It wasn't that long ago that my youngest decided he really wanted to be like the big kids. He started to drink water from plastic bottles instead of cups. He even had whoever was closest fill empty soda cans with water so he could drink from the same things big people drink from. Now it's on to wanting to drink from a regular cup, just like everyone else.
This isn't really a new development. He's been drinking from things other than his sippy cup for months now. Even with his experimentation in regular cups, he still wanted his trusty sippy cup more often than not. It was familiar to him, and it seemed like a safety net, like his two blankets and his Scentsy frog. Those used to be the things that preserved his image in our minds as still being the baby of the house.
Now he's talking up a storm, even though much of what he says is still confusing, and he's starting to let go of his babyhood needs. Sure, he still likes to have his two blankets to sleep, but any blankets will do. He still likes his frog, though it's not as much of a need as he was before. He's more of a pal than a best friend. Now he's losing the sippy cup too.
It was just a week ago that he decided he wanted to use cups for everything. We've only used his sippy cup on a couple of occasions since then, usually situations where a spill would be much too likely, or when we know he's not going to be paying much attention, like outside. The rest of the time he's been using the same plastic cup over and over again, the only plastic cup in the house. If it's not a cup, he's drinking from bottles and soda cans. He's gone from drinking milk like it's the only thing that sustains him to drinking equal shares of juice and water with a little bit of milk once or twice a day, and the occasional sip of soda when he grabs the wrong can. When he does, good luck getting him to give it up! He's a soda fiend!
His choices in drinks and cups aren't the only ones that have changed. He now likes to have his cereal with milk, just like most of the rest of the family. He eats it with a spoon and doesn't make much of a mess. When everyone else has sauce, syrup, or butter, he wants some too. He's decided he'll only eat with utensils if everyone else is, unless those last few bits are too hard to scoop up. Toddler utensils won't do it either. He wants to be eating the real deal.
Suddenly, as though overnight, he's decided he wants to give up that very baby-like attitude and just grow up. He wants to act more like a pre-schooler than your average toddler. There are still some skills he doesn't care to master, but he's just growing up so fast. He just doesn't want to be the baby of the house anymore. He wants to be grown up, just like everyone else.
He's even started to look more grown up. Part of that is a recent growth spurt that took some of the chubbiness out of his face. He looks so much like his father now! He's also started standing with his feet planted squarely on the ground, hands on his hips, and chest pushed out like a little Peter Pan. His body language is becoming just as expressive as his vocabulary too! He's developing such a strong personality and it's amazing to watch him grow from being your average toddler into a very expressive little boy.
I'm sure these changes will just keep happening over the next few months, and probably never stop. He'll keep growing into something amazing, just like his older siblings. I can't wait to see what kinds of things he'll build his life around as he grows.
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