MOTHERS + DAUGHTERS

Mom, smiling at me on my wedding day. 

My family makes females. It’s just what we do. I am 1 of 3 girls. My older sister already has 2 girls. I have 3 female cousins on my Mom’s side (no boys) and between them there are 4 more girls. Out of the cousins and cousins kids, our baby girl will be the 13th female (and just 1 boy in, oh, over 65 years).

My Dad has a ‘proclaimed’ a bounty on the first grandson (don’t be fooled though, he LOVES being Dad / Granddad to girls). When we told my family I was pregnant, my brother-in-law confidently warned J not to expect a boy (the girls in this family don’t let boy sperm through...) and he quickly trained my niece to start referring to her future cousin as a she.

To actually have a boy with such a track record can pretty much be viewed as a challenge. I admit, there were times where I hoped for the baby to be a boy just to say, ha! see?! it can be done!

And yet, when we found out she was, in fact, a she, a wave of excitement and joy runneth over me. As we left the doctors office I told J how I couldn’t imagine us not ever having a daughter. As in, if we only ever had boys, I think I might have been pretty sad. In a different sort of way then if we end up with only girls.

I took this week off of work to tackle lots of last minute baby preparations (physically and mentally) and my Mom visited to help. I’m so glad she did, it felt like a special time we’ll remember having together - pre me becoming a Mom myself. We mostly just hung out -- washing baby clothes, finding places for all the baby shower gifts, running errands for the essentials I still needed. We went for a long walk on the beach and lunched at a couple of my favorite cafes. We tried a new Italian restaurant for dinner and made Tacos at home. Nothing we did I couldn’t have done on my own, but the company was exactly what I needed to feel calm and grounded and excited about the gigantic life event that’s on the horizon. That’s just what Mom’s do. They make you comfortable (plus she knows me really well and doesn't bother giving me judge-y eyes about having to buy the more expensive baby bouncer because the aesthetic is clean and modern... we just laugh together at my particulars).

Even though this isn’t her first grandkid rodeo or her first granddaughter, she’s just as happy and enthusiastic for her first grandkid from us. Mom’s know how to make sure you feel special.

I’m so glad I’m going to experience a mother-daughter relationship. I hope my daughter loves me as a mother as much as I love mine.

image: Tyler Branch Photo.