[BOY MOMS] Kary from Always Painted, Usually Chipped

On Mondays we wear blue…and green and grey and lumberjack plaid and stripes. My boy and I wear a lot of stripes!

Hi, I’m Kary and I blog over at Always Painted, Usually Chipped (although since having my son, the name should probably be changed to Rarely Painted, Often Chipped). I am a boy mom and I love it!

When I was pregnant I was really leaning towards “boy”. It felt like a boy and I really wanted a boy. My husband also really, really wanted a boy. Then we went in for a check and upon hearing the heartbeat the nurse told us that it was in the “girl” range.  Dang. We knew it wasn’t proof, but from that point on I just assumed I was having a girl. 

I’ve never been a tom boy, but I’ve never been a girly girl either. I fall somewhere smack in the middle. I can hang with the girls, but the thought of all the girly drama and the bows (oh, the horror of the bows) was not something that I was looking forward to. When I thought I was having a girl I talked myself into being excited about it. I can do bows! I can do ruffles! Bring on the glitter (in moderation!!).

Then we went for a follow up ultrasound at 15 weeks and they asked us if we wanted to know what we were having. I was shocked that they could tell so early, but casually said, “sure” since we kind of already knew. When the nurse said “boy” it was like a wave of relief hit me. No bows!! No glitter!! My husband’s face was priceless. He was getting his boy!!!

Now that my son is here it totally makes sense why his heart rate was in the higher “girl” range. He never stops moving. My 14 month old is a wild child. Our days are filled with running and sliding and playing. He is more content to push his stroller and to pull his wagon than to actually relax and take a ride. I like to call him “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Contained” (Harry Potter fans, you’ll get that). 

We play with trucks, dig in the dirt (eat the dirt on occasion), and our rock collection is extensive. Leaves are treasures and naps are overrated. We wrestle and do flips on the bed, somersaults are a must, and chasing the cats is a favorite activity. 

The first animal sound that Reed learned was the lion, “ROOOOOARRR!” Some of his first words include poop, butt, hop and snack. We will spend hours in the yard, in the hopes that we’ll see the garbage truck and then we’ll chase it all the way around the circle. If we get a bonus horn honk our day is made.

 

I am a boy mom. I am this boy’s mom. I am Reed’s mom and I’m the luckiest mom in the world! 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at elizabethrose84@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!

[BOY MOMS] Suzie and Niko

Hi there!!! My name is Suzie and I am a boy momma to my 17 month old son Niko.  A little about me and my family, my husband, Michael, and I have been married almost 3 years and I also have a 19 year old step-son and 3 dogs.  When I originally found out I was pregnant I wanted a girl, all my friends had girls and I couldn't wait to buy all those cute clothes.  We found out at our 17 week sonogram (I had sonograms every other week from 10-22 weeks) what we were going to have.  When the sonogram tech told it was a boy (no doubt), I just smiled and said I was very happy.  It wasn't till we got in the car to drive home that I started to cry and my husband asked me why and I said I am really happy I am having a boy.  I think I was a little relieved not to be having a girl. 

I officially became a boy momma August 1, 2012 and I immediately fell in love with the most beautiful little boy.  Niko is now 17 months old and is still the most beautiful (hubby says handsome, boys aren't beautiful....LOL) handsome little guy ever.  I love shopping for clothes and toys for him.  I was a bit of tomboy growing up, so I am very excited to go splashing in mud puddles, building forts, tickle wars, swinging on the swingset, sliding down slides, playing in the water, playing cars and truck and everything else that he gets into.  

We got him a teepee for Christmas and he loves it especially when Daddy plays with him in it.  Niko is a typical rough and tumble boy.  He loves to play chase, hide and seek, and he also likes to play ready-set-go and run to you so that you can toss him in the air.  His newest thing lately to be upside down in any fashion . Whether it be just laying over my legs or being carried upside.  He laughs and laughs when you do that especially if you pretend that you can't find him. Another new thing he has been doing lately is that he puts a shirt over his back like a cape and put his arms out in front of him like he is superman even though he has never watched superman (he is so stinkin cute).  

