Girls...

I have never been much of a girly-girl, and many boyish traits have snuck into my personality. I grew up playing basketball, baseball, football (tackle, of course), and a bit of hockey. I had my occasional fling with Barbies, make-up, and playing house, but I was pretty much your dictionary definition of a tomboy. I also have never been a big fan of girls in general – too much talking, competition, and drama for me. Because of these things, I have always wanted to have a son. My mind picture of the ideal family was two boys, and later a little girl – that way the boys could influence and keep their eyes on their little sister, making the job of raising a little girl a lot easier.
When I found out I was pregnant, I began hoping that I was having a little boy, and I actually worked to convince myself that that was the case. Obviously the convincing didn’t work. April 7th, 2005, we found out that we were having a little girl. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t disappointed. I knew that she was my child and I would love her no matter what, but she was messing up my perfect plan.
Disappointment soon turned to fear when I came to the realization that I was going to have to raise a girl in the pagan world that surrounds us. Being a girl is hard, but being a girl in the 21st century is even harder. How could I help my little girl develop the knowledge and self-esteem that she would need to get through life? How was I supposed to raise a Godly woman when the human race around her is everything but Godly?
When I finally figured out that the girl growing inside of me wasn’t going to change into a boy, I began to prepare myself for the task that lay ahead. I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to raise a healthy, happy, thriving, Godly little girl, who liked herself inside and out.
With a jump to the present, we find Lily Ann McDonald, a gorgeous one-month old baby, who is already smiling and holding her head up high. She has changed my life so much already – I’m even starting to like the color pink. I couldn’t imagine existence without my little Lily – she’s a perfect gift from God that I wouldn’t exchange for anything. Though I still fear that I don’t have what it takes to raise a girl, I’m up to the challenge – after all, I am a girl.