Help! My Little Kid is Turning into a Big Kid... And I'm not ready for it!

It all started with a trip to Chicago...

Amelia at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago. 

Ok, no, it all started long before that. The whole thing started when we had kids. When Amelia was a newborn, people assured me that I'd miss my baby when my baby turned into a toddler. But here's the truth... I haven't missed a single SECOND of babyhood. I feel like a horrible cold-hearted person for saying it, but there you go. I am not a fan of the newborn and little baby stage. But let me tell you guys... I have been loving this toddler stage with Amelia. I love talking with her and listening to her developing vocabulary, watching her learn, admiring her drawings... it is harder in many ways, yes. She is in the "terrible" twos (come on guys, who came up with that name? They are more challenging yes, but not terrible. What a horrid thing to say.) so she is pushing boundaries, we've had to start real discipline, but the bad times are so worth it for the good ones that come along.

 

So I have been loving this stage with Amelia, and I have been really looking forward to Victor getting closer to this stage as well. Not hurrying him, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't excited.

But chaaaaaange is here... a couple of weeks ago at Amelia's 2 year old check up, our pediatrician recommended that we get rid of Amelia's pacifier (or in our house, her "bobble"). I knew this was coming, so it didn't really even throw me. But we decided to wait until after visiting my brother-in-law in Chicago to work on transitioning them away. I had already made my declaration that I was done buying replacement bobbles for any that may be lost, so when we couldn't find the ones we came EXTREMELY close to being done while on holiday in poor, unsuspecting uncle Pete's house. We found one, however, and were going to not give it to her, but she started running a fever and we melted a bit at how miserable she was. But the first day we were home (Tuesday) we took her bobbles cold turkey. This wasn't the plan. I was going to have them just for bedtime, but my confident husband voted that we just take them. So we did. And now, she has been bobble-less for several days. She has been taking it like a champ. Today, she didn't mention her bobble even once! The story is that her bobbles heard that she was so big that she didn't need them anymore, so they went to find a little baby who needed a bobble. That's the story, and I am sticking with it.

The lack of bobble has spawned another change and one that I SURE AS ALL HECK was not ready for... Amelia has stopped napping. I am trying to hang on to a quiet time at least... clinging to the cliff's edge by my fingernails. But I will win this one. I need a break in the afternoon, I just do. I am a happier, pleasanter mommy if I have had an hour to myself. So we are trying to establish a quiet time. More on that later, maybe. For now, that's all I can really say about it.

The other change that threatened was "the big girl bed". This didn't end up being a permanent thing, thank goodness. But the facts were that we had one "pack-and-play" at Pete's and it was big enough for Victor, and too small for Amelia. So, she was in a big girl bed for the weekend. It didn't go horribly, but it could have been better. I am not looking forward to this transition, which I am sure will come at the most inconvenient time possible. But the second that she starts trying to climb out of her bed, I don't have a choice. (Well, technically yes, I do have a choice, but chaining your children in bed tends to be looked down on.)

And now, after just a few days after one big change in her little life, we are staring down the barrel of potty training. Oh lordy... I don't want to give up diapers... but the facts are these... She has gone on the potty before, therefore, she CAN do it, but mostly she has been taking her diapers off by herself and going commando... Diapers, as I am sure you are aware, are only useful when they are being worn, child! Come on! But I am so torn, because I have asked her so many times, and she flat out doesn't want to sit on the potty, but this diaper-less-without-the-benefits-of-the-potty thing has got to stop. And it starts tomorrow. If she isn't ready, she isn't ready, and I know and I understand that, but we are giving it a go this weekend. Pray for our immortal souls.

Mostly, this post has all been about Amelia, but she isn't the only one growing up. Oh my goodness, you guys, my son's babyhood is on fast forward. When he came home a little over 2 months ago, he was underweight, he only wanted his bottle, would refuse anything offered by spoon that wasn't a paste (and didn't eat much of that) and could barely sit up by himself. He's already gained several pounds, officially putting him on the charts (he was too little to even have a percentile on the growth charts before). Now, he won't have a hearing for anything that he doesn't see on everyone's plate (though he still takes his bottle whenever he can.) Now he can not only sit up by himself, he went straight to belly crawling, to crawling, to pulling himself up on things, to trying to walk and stand independently all in a little over 2 months! People, my son is incredible! I am so proud of him, and so blessed and honored to be his mommy. I just can't even tell you. But he's still such a little baby to me... and that's why this post is titled as it is, even though maybe it should be "Help! My Little Kids are Turning into Big Kids... And I'm not ready for it!"