Four of a Kind was Just Fine!.....then Surprise!

Although I ended up with a family of four girls and two boys, I can still very much relate to the mother's of all the same sex.  For eleven years we were the parents of four daughters.  We thought our four little girls were wonderful, but I well remember the comments of others and expectation of family every time we were expecting.  I know people just didn't stop and think before they spoke, but some of the things that came out of people's mouths were downright cruel.  Here are some of the ones I remember the most:

"Oh, I'm sorry!  I bet you were trying for a boy"

"Oh Darn!  Mark needs a boy!"

"Oh, another girl?  Well, better luck next time."

"Oh, I bet Daddy was awfully disappointed"

"Another girl?  Well, maybe you guy's need to just give up."

"Poor Dad"

"I beat you, I got a boy the first time!"  (Mark just rolled his eyes at this bundle of intelligence!)

When people heard we were expecting again, they always assumed we were "trying for a boy".  Nope, we actually weren't trying for anything.  Only one baby was planned out of the six, the others just happened.  I especially remember two times.  I remember who it was, where I was at, and how we were standing.  One was in a restaurant when they looked at my precious little baby I so proudly was showing off and said, "Oh another girl, well better luck next time".  I tell you, it was like a knife in my heart!  I finally got my wits about me and said "We are very lucky this time!  The second one was in the grocery store when again, I was so proudly smiling down at my sweet baby girl, showing her off, when the person said, "I bet Daddy was awfully disappointed"  Taking a deep breath I managed to smile and say"No Daddy is awfully proud of her!"

When you have four little girls and are expecting again, you just assume that you will have another little girl.  The thought of it being something else even seems a little foreign to you.  So when #5 arrived and the doctor said, "It's a boy!", I remember having to lean up and check for myself!  And sure enough, something definitely looked different!  I had only packed a little pink dress to bring the baby home in, but the girls came to the rescue, going through our baby clothes at home and finding a little white sleeper that they cut the lace off of!  Of course we were excited to have a boy, but it was not the ultimate goal of our lives as so  many people thought.  Again, people would speak without thinking, right in front of the four big sisters.  Then we heard things like "Finally!  Now you can quit!"  or "Oh I bet your're so happy you finally got a boy!"  I was so proud that Mark always answered, "Yes we are, but no happier than we were when we had our girls!"  And man, it really blew everyone's mind when nine months later we were expecting again.  Then we heard, "Oh, Wow, I figured you guy's would be done once you finally got your boy!"

Well, that boy we got, the one that we brought home in a white sleeper with the lace cut off, and the one who along with his younger brother introduced us to a whole new set of hormones, toy guns, bows and arrows, endless ballgames, and living room wrestling matches, turns twenty five years old today.  And although he is no more special than his sisters, he still holds a special place in all of our hearts!  Happy Birthday Bryan Mark Ricke!