I Was a #Boymom … Until I Had a Girl.

Long before we got pregnant, I knew I’d be a boy mom.  Not just any boy mom, a #boymom. You know what I’m talking about.

#BOYMOM

The coveted hashtag dedicated to the moms of boys who go “son up to son down,” love cars, trains, and planes, and are constantly making and covered in messes. #Boymom

On November 2, 2011, we welcomed our son, Anderson, to our family. He was everything I dreamed having a boy would be. He loved when I made his spoon of puree into an airplane. He had a relentless obsession with Thomas the Train. He looks at the world around him in terms of how he can make it “more awesome.” He is always in the dirt, covered in dirt, or talking about something that lives in the dirt.

He is fearless. He is a daredevil.

Everything he wants to be when he grows up involves speed, adrenaline, and muscle. I’m completely guilty of using the hashtag #boymom on more than a few pictures of him during his first three years of life.

… then I had a girl …

January 26, 2015, we brought Aubrey into the world. Her birth was much like her personality: stubborn. The girl was born with the attitude of “we’ll do things on my terms.”

Her picture is in the dictionary next to “Strong Willed Child.” She’s the child who colored her kitchen set with permanent marker. She is the one who has the epic meltdown in the toy aisle because you won’t buy her another baby doll. She is the one you go looking for when it’s “too quiet” in the house. She wants to be a doctor, a veterinarian, or a dentist when she grows up.

She is always in the dirt, covered in dirt, or talking about something that lives in the dirt.

She is fearless. She is a daredevil.

And do you know what is missing on social media posts? #GIRLMOM

I’ve honestly never seen it, and I know many mamas of girls! I’m guilty myself of never throwing that hashtag on a photo of her on Instagram.

Girls talking nonstop before they even have teeth? #girlmom

Girls having a meltdown because they can’t wear pink on pink on pink on glitter (so much glitter)? #girlmom

Girls having tea parties? #girlmom

Girls wearing their Queen Elsa costume 24/7 for 42 straight weeks? #girlmom

But, also:

Girls loving planes, trains, and cars? #girlmom

Girls playing in the dirt and climbing trees? #girlmom

Girls riding their bikes on pump tracks with their big brother? #girlmom

Girls wrestling their daddy and brother? #girlmom

After I had my girl, I quickly stopped using the hashtag #boymom because I realized that it really wasn’t a Red Badge of Courage that set me apart from another mom.

Whether you’re a boy mom or a girl mom or have one of each, I think we can all agree that being a #MOM is still the hardest job on earth and ALL babies will try our patience, wits, and stress level on a daily basis.