Daddy's Little Girl

I thought I was destined to have a gaggle of boys. Boys only. My husband and I started our family off with a boy. Then, we had another boy. Then, we had another boy. You already know this if you read my November post, "Finally We Have Our Girl." And just referring to that post, you can deduce what happened to our family. Yup, we had a girl.

Wow, it is different! I see it in my husband. When the boys were little, he liked them to have fun things and decent clothes. He never deprived them. But, they were not spoiled by any means. Generally, when we were at the store with them and they'd ask for something, we would just say no. I was a great bargain hunter for clothes and toys at rummage sales, clearance racks and Goodwill stores. And their dad was just fine with this.

Now that he has his precious baby girl, something has come over him. His wallet is opening. Some second hand items are fine for his baby, but you better believe he is shopping for clothes, toys and things to please her. Ah hem... HE is shopping. And, when I show him something in a magazine for her, he instantly says, "buy it." (He's not quite as flippant as it sounds, but in comparison, it is new and strange.)

His wallet is not the only thing that is opening up, his heart is too. Boys seem to beckon to be tickled, wrestled and roughed-up. When they cry, their dad says, "Toughen up, you're fine." But when a man's little girl cries, he snuggles, coddles and resolves the situation. He's not okay until his princess is okay. Play time with her is gentle and quiet. It's sweet to watch, and the partiality is acceptable. She's Daddy's little girl.

The weird thing is, it is happening to me too. I knew that having a daughter would be different. I knew my husband would be okay with me painting her toenails (unlike those times I painted my son's toenails.) I knew I'd get to buy dresses and have tea parties. But, I didn't expect the warmth, patience and fulfillment I'd feel in my heart.

We adore our boys. They are quite special. But having a girl is more different than I imagined. It seems she will be spoiled in many, many ways; mostly lots of doting and love. Daddy's little girl has also become Mommy's little girl.