![\"\"](\"http:\/\/cindymckee.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/scan0153.jpg\" "\\"tyler")
<\/a>“Is this your first boy?\u201d the anesthesiologist asked, as he made preparations for my son\u2019s arrival. I nodded in reply as we both waited for the contraction to subside.\u00a0 He then grinned at the doctor and jokingly gave me and my husband one last piece of advice: \u00a0\u201cYou better go buy yourselves a hardhat!\u201d.<\/p>\nThe miraculous anesthesia took effect and my mind began to wander as my body relaxed. \u00a0Memory found me lying on an examination table, just a few months earlier, watching the cloudy shadows on the ultrasound monitor.\u00a0 The steady flutter of the heartbeat brought visible relief to all of our faces as we had recently miscarried. The electronic measurements indicated that the fetus was healthy and growing on schedule.\u00a0 Anticipating the news about the baby\u2019s gender for weeks, I was excited when the radiologist pointed to the corner of the screen and announced, \u201cIt\u2019s a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elated, I smiled at my husband \u00a0and began to imagine who this little boy would become. \u201cI am still trying to figure out how to be a mother to my three- year old daughter.\u00a0 Will I know how to interact with a second child? \u00a0A BOY<\/em>?\u201d I wondered.\u00a0 I admit that I was a bit apprehensive of the unknown as my only knowledge of \u201cboys\u201d was growing up with two often-annoying brothers. \u00a0Would I know how to interact with a son?\u00a0 After all, boys and girls have spoken different languages since the beginning of time. My relief brought with it excitement and many unanswered questions.<\/p>\n My impatient, unborn son reminded me of his imminent entrance, so I was abruptly brought back to the reality of the delivery room.\u00a0 My last moments of pregnancy were intense and indescribable. \u00a0At 6:47 a.m. the doctor placed a healthy, screaming newborn on my abdomen and confirmed, \u201cIt\u2019s a Boy!\u201d.\u00a0 I cried out with relief as I reached out to touch my perfect 6 lb. 4 oz. son, confident that he was the most beautiful baby boy ever born. \u00a0I held our tiny miracle for the first time and sensed that I was embarking on a new adventure.\u00a0 Little did I realize that the world as I knew it would never again be the same.<\/p>\n Any misgivings that I may have had about raising a \u201cmale\u201d child were quickly forgotten as I watched Tyler discover the world day by day.\u00a0 While I didn\u2019t feel very knowledgeable about \u201cboys\u201d it didn\u2019t matter because he was \u201cmy boy\u201d.\u00a0 I loved to see him smile and listen to his contagious laughter. Mother and son learned a lot from each other during that first year as he grew from infant to an active, energetic toddler.\u00a0 His art medium of choice was toothpaste, and he loved to climb onto the cupboards and into the dishwasher.\u00a0 There was never a dull moment with him around.<\/p>\n Always eager to explore and investigate, my one-year old son somehow managed to fall head-first out of a window, smashing his head onto the blacktop driveway below.\u00a0 While I fidgeted in the emergency room, waiting to talk to the doctor, those words of advice from the anesthesiologist came rushing back.\u00a0 Luckily, he recovered with only an ugly bruise on his forehead, but it was at that exact moment that I started considering buying our son a hard hat.<\/p>\n Both to my joy and chagrin, my tiny newborn quickly grew into a healthy, all-American boy.\u00a0\u00a0 His bedroom was scattered with action figures, building blocks and dirty clothes; and he had a strong aversion to putting away his shoes or washing his face. My mechanical toddler collected duct tape, rocks, tools and anything with a set of wheels.\u00a0By early childhood, he perfected the skill of falling and hitting his head.\u00a0 Sadly, the hard hat didn\u2019t provide much protection to him, my walls (or his sisters\u2019 fingers) as misadventure followed him through elementary school. A routine shower somehow ended with a chipped tooth and a scarred chin. Kindergarten brought with it xrays and broken fingers. A bicycle crash succeeded in knocking out both front teeth. We spent the evening of his pinewood derby sitting once again in the E.R. as the doctor stitched up an ugly gash to \u00a0his knee. (Of course, we had to go show the other boys the 36 stitches later that night).<\/p>\n I cringe at those memories, but my son has taught me that these scars, bumps and bruises are mere badges of honor. \u00a0I\u2019ve long since given up on the hard hat, but I do rely heavily on seatbelts, helmets and emergency services. This boy of mine, who became my only son, has grown into a fine young man, but he has not outgrown the tendency to leave dirty socks on the floor or attract misadventure.\u00a0 Middle and high school included the cauterization of his thumb (after cutting the entire tip off with his pocket knife) a frantic call to 911 reporting a snowmobile fire in my back yard and two minor car accidents. I can assure you that nothing quite garners a mother\u2019s attention as quickly as these words uttered at your front door on a Sunday afternoon: \u00a0\u201cHurry, come quick. Tyler is lying underneath<\/em> the 4-wheeler in your driveway!”.<\/p>\n This tough, boisterous (accident prone) exterior disguises the inner sensitive, thoughtful young man I adore. This son of mine will be the strongest defender his sisters will ever know–not due to brute strength, but because of an inner, protective loyalty that defies all of my preconceived ideas of \u201cboys\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 It is this side of him that entraps and captivates me.\u00a0\u00a0 He is mischievously aware of that and is very adept at manipulating me with his bright eyes and contagious smile. In the past 17 years, he has skillfully mastered the art of teasing, flattery and charm, and he can be quite the gentleman \u00a0as he quickly approaches adulthood. Still, I keep the insurance card in my wallet and the local doctor\u2019s office phone number on my speed dial.<\/p>\n My son and I have discovered so much together, and he makes me laugh every single day. He is all grown up now and doesn\u2019t need me as much as he once did, but I am confident that our relationship will last forever. My not-so-little-anymore boy is just a competitive, analytical and (don\u2019t tell anyone) lovable guy.\u00a0 He thrives on being needed, and probably wouldn\u2019t admit it, but he still wants to make his mother proud. \u00a0For a few short moments I held my tiny 6 lb. infant in my arms, gazing down into his dark eyes, and dreamed of his future.\u00a0 I now look up to him (quite literally as he has now outgrown me by a good six inches) and long for his childhood. \u00a0Wasn\u2019t it just yesterday that I held his hand, walking him to his preschool class, stopping to watch the fascinating excavators and cement mixers?\u00a0 Now he is changing my oil, restoring tractors and ordering a tuxedo for next week\u2019s junior prom. I will take the muddy shoes, skinned knees and broken bones right along with the awkward hugs and wrinkled, handwritten notes.\u00a0 I will carry these magical memories of his youth with me until I take my last breath.<\/p>\n In\u00a0retrospect I am grateful that the doctor didn\u2019t have time to give me any more details when I delivered my baby on that snowy November day.\u00a0 I have cherished the adventure of finding out for myself.\u00a0\u00a0I do feel a bit anxious as I think of my son walking across the stage to get his high school diploma next year. I hope that no accidents \u00a0befall him as he trades in his childhood \u201chardhat\u201d for his graduation cap and gown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Is this your first boy?\u201d the anesthesiologist asked, as he made preparations for my son\u2019s arrival. I nodded in reply as we both waited for the contraction to subside.\u00a0 He then grinned at the doctor and jokingly gave me and … Continue reading