My Big, Big Boy

My boy is growing up.  Fast.  It's a little sad, but also so exciting.  He gets funnier and more animated by the day.  We are loving him in this stage.  He does get stubborn and definitely has a mind of his own, but he is FAR from a terrible two.  He went through a tantrum stage at about 18 months, but now he is a joy.  He has become a skilled talker, so I think his ability to communicate has really helped him be happy through this particular stage of his life.  My family is so thrilled to be witnessing this stage of Callum's life up close.  Rachel and Ryan can't stop talking about him, Dad is coming home a bit earlier to see him (miracle!), and my Grandma calls me at least once a week to say, "We sure miss our boy.  Jack mentions every morning that he would like to see him, so I hope we can babysit soon..."  Gee, twist my arm.  :)  My big, beloved boy hit two MAJOR milestones last week: potty training and preschool.

Let's start with potty training.

I am quite pleased with myself for ignoring all of the naysayers who said he wasn't ready to potty train at 2 1/2 --- ahem, Dad --- because I was RIGHT.  I know my child.  He has always been about six months ahead of average in his physical development.  He crawled at 6 months, took him first steps at 9 1/2 months, and was climbing big ladders at the park at about 14 months alone.  It made the other moms VERY nervous, but I knew he was fine.  He also likes to be clean, so I just had a hunch that he would catch on to this physical development skill quickly.  Plus, I am SO ready to be done buying diapers for him!!  It wasn't just my dad who was skeptical, I could see it in many other people's faces and hear it in their voices --- even people who know him well --- but I just listened to my gut, and I'm glad I did because he is ROCKING potty training!  After what felt like many, MANY hours sitting on the floor with him to "help" him on his potty, and after him eating on it and watching television on it, he is now to the point where he walks into the bathroom, pulls down his Thomas the Train or Lightning McQueen undies, climbs onto his stool to sit on his little potty topper (or on the floor potty, whichever he chooses), uses the potty, flushes, and washes his hands himself.  Every time he comes to me and says, "Mommy!  I got some wet in there!" I am surprised and delighted anew that I didn't have to help him.  (Obviously there are sometimes wiping situations where my help is requested and given.)  He is the cutest.  What was the key to his success, you may ask?  Little toys and candy of his choice---salt water taffy???---didn't hurt in motivating him, but the real key was just to have him stark naked.  I tried underwear and it was accident after accident.  He was playing and something was touching his bum, so he'd absentmindedly pee in his pants.  Once I made him go naked he would cry out, "Potty, Mommy!  Don't want to go on Bapa's floor, that makes Bapa sad!"  (You can say that again!)  :)  Not a single accident once we did a few quarantined naked days at home.

As I mentioned, my dad was the biggest doubter of this timing, mostly because he didn't want Callum peeing on his new carpets, which anyone can understand!  However, when I told my grandma today that Callum was potty trained she said, "Oh, your dad was early and easy like that too!  About 2 1/2."  How ironic....  My grandma actually sees a ton of similarities between Callum and the way my dad behaved at this age.  (The intense concentration especially.)  I would be thrilled if Callum grew up to be a hard-working and self-motivated man like my father, so let's hope she's right!

Here's a classic Callum moment, as witnessed by Aunt Rachel yesterday.  Rach and I were hanging out when Logan unexpectedly got to come home early.  This was nothing short of a miracle, so Rachel graciously stayed with Callum so Logan and I could go out to dinner together.  It was awesome, because we NEVER see that man anymore, and Rach witnessed a hysterical moment.  She was holding her baby boy, Noah, and saw Callum go into the bathroom.  A few minutes later she heard him sigh, "Oh boy...." After a long pause Rachel asked, "Callum?  What's going on?"  He replied, in a singsongy voice like the one I use when I am trying to make him feel better, "I'll just clean it off."  She walked into the bathroom and he was trying to rinse off his underwear, which had gotten a tiny bit of poop on them because he hadn't wanted to ask for help wiping.  I love that boy!

One of the first days that he was having big success on his own, Callum found my point-and-shoot camera and brought it to me immediately after "getting some wet in there."  He handed it to me, beaming, and said, "Take a Big Boy picture, Mommy!"  Oh boy, do I love this Big Boy and his Big Boy picture!

The other thing that this Big Boy did last week was start preschool.  I am not one of those moms who thinks her 2 year old needs to be in preschool to get a "head start" in the academic world.  Give me a break, he's 2!  However, I AM one of those moms whose husband is NEVER home and who needs a BREAK.  So we found an affordable preschool and decided that it was an important place to put some money.  It's no more than I would pay a babysitter, and this way he can be around other kids, which he hardly ever is since we moved.  The night before school was starting I said to him, "You are going to school tomorrow, Callum!"  He grinned and replied, "I will see my teacher, and then I will do my homework!"  Okaaaaay.....who taught him about homework???  Look at this face....his teacher must love him!  :)

He is also in a toddler bed now.  He's very excited about it.  Can't you tell by this picture that I took while he was "napping"???