Summer has been crazycakes around here. The book I am working on is due in two weeks. The campaign I have been working on for my alma mater ends this week. I have already started working on projects as our elementary school PTA's VP of Ways and Means (read: fundraising, a specialty I never knew I would hone). We've had one week of camp and several weeks of Oh My God I am Going to Lose My Shit.
This past week, I took Firstborn to the pediatrician for a camp physical in preparation for his first sleepaway camp experience later this summer. Everything was going routinely until my long-legged offspring stretched out on the examining table and folded his arms under his head. I am not huge on sleeveless shirts for my boys, but I did buy Firstborn one tank for the summer because it says "Baseball Legend" on it -- something he definitely believes he is. My point is, I never see my child's armpits.
And there it was: a patch of hair.
Not fine little blonde body hairs. This was a patch of longer, brown, still fine and delicate hair. In his armpit.
Firstborn turned nine last week (another post I have yet to write). He's only just nine years old. I didn't really expect patches of anything to be growing on his body yet.
I wasn't able to contain myself. I audibly gasped, and I called his pediatrician over to him. "What is THAT?!" I demanded.
"Hmm," he answered. "Nine is a little young for puberty in boys. But yeah, that looks like the beginning of something right there!"
He asked Firstborn if he could check "under the hood" one more time, and he confirmed that nothing else was growing patches. Which is reassuring, yes, but... still. There is a patch. In his pit.
The doctor told me to watch for any more signs of things revving up, like body odors or growth spurts, but explained that sometimes these things pop up and go nowhere for a while. That would be nice, since we haven't even tackled fourth grade yet.
Shocked, I walked zombie-style through the rest of the exam, left with our completed camp physical form, and piled the kids back in the car. "Mom, why did you get so upset when you saw that hair under my arm?" Firstborn asked from the back of the van as we pulled out of the parking lot.
I paused. "It just means you are growing up," I answered slowly. "And sometimes that is hard and a little scary for mommies to see their babies grow up."
He snickered softly from the back, and he said nothing more. Since then, it's been like Poe's Tell-Tale Heart, pulsing from beneath his clothes and glowing in my brain: pit hair. Pit hair.
Puberty.
Here it comes, ready or not.
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I think it is easier for boys, than girls, no? Because, my god, I would never want to go through *that* again. Oh, wait. I soon will, with menopause!
Hope he has a great time at camp. It does seem like many kids are maturing at much younger ages.
I hit puberty very early, but I hope my boys don't. First comes the pit hair, next thing you know they'll (gulp) stop thinking girls have cooties. ;)
Sigh. I think I have a few years left. My boys are 31 months and 14 days old, respectively. Though my oldest is already checking out the girls. . .
Eve had hair in various places for at least a year before anything else happened - it's proceeding much more slowly than I expected. But yeah, that was pretty much my response, too.
Join the club. My nine year old has all sorts of puberty going on, and definitely hair in places I'd rather not know about. Ugh. At least the body odor hasn't started yet... that's pretty bad, and I've just got a girl! It is supposed to be a lot worse in boys.
My daughter turned 12 in February and got her period Mother's Day weekend. i wanted toturn back the hands of time too.
Good luck!
GASP. I mean ... I know just exactly precisely what you mean. xox
YIKES!!!
Yep - it's that freight train you just can't stop. Having a 15yo and a 12yo, I can totally empathize. One minute they are your little boy, the next, wow, not so much. You will be fine. Just deep breaths. I thought boys would be less emotional than girls at this age, but I dunno not so much.
oh, mama. do i ever hear you on this one. our 8 year old started wearing deodorant a few months ago (!!) and while his armpits are still bare, 2 nights ago he spotted a couple of hairs "under the hood". i felt both weepy and panic-stricken at the same time. even worse, though, was when he asked me to turn off a black-eyed peas video because "this is making my private hurt". omg! damn you, fergie! (and that one was BEFORE his 8th birthday). he also has visible wispy hairs on his upper lip. ALREADY. his uncle (my younger brother) was actually SHAVING at age 10, so puberty hit him *early* and i shudder to think that my baby boy will have the same fate.
Thanks for the laugh...the tell tale heart reference was priceless. That would be hard to see though I'm sure. 4th grade!!! That's so young!
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