My son Mac lives with his two moms. I carried him and was able to do so with the help of his dad, an artichoke jar, and a lot of luck and love. I love watching the person he is becoming. He is goofy and funny. He has warm hands and cold feet. You can regularly find him making his My Little Pony's battle and painting the toenails on his dinosaurs. He knows the eating habits and natural predators of obscure animals from around the world. And he loves to organize his toys. Physically, he's got some of me and a lot of his dad. But he also has all of my wife's sarcasm and her love of cuddling.
Despite being his own person, he is also the reflection of us to the world. This really became clear to me recently when Tracy and I styled our own separate Mac photoshoots. What I love most about Mac is his bright and inquisitive nature. I love to see him in bright colours. And since I am on the dorky side myself, I am also more likely to dress him in sweaters with elbow patches. On the other hand, Tracy loves when Mac does impressions. She is fiercely proud of (and takes credit for) his sense of humour. And so, when we each dressed him, this is what happened:
And so I wonder, which Mac is the real Mac? Ultimately I think that the answer is both and neither. At the tender age of 4 he is a little bit of each of the moms who are raising him. He is the innermost parts of ourselves that we want to present to the world. And he is himself - that autonomous being who is just figuring out his likes and dislikes. The sweet kid who will grow into his own person. However, one thing is certain - being able to witness and participate in this forming of a human being is, and continues to be, an immense privilege. And I am very grateful for it.
Want to see more photos from both shoots? You are in luck! They are below. And if you are in Ottawa, Ontario and want photos of your own little ones please check out my family and unposed personality galleries.
