A "big boy" now

Last week I attempted something I had been avoiding for awhile. Well actually two "things" in particular.

Before I tell what it is that I avoided I have to give you a little bit of a backstory. I'm not good with milestones, or shall we say change. I've never been good with them in my own life, and now that sort of transfers over into Eli's life.

Obviously I won't ever hold him back in any area because of my own desire for NO CHