Bye Bye Baby

At just a couple of weeks shy of 23 months, Ben suddenly seems like less of a baby and a whole lot like  big kid.  First of all, his speech is through the roof.  The kid can talk, and has been talking for a long time.  But he speaks in complete sentences!  He talked a lot earlier than Natalie, who we always thought was a super smarty pants (she still is), but it is apparent that her brother is no slouch either.  He is very methodical and careful and likes things just so, and you can tell really thinks through things to make sure they're just right.  And, he is funny!

Sort of out of nowhere he decided to start potty training.  Of course, in my mind this was coming down the pike anyway, but as soon as he noticed his cousin start, he was all over it.  He is doing so good.  He is dry for such long periods of time anyway, that it hasn't been too difficult to help him get to the bathroom every once in awhile, but now he's starting to come to us to tell us when he needs to go.  But our little Ben likes things the way he likes them, and while he's doing great for us, he wants nothing to do with our baby sitter helping him.  He does love to use the public bathrooms though (my very least favorite part of potty trained kids is their obsession with using every nasty bathroom that comes along), but that has made our being out pretty easy.

And, lastly, his room makeover is in process.  The nursery is being dismantled a little at a time, in preparation for Ben's big boy room.  I'll be a little sad to see the nursery go.  Both kids stayed in the same room, set up exactly the say way.  But we're on to bigger and better things around here.  Ben got his toddler bed a few days ago, but we set it up yesterday morning.  He spent a lot of time yesterday in and out of his room just sitting on it and checking it out, getting Mickey in just the right spot.  Then napped in it yesterday like he'd been doing it for years, then last night went right to sleep in it.  I'm still holding my breath recalling what it was like when Natalie figured out she could get out of her little bed.  Bed time turned into a little bit of a nightmare for awhile with her.  He did end up on the floor at 12:30 this morning, which is no real surprise because ever since he's been an infant he's taken up all of his bed all night long.  I put him back in and he went right back to sleep (and he's still up there now!).

Over the next few weeks the room makeover will take place, and we'll be sure to post pictures of the transformation!  But for now, I'll take a minute to mourn the moving on of my "baby" to being an official big kid.