The Little Baby Who Grew Into a Little Boy

Today is my first baby's 3rd birthday. The little boy that made me a mommy is now three years old. Wow. It's kind of been an emotional week. I keep catching glimpses of John as such a big boy. This year between 2 and 3 has shown such a tremendous amount of growth in him that just snuck up on me without me realizing it until now!

It started with the potty training. Seeing him wear big boy undies is just so weird. He looks like a minature man wearing his cartoon undies with those skinny boy legs. Where are the chubby baby legs I used to love to squish?

(John at 1 year old)

The other day he was washing his hands at the sink and he moved his stool to the right spot, turned on the water, and did the soap all by himself. He didn't need my help to do that at all. I watched him perform that simple task with a little bit of sadness that he didn't need my help.

Then, I picked him up from the last day of Mother's Day Out and got all emotional saying goodbye and thank you to his two sweet teachers that have taken care of him for two years in a row (since he was 15 months old!--basically the same age Anna is now). They commented on how much he has grown since that first year and what a funny sense of humor he has developed and how his communication skills have blossomed. They assured me that he has been such a joy to watch grow and although I'm sure they say that to all the parents it made my heart swell to hear that about my little boy. So the tears flowed....oh boy!

John speaks to us in such great complicated and thought-out sentences now that sometimes I just look at him and think "This isn't a baby anymore, this is a real little boy-person talking to me". The other day we were cuddling in his bed before naptime. He was stroking my face, pulled a wisp of hair off my face and said "Mommy, you very pretty". ummmm....MELT!

And then, we tried out a gymnastics class the other day and it was the first time he did a class like that on his own, without me by his side to help him. He participated in the class with other kids and teachers and I just watched. My little boy who generally prefers to observe others from the sidelines was now happily tumbling, jumping, hopping, following directions, and participating in something without me by his side.

Then yesterday we had a paci throwing away ceremony. We've been building up to this for a while telling him that when he turns three there are no more pacis because he's a big boy. He only used the pacifier at nap and nighttime but to see him throw away his last remnant of baby-ness made me cry just as much as he did!

How did this......

.....turn into this?!?!?!

We love you baby boy! It sounds terribly cliche but you really will always be my baby!