Our Big Boy

Holden is getting more and more big-kid-like everyday. He's starting to lose all the crazy toddler mannerisms he once had. They're definitely still there some days, just a little less frequent. He's easier to reason to with, and he understands there are rules and consequences. We talk a lot about rewards and privileges - he gets it.

This week he just started dressing himself; he does quite well all by himself. He loves brushing his teeth on his own too (but I still go in and do the final brushing). In fact, it's his favorite thing in the whole world. He would brush his teeth ten times a day if we let him. He's sleeping wonderfully in his new big boy bunk bed. He made the transition so easily, thank goodness for sleep rules! My only complaint is that he's still waking up really early around 5:30 am. It hasn't been so bad when I've been having to get up for work, but it cannot continue now that I'm on maternity leave. I can't imagine being up with a newborn, and then having Holden crawl in our bed at the crack of dawn. I'll have to go back to the sleep book for advice. We haven't attempted potty training lately because he's really regressed. Holden has serious #2 anxiety; we have tears and a huge production every time he has a bowel movement. It is really exhausting and I don't know how to help him through it. He was doing OK and then something happened, but I'm not sure what it was. I hope that we can work through this while we're home together, but I'm not sure what will happen when Cash is born. I'm hoping it will work in my favor and he'll want to be a big boy and go in the potty. He has also gone through a phase where he doesn't want to go to school. He cries every time we leave. Again, I'm happy we'll be home together; he needs more mommy and daddy time.

Our newest activity is playing card games together. I bought a pack of six card games but I wasn't sure if he could play them all. I was pleasantly surprised that he could and we enjoy game time every night. Our favorites are Memory, Crazy Eights, Slap Jack, and Go Fish.

His speech and vocabulary are amazing - he's a little person now and we have real conversations. Here's one of my favorites from last week:

Background: We've been working and playing in Cash's room a ton lately getting ready for his arrival. Holden is seeing a lot of his things in there now, and has been surprisingly great about the whole thing. But one day, he opened a crate of all of his clothes that I had just cleaned out of his closet.
HF: Hey, these are mine!
Me: Yeah, but they don't fit anymore, you grew too big. I don't want you grow up so fast.
HF (head cocked, hands up): But I have grow, Mom. I have to be a big brother!
**It was the cutest thing I've ever heard. I welled up with tears and hugged him.**
HF (now looking sad): You don't want me to grow, Mom?
Me: No, I do Holden. I like how you're growing up to be such a good big boy.
HF: Yeah.
And then he was off and on his way to another activity.

He still loves playing in the driveway/garage with his daddy. He's recently started riding his daddy's skateboard, and he's really good at riding it. I feel like I'm watching a five year old every time he rides. He's quite a coordinated little boy.