only two, also loves princess films, so this isn’t strictly a girl thing.)
6. The chats
My own mum is truly my best friend in the whole world, and I remember how me and my sister used to always tell her everything when we were little (and still do, in fairness. FaceTime is the most used app on my phone by far). Even as teenagers, coming in from cinema outings or teenage discos, we would pile into our parents bedroom, wake our mum up and tell her all the going-on’s from our night out (who shifted who, who cried, who – shock horror – had a drink and so on and so forth.)
This is what I so badly want for my little girl and me too. And what I think we will have.
7. The dress up
Walking round the house dressed as a mermaid or Tinker Bell or Rainbow Dash is a common happening at our house. We also frequently do catwalk shows up and down the hallway. I love the creative energy and riot of colour that all serious dress up sessions entail, and hope N will always enjoy playing dress up with her mama.
8. Having a mini-me
Twinning with my little girl is the most fun – even if it is just colour coordinating – and I am hurrying to do it now before she cops how lame it is and judges me for being crazy.
9. The automatic mothering instinct
Seeing my little girl lift her little bro down from the sofa or help him with his shoes or giving him little kisses can literally make my heart jump out of my chest. Not just because it is such a sweet act of sibling love, which it is, but because I can also see the great mama she will be one day, and it makes me cry with the beautiful circle of it all.
10. I understand her
From the moment our eyes met and we fell in love, my baby girl and I, I have felt like I know her. Like; because I am a girl too, I have been in her shoes. I know about mean girls and mascara and hormones and hemlines. I can connect with her because we are the same, and I hope that she will forever see me as her go-to person for anything, from tomato soup recipes to troubles with boyfriends. I got her.
Watch this space for my 10 favourite things about being a boy mama!
Do YOU have girls or boys? What are YOUR favourite things about being the mother of YOUR children? Let us know in the comments or send me an e-mail at Trine.Jensen@Herfamily.ie
(Feature image via on of our all-time favourite sites, TheGlow.com)
