The Road to Becoming a Big Boy

All moms have to travel it. It is the exciting, the new, the thrilling, the somewhat scary and bittersweet journey of watching your babies become big kids. Over the last week or so it has hit me like a ton of bricks that my first born is growing up into a little boy right NOW. No longer are we saying things like "When we move James into a big boy bed", we are doing those things! It makes me so proud of him to see him growing and doing new things and having ideas and communicating them so clearly. I like that he has a sense of humor and really gets things now. Of course, he is as stubborn as a mule and that stubbornness seems to be growing exponentially day by day. I know that I am a stubborn pain in the butt myself, so I guess this is some kind of karmic payback. Joy! I look back at his baby days now with a sweet fondness and laugh out loud remembering what a little terror he was some days. Knowing him now, really knowing him, no wonder he was so ticked off at me a lot of the time! Of course he did not want to be held all the time or have his clothes changed or be contained in any way. That would just not do for big boy Jamer and I see now that babies really do come into this world already full of their own opinions and wills. (Thank goodness I was blessed with one snuggling, cuddly momma's boy or I might just have to hold James down and get my snuggles in against his will!) Anyway, James is now in a big boy bed......it was a great transition for him. If it weren't sometimes as early as 6:30am, I could say honestly that I love seeing his little face peering over the side of my bed each morning. I do chuckle though every time he announces, "I'm up! I woke myself up!" and pull him into bed with me for a couple of minutes while he is still comfy and pliable and will lie next to me for a minute or two without much protest. The "Paci Fairy" came to visit yesterday. James decorated a paper sack for her and put all his pacifiers (oh the beloved pacifiers!) into it. He left it on the porch and lo and behold, the paci fairy delivered a shiny and new Buzz Lightyear toy that has so many buttons and lights (and 65 sayings!) that I really believe it could fly itself into the real outer space. Overjoyed is too little of a word to sum of James' reaction. It was true love for him and Buzz! He had a hard time going to bed without the comfort of his paci. I actually cried along with him, he in his bed and me in the living room, silently cursing myself for ever giving him a pacifier in the first place. Then I reminded myself that I like to sleep and have two kids, and cut myself a little slack. But then it was quiet and I knew it.....I knew that my baby had become a big boy, and was sleeping soundly in his big boy bed. He woke me this morning with a huge smile, one I could see all the way. No paci was blocking it and I smiled too, feeling pride welling up inside for my big boy.