Sprout is Growing Up

Every day the Sprout grows up a tiny bit. Some things happen so incrementally that I don't notice them right away. The pants that were way too big when I bought them suddenly fit now. He now knows which button to press to stop the VCR by himself. He can suddenly do the bears puzzle he got for Christmas all by himself in 10 minutes.

The other day he pushed the step-stool over to the toilet, climbed up, put the potty seat on the toilet, pulled down his own pants, and sat down! This may be too much information for some of you, but if you're a parent you can probably appreciate the months of repetition it takes to do all of these steps, and to do them safely and in the right order. (He almost had it a few weeks ago, except he pulled his pants down around his ankles before he got up on the stool, essentially trapping himself on the floor.)

Baby steps.

Most of the growing up milestones make me happy and proud. Occasionally there is a poignant moment too. On the weekend, we went to the Library, and while we were there Sprout got sleepy. In the past, he had always said, 'I want Mommy mook,' since nursing is a nice substitute for a nap. Snuggly down-time. This time he looked at me and said, 'I want... a hug.' I was sad and happy at the same time. My little boy is growing up.