Growing Me

One of them, anyway. I am moving and interacting with my environment more. My mama likes to put out different things for me to explore. I mostly like the couches, though. Climbing is my favorite. I climb up the chair and point at the picture of my mama and daddy. That makes my mama smile because she loves the story behind that picture.

I am ready to use the next level of things -- smaller things, more complicated things, heavier things. Still, some things I am not ready for. My mama bought me some paperback books for $.25 across from Uncle Raji's house because their whole block was having a yard sale. These are books and a block game for later when I am not so mouthy or destructive in my exploration and learning.

She also decided that day to look through the bag of older kid clothes to see if anything her college volleyball coach gave her would fit. Some things did! I really am getting bigger. None of us understand the sizing on clothing, though. I fit things from 6 mths to 2 years. Although, she ordered some bigger size diapers for nighttime -- the choices were infant and standard. They are super nice but enormous! We'll have to see what they look like after some washes, but it's a good thing I have some growing to do. My mama is starting to think those Grow-with-me Little Beetle wool diaper covers might come back in rotation by the time I get big enough for these. Right now, the Imse Vimse wool covers are fantastic. They are lighter fabric, less bulky and have snaps so I can play with the Velcro underneath my Woombie swaddle and my mama doesn't get annoyed because the diaper stays on around the legs.

Often, though, I am diaper free, and I like that just fine. I don't like to go to the potty most of the time. I fight and scream. Then I happily pee and poop on the floor. Luckily my poops are solid and clean up is quick and easy, but I see my parents look at me with their hands in the air saying "I knew you had to go and I just took you potty and you didn't go!" Well, I didn't feel like going potty in the potty. I like playing. There are many times, though, when I do hold it and wait for mama to get me to the potty, or when I crawl to the bathroom or towards the potty or I signal so my mama knows I have to go.

We are all learning and loving each other over here. I love that my parents let me explore as freely as possible by only leaving things out that I can play with. If they don't want me to have it then it's not within my reach. That way they don't tell me no all the time. They still do, though, more than they intend to. Still, they explain to me in a calm voice and I almost always stop doing whatever I was about to do and listen. They keep me safe so I need them, but it is a hard balance to find my own way. I am just so curious about things.

I guess that is what growing is about.