Penises

For most of my pregnancy with Max, I thought I was having a girl. I had three u/s that indicated a girl. I had a name picked out – Audrey Elizabeth. It wasn’t until I was about 30 weeks along at a follow up visit with the perinatologist that I found out that she was really a he. I was so sure I was having a girl, but completely fine when I found out that it was a boy. Besides coming up with a name (was going to call him Zachary Edward until after he was born when I changed to Max within minutes of meeting him), the question of circumcision or not was the biggest point to ponder. It didn’t really take me long after I got over the surprise and told family and friends to stop sending the girl stuff, start sending the boy stuff. I elected to keep him “intact” as it were. I really don’t have strong opinions (unlike some) one way or another. But, felt like it was an unnecessary procedure and he didn’t have a father or brother to “be like”. However, his only male cousin is also uncircumcised as brother in law. Lack of any other reason, I left things as they were.

Which makes the following story ironic in a way….

A few weeks ago my sister and her kids were here for a visit. I was giving Max a bath and one of his girl cousins got in with him and was playing, but Max’s youngest cousin…his only male cousin didn’t. My sister thought this out of character for him (he’s 5) and asked him about it. J said that he didn’t want Max to see his penis because it was different. My sister asked what he meant. J told her like xxx (a friend of J’s from school) has a circle around it. She really had no idea that J had seen xxx’s penis or that he had even realized there could be difference. She told J, that no, Max’s penis was just like his and didn’t have a ring around it. Upon this assurance, J took off is clothes and joined into the tub fun, having a good ole time long after Max and his sister had moved on.

Isn’t that funny? I guess his cousin was able to take comfort in the “sameness” long before Max.

In other penis news, I was cooking breakfast this morning when Max came running down the hall trying to pull of his diaper and pants saying “poo poo, poo poo”. What’s a mamma to do? I pulled the pan off the stove, turned off the stove, followed him into the bath room, and helped him get on the toilet. Alas, no poo poo’s, but he did pee in the toilet. He was so proud. He did the same thing to Niomi yesterday afternoon. Last night after she left, he was in the baby pool (he was naked) and he got out quickly and had a poop on the grass. He seemed upset by this. I didn’t make a big deal, just cleaned up his bum and then got a poo poo bag (like I do for Shadows stuff) and picked it up and moved on. I didn’t think that kids were ready to potty train until they were 3 or something. So, I’m not pushing anything, but hey, if he asks, or goes running past, calling poo poo while pulling off his diaper, I’m happy to help. It does seem like he is trying to work this all out though.