Growing Up...

I'm seeing my babies growing up before my very eyes and I'm not sure what I think about it.  Each new stage brings new joys that makes me love every moment.  But with each new stage comes new challenges I've never had to deal with before (such as discipline!) 

I love seeing Drew and Tessa becoming more and more independent.  Just yesterday Drew played by himself for an hour, just talking away with his big firetruck, his matchbox cars and his "guy".  Tessa's become happy to just sit or roll or crawl.  She loves to explore the world around her (which right now is pretty small.)

What I've been struck the most by is the little things that tell me Drew is growing up.  Especially the struggle between being a baby and being a "Big Boy".    Drew really wants to be a "Big Boy" these days and often that means I can encourage him to do big boy things.  At breakfast I tell him that big boys use spoons and babies use their fingers to eat cereal.  He'll announce "I'm a big boy!" and eat a spoonful of cereal and then the next minute I'll catch him saying "I'm a baby!" and take a fistful and shove it in his mouth.  He so wants to be both!

Last Friday we got rid of Drew's pacifier.  We had been talking for a few weeks that only babies use paci's and soon Drew was going to be a big boy and throw his paci away.  When he woke up on Friday he started talking about throwing them away.  So we took them to the trash can, clipped them with a pair of scissors and Drew threw them away.  For the next 4 days, naptime and bedtime became a sobbing ordeal "I want my paci's!"  On Monday he saw me go to throw something away in the trash and said "Mommy get my paci's."  It's enough to break my heart!  Was he ready?  How I wish I could give them back to him!  But what's done is done and there is no going back now.  I so want to make him happy, but I'm learning from experience that  sometimes I have to do things even I don't like, to do what's best for him.

He understands now that his paci's went bye-bye in the trash truck.  Don't be surprised if you hear Drew praying for Jesus to take care of his paci's.

Becky