Two things I wasn't ready for

If you were around when Reed was a baby, you know that I dug in my heels when it came to him growing up. I didn't let anyone mention his impending first birthday, and I put off the first haircut as long as I possibly could. I realized later (when dressing Ashton) that I had even kept him in clothes longer than I should have, just because he was that age and still supposed to be that size!

When Ashton came along I realized that time would slip by, but I could celebrate the milestones of growth rather than dread them. I have gotten into a rhythm of enjoying life and seeing how she grows as a person each day. That rhythm was disrupted last week.

Ashton has been hinting for some time that she might be ready for potty training—going every time she was on the toilet, insisting I change a wet diaper, and even trying to use the bathroom on her own. I, on the other hand, am not ready for this. I know why children used to be potty trained so much earlier. What is the difference between washing cloth diapers and washing underwear? Nothing. Now there's a big difference!

So I broke down and got the pull ups—little pain, little gain. Since she has donned the pull ups, which she is very proud of, she has not made one attempt to go on her own and keeps them dry for about 10 minutes. So I guess this is good news. Neither of us is ready for potty training. This was not so hard on me.

The other thing we did last week was try out the big bed. We have had a double bed in her room since Christmas. Ryan suggested we try it for nap, so we did and she did great. I laid her down and closed the door: she immediately followed me out. I simply took her back and encouraged her, “If you get up again, I will put you in the crib.” She did not get up again and napped well.

That night I said we would go back to the crib for night time. She pointed and said, ”No, big bed.” She is a very insistent little thinker. It is hard to dissuade her from her plan. She got in the big bed and did not get up at all.

When I went back to check on her that night, I was suddenly overwhelmed. I remembered when we first moved her to her crib. We would lay her down perpendicular to the bed. We set the baby monitor camera about a foot away from her so her sweet wondering face filled the entire TV screen.

I am not really a cry-er—Ryan cries at the Extreme Home Makeover, not me. But I sure cried then and there. I had to come out and explain to my alarmed husband that it was really nothing. Everything was okay It was just time that was lost.

The good news is that I can now lean over and kiss her while she sleeps. It's been about 2 years since that has been possible without a gymnastic feat. And she can sleep perpendicular in the bed again.