Parenting
IN THE
Pines
We Can Be Heroes BY AMANDA ODEN WHEN I FOUND OUT I WAS HAVING MY SECOND CHILD I WAS SO EXCITED! My husband and I had talked about eventually expanding our brood to include a playmate for our daughter Bowie Opal, so while the timing was a surprise, the pregnancy wasn’t unplanned. I had my heart set on a second girl and was honestly a little disappointed when our ultrasound tech announced that Baby No. 2 was of the male variety. Often, when I told someone I was having a boy, I would get encouragement like “Oh boys, they just adore their mamas!” So, I started to get excited. I mean, Bowie was an equal opportunist and she vacillated between my husband 36 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2022
and me depending on her mood, never really choosing a favorite parent. But a mama’s boy? That was something to look forward to! Arlo was born and I was all set for my instant bestie, but to my dismay, from the start, he was a daddy’s boy through and through. Don’t get me wrong, he loves me, but the child is happiest tagging along with my husband walking the dog, playing guitar, barbecuing dinner or wheeling the garbage cans to the curb for “Garbage Day.” Garbage Day is always a big event in our household. Arlo makes sure to wake us all up at dawn so we can post up in front of the living room window and get the best