We have tried to find words to describe Niko and the only ones we can come with is goofy, silly, and funny.  He just makes you laugh all the time and there are times where is walking around the house just giggling for no reason which make us laugh even more.  He is such a laid back, fun, goofy, happy baby.  He is always smiling and laughing.

He loves the dogs that we have especially Nita (english mastiff).  He can crawl, poke, bite, pull, lay on her, stick his fingers in her ears, nose, mouth and eyes and she won't do a thing about but lay there.  When she has had enough she just gets up and moves.  He gives all the dogs "loves", his way of hugging them, he lays he head on some part of their body.

Niko has been the light of my life and I can't imagine my life today without him.  I have said in the past to Michael what did we do when we didn't have this little guy.  It's hard to remember what life what like without him, he keeps us on our toes.  I love watching him learn new things, say new words, figure out how to do something, and in general just grow.  I love hearing him call me momma or if I am not in the room he calls for me, "where momma", "momma here".  His smile just makes my heart melt.  It makes me a little sad how fast time has gone and how much he has changed, but I can't wait to see what he grows into as a little boy, teenager, and adult.  I just hope that time slows down a little because there is so much to remember, so much to do and see.  One of my favorite things to do with him is read and I hope that this continues.  He loves to bring me books and sit in my lap and listen to his momma read to him.  No matter what I am doing it is the one thing I will drop everything I am doing and take the time to do with him. I love my little guy with all my heart and then some.  He has brought me nothing but pure joy and I love every minute that I get to spend with him.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading a little about my life as boy momma and what my little guy loves to do.  

Have a great day!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at elizabethrose84@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!

[BOY MOMS] Amy from Happily Hello

Hi! My name is Amy, blogger over at Happily Hello and mother to my sweet little 15 month old wild man, Roman. I loved following along with Erinn's Girl Mom series, and when I saw Elizabeth was carrying the torch for us boy moms, I was absolutely thrilled! I love to see the fun activities other moms are doing with their littles especially when their littles are boys. 

When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately started purchasing bows, dresses, even pink furniture. I knew I had a 50% chance of having a girl and frankly I am one of the girliest girls around. I even let my husband pick our boy name because I knew we wouldn't need it. (Fortunately, I liked the name he picked!) At my 19 week gender ultrasound, when the technician announced we were expecting a boy, my reaction was are you sure? Followed by tears, both of joy that our baby was healthy, but also of shock. Immediately after, I went shopping for my first baby boy items and thanks to Baby Gap, I had no issue finding adorable little man outfits. I couldn't imagine before Roman arrived how I would raise a little boy... And now, I can't imagine it any other way! What I've learned in the past 15 months, so far it's much like raising a little girl. He loves to read, sing and dance. 

He also loves playing in dirt. 

He is an excellent shopping partner and is the sweetest little snuggler around. 

Most of all, he loves his big brother, our black lab Rocky. Rocky was a stray we found on the side of the highway in pretty bad shape. (Hence the scar on his face.) We never imagined the love they would have for each other this early on. Most of our days are filled with chasing Rocky around with his collar, or crying if he already has it on, feeding him all our meals, and most importantly nap time snuggles. We hear giggles 90% of the day and 100% of the time they are compliments of Rocky. 

One thing is for sure, being the mother of a toddler is the most rewarding job ever. Watching them grow and learn is such a special gift and the way they view you as their world gives your own life so much value. The first years are filled with so many milestones. First smiles, first steps, first words all happen regardless if they are a boy or a girl and make all of the hard work and sleepless nights worth while. 

Thank you so much Elizabeth for starting this series! Here's to many grass stains and skinned knees! On Mondays we may all wear blue.... But every other day we streak around the house like this... Just kidding, only Roman. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at elizabethrose84@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!

