Mazal Tov! It's a Boy!

For those of you that have been living under a rock, Joshua and I found out last Friday that we are expecting a baby boy. As expected, no child of mine could possibly be shy, and as soon as the doctor pointed the little ultrasound camera at him, he virtually did a handstand and spread his tiny little legs. We have been chuckling at the picture for days, but I have no intention of posting same on this blog. We both surmised that we have the rest of his life to embarrass him, and we do not intend to start by posting a picture of his you-know-what on the World Wide Web. With that, I suppose we must bid adieu to the beloved moniker “Pistachio.” He is now officially Jackson James Allison.

Within hours of the “boy” news, my mother, sister, and I went crazy buying boy clothes, and he is officially going to be the best dressed child in Creek County. He already has a jean jacket, a tiny Chaps sweater vest, camouflage high-top tennis shoes, and a litany of other goodies to make sure he looks like a little man. I noticed that baby clothes, like babies, come in all shapes, colors, designs, and sizes. I do not subscribe to the belief that “all babies are cute,” because for some babies, that is genetically impossible. I take comfort in knowing that even if Jackson is not the cutest baby ever conceived, Joshua and I will be so blinded that we won’t know that. Like babies, not all baby clothes are automatically cute: I have officially decided that I hate overalls, most onesies that look like “typically baby” styles (i.e. a blue onesie covered with graphic pacifiers and rattles), and almost all “character” onesies (i.e. a blue onesie covered with Bugs Bunny and Tweetie Bird). I understand that there are some exceptions to these basic rules, and I realize that I may get some call from some mother who has an adorable picture of her child in corduroy overalls straight out of 1985. Still, I contend that the “blinded by love” factor compromises your ability to see that that dated outfit was and is just plain disgusting. Before I become “blinded by love” and think Jackson looks cute in everything, I am going to preemptively say no to such risky wardrobe selections.

Yesterday, we purchased what Mom has affectionately been referring to as the “Jack-Mobile.” I traded by Nissan Maxima in for a 2008 Ford Escape. Joshua and I decided that we have officially become parents: We traded our nicely-equipped Nissan for a practical, American-made Ford big enough to haul all of the junk that will accompany this tiny person. We really do like the new vehicle, but I was admittedly a little sad to drive away and leave my Maxima behind. I have a feeling this is only the beginning of the process of leaving behind what we want for what is best for Jackson James Allison. I think, however, Joshua and I are both fairly convinced he will be worth all the trouble.