My "Little Boy"

Before Tiger was born, I was determined that she wouldn't be dressed in "girly" things. 

This wasn't exactly as politically correct and "feminist" a declaration as you might think. It was more that I wanted to have a baby who was able to move and roll and crawl and wriggle with abandon, and I couldn't bear the idea of her trying to be active and mobile through a sea of frills and tulle.

When she was born, my ideas on clothing her firmed even more. Tiger is not a "girly" baby. She looks silly in ruffles and bows ... not to mention grumpy. The few times she's been put in a dress she's spent most of the day trying to get it off (with the exception of a very special purple dress given to her by Poppy S and a funny fruit salad one given to her by Grandma V - both much less frou frou than your average baby girl frock).

Of course, we have been gifted a few items of girlyness, and we've dressed Tiger in these - waste not, want not - but her day-to-day wear is, without fail, pants and a tee shirt or, in warmer times, a little singlet suit. She can wiggle to her heart's content in these things.

So it shouldn't come as any surprise to me when people who don't know her refer to Tiger as "he". After all, she's dressed in a blue tee shirt, she has no hair to put ribbons in, and I call her Tiger.

But still ... to me she looks very feminine. Those huge blue eyes! That little cupid's bow mouth! Those looonnnggg eyelashes!

I'm not ever offended when people call her my "little boy" - in fact, I find it pretty funny - but I am surprised. My girl may not be girly but she does look like a girl, to me!

So tell me, if you saw a baby dressed in blue and trousers, would you automatically assume they were a boy?

Your answers won't bother me! Tiger's gender-bending is in the manner of David Bowie and Tim Curry - two of Cackle Mummy's major crushes. She's doing the androgynous thing like Annie Lennox did in the eighties and it's just one of the many reasons she's so unique ... and lovely.

~ Love, Miss Cackle x