Game Day Onesies for G-Man

You may have heard that our middle son and his wife Preciosa are expecting their first child.  The gender of this wee one has been revealed,

and he will henceforth be affectionately called "G-Man" on this blog.

My son is a Notre Dame alumnus and rabid Fighting Irish football fan.  Preciosa is a Florida State alumna and rabid Seminoles football fan.  Their two worlds are going to be colliding on October 18, when ND travels to FSU to play on the Seminoles' turf.  We were all planning to attend that game together, and my husband had already purchased our tickets.  But God had other plans...because not too long after their wedding in December of last year, those two kids found out that they were going to become parents.  And their little darling was due to make an appearance around October 12, making travel to that game for the parents-to-be something that just wasn't going to be happenin'.

That's okay, though.  We're used to curve balls like this in our family, so we just called an audible.  (I'm mixing my sports metaphors, I know.)  My husband is still going to be off for the ND-FSU game (and the week prior), having put in for the vacation time so that we could travel down to FL to meet up with the kids for the big game.  SO, new game plan: instead of heading to FL, we're going to VA, where we'll watch it on TV--and hopefully G-Man will have already made his appearance (if he's a good boy, and doesn't make his mama go past her due date!), and he'll watch it with us.

I thought I'd make G-Man some game day onesies for the big contest between his parents' alma maters.  If it seems like the ND appliques are a tad more substantial, that was purely accidental.  There was no intent to show which of the two opponents I hope will be the winner.  ;)

GO IRISH!

GO NOLES!

And before I sign off, just a word about boys--because after raising five of them, I think I have earned the authority to speak on this topic.

They're wonderful.  That's it in a nutshell.  They're noisy and messy when they're little fellas, and they make every single activity into an intense competition.  But with boys, it's all out there in the open; there aren't all those emotional undercurrents that you have with girls.  Boys can be at each other's throats one minute, and laughing together like best buddies the next.  I always tell my husband that I think males are simple creatures, and I mean that in the best possible way.

The sweetest thing about boys, though, is that they really, really love their mamas.  When mine were little rascals, my husband promised me that they would grow up into tall, strapping lads who treated their mother like a queen.  He was right.

And I know, women who have girl children will tell you that there isn't anything that compares to the unique bond between mother and daughter.  And moms of all sons get the "Oh, poor you, no girls?" thing all the time (I sure do!), as though we have been cursed or something.  Recently, I was reading a blog post by a mother of four sons that really hit home with me.  She said that she was irritated by people who are "unnecessarily sympathetic" toward her because she has only boys.  Yes, I thought!  All that sympathy I've gotten over the years has been totally unnecessary!  I feel blessed!   Maybe there's something a mother misses out on when she doesn't have a daughter...but I'm getting that now, with the wonderful young women our boys have brought into our family.

Preciosa, you are about to be blessed to a degree that you can hardly imagine.  And my prayer for you is that that little son of yours treats you half as well as his daddy has always treated me.  If so, you will be the luckiest woman on earth!