[BOY MOMS] Meghan from The Adventure Starts Here

Hi, my name is Meghan.  I'm wife to Chris and stay-at-home-mommy to my 14 month old son, Noah.   I blog over at The Adventure Starts Here about anything and everything in my daily life.  I am so excited to be a part of Elizabeth's new series, Boy Moms!  I have been an avid reader of Erinn's Girl Moms series, and I can't wait to meet some more boy moms!

Let me give you some background.  When I was in high school, I envisioned having 4 kids.  That has since changed, but at the time, I thought it would be fun to have 3 boys, and 1 girl (like you get a say in these kind of things).  I grew up being the only girl and had an awesome relationship with my mom, and still do.  My mom was also the only daughter and had a great relationship with her mom as well.  I hoped to have the same thing.  I love the idea of having a daughter, having fun dressing her, going shopping, doing all those girly things, and in general just being her best friend.  But after having my one daughter, I always imagined having the rest be boys.  I babysat a lot throughout high school and college.  For some reason, I always seemed to have more fun playing with the little boys.  I even babysat twin toddlers, a boy and a girl.  The little boy was the one who wanted to sit and cuddle with me while we watched TV and was interested in playing with me, while the little girl was more independent.  I guess from my experiences, I always thought boys were really a lot of fun.

Many years later, I was now pregnant with my own child.  Chris and I knew that we wanted to know the gender as soon as it was possible.   For weeks, we made guesses and asked our friends and family what they thought.  Chris has lots of cousins, there are 17 of them on his dad's side.  Out of those 17, only 3 are girls.  As a result, most people assumed we'd have a boy.  But for some reason, I thought we were having a girl.  However, my subconscious disagreed.  In every dream I had, we were having a boy.

We had an ultrasound scheduled right around 20 weeks to find out.  Chris and I had been brainstorming ideas on how we would announce the gender.  When Chris found these cute "It's a Boy" and "It's a Girl" elephant cookies at our grocery store, he knew they had to be involved (since I LOVE elephants).  Before our appointment, we took pictures with both cookies, so that as soon as we found out, we could send this picture to our family and friends, and then eventually post on Facebook.  We went for the ultrasound, and that's where we learned we were having a little boy!

With all the trouble we had getting pregnant, I honestly can say that I was just relieved to know that our baby was healthy!  And while it would have been fun to decorate a girl nursery and shop for girly clothes, I was super excited that we were having a little boy.  I immediately started designing the nursery and my mom started buying way too many clothes!   At that moment, it all became very real and I started imagining what life would be like with my little boy.  

Ever since Noah was born, I was in love!  He's my best friend, and it has just gotten better as he grows and becomes more interactive.  While he enjoys his cars and balls as much as any little boy, his favorite toys are his kitchen, vacuum cleaner, and musical instruments.



I think that regardless of having a boy or a girl, that the most fun and rewarding part of being a parent, is watching your child experience new things and see them grow into little people.  I am honored to be Noah's mom and am excited to see him grow and learn each day.  I can't wait to be his cheerleader, whether it's cheering him on from the sidelines of a game, going to see him in a play or a musical concert, or just supporting him in whatever interests he has.

Thank you so much to Elizabeth for having me!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at elizabethrose84@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!

[BOY MOMS] Kate from The Sokolewicz Family

Hey, y'all! I'm Kate, and I blog over at The Sokolewicz Family. Thanks Elizabeth for letting me guest post today and contribute to this awesome BOY MOM series!!

I'll start off by saying that I absolutely love being a BOY MOM and pray that we have all boys. 3 to be exact. They are just so much fun! The energy and enthusiasm they have every second of every day is unbelievable and infectious!



When I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was a boy. As most moms do, I just had a hunch. And when the ultrasound confirmed it, I think I literally jumped for joy! It's everything we'd ever hoped and prayed for.

On June 5, 2012, Jacob was born and our lives changed forever. What a complete joy he is! He's brought so much laughter and happiness to our home. He's so smart and curious, yet cautious and shy. Just when I think he couldn't be more fearless, he runs from the vacuum. To say he keeps us on our toes, would be an understatement!

I love the look on his face when he discovers something new or when he hears his daddy come home. I love watching them play together and can imagine, in years to come, all my boys running around the backyard together. I love his belly laughs, and how much he loves his dogs. I love his dancing, and his excitement over a chocolate chip cookie. I love how compassionate he is, and his random bear hugs.

The trucks and cars, balls and bats, dirt and sticks, snails, slugs, fearless acrobatics, and so much more. I certainly didn't play with these things growing up, but I'm learning how to now, and I love it! And I know he does too.

I can't wait to teach him how to swim, how to shoot hoops, how to play catch and hit a ball, how to ride a bike, and how to mow the lawn. But also how to cook and bake, how to fold laundry, and to open doors for women. Because raising a son, to me, is more than the rough and tough, it's my duty to raise a gentleman and a man of God. And one day, I hope his wife thanks me (as I did to my MIL).

But most of all, I want him to feel loved. Every single moment of the day. That, is my ultimate goal as a mom.

Thanks again Elizabeth for letting me share a little bit about why I love being a BOY MOM. I cannot wait to hear all the other stories coming this week, and throughout this series!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at elizabethrose84@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!

[BOY MOMS] Tara from A Tale of Two Maples

Hello and welcome to the first post in the Boy Moms series! I am so excited to share the stories of these amazing moms and their oh-so-cute little men with you all! I had an overwhelming response to my post on Erinn's blog, Strawberry Swing and Other Things so I have decided to share boy mom stories all week this week! Then starting next week a different boy mom will be featured every Monday. I can't thank you all enough for your love and support. And also a big thank you to Erinn for the amazing graphic above.

I am so excited to share these stories with you all.

So! Without further ado... enjoy Boy Moms with my good friend Tara from A Tale of Two Maples!

On Mondays We Wear Blue…And a whole lot of messy too!

I met my dear friend Lizzy our freshmen year of college. It took us a few months to realize that we weren’t just in one of the same classes we also were living in the same building! From then on she has been one of my dearest friends.

Calem

Declan

Hi, I’m Tara from A Tale of Two Maples, and I am the lucky mommy to TWO BOYS!!! I have always wanted to be a mom to boys, once upon a time I dreamed of having three boys and a girl. Now I feel like whatever blessings come in this life, I am grateful. I met my husband at summer camp and I used to beg to have a group of the seven year old boys. They always seemed like so much fun! Fast forward through more summer camps, a year long trip around the world, nursing school, more traveling and arrive at the biggest adventure yet…PARENTHOOD! Most days I can’t believe that I already have two kiddos, Declan is about to turn 2 and Calem is about 2.5 months.

Have you heard the saying “Mothers of sons work from son up to son down.” NO JOKE! Being a mom to little boys means planned activities usually last about 5 minutes (10 if you are lucky), we are outside most of the day, and outfits for everyone are changed at least thrice! It means that I face every day with a sense of humor and we laugh, a lot!  Declan is active ALL of the time…and he is fearless. His favorite activities are going to the trampoline park, chasing the dogs, exploring outside and anything that involves water, especially the dog’s water bowl.

Calem has already figured out that he must eat all of the time and grow strong to keep up with his older brother. In our house, we call this the “beefcake!” He is such a sweet baby, completely content to be held and snuggle into your arms. I prayed for a snuggler and here he is! Having two kiddos under two and two in diapers is…exhausting, sometimes challenging, mostly rewarding and always filled with love. The exhausting moments are headed towards the two of them being lifelong best friends. The gift of one another might just be the best gift I could ever give my children.

Thank you Lizzy for asking me to share my love of being a boy mom!

XOXO,

The Mommy Tree

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 If you would like to share a post about you and your son, email me at elizabethrose84@gmail.com .

I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to participate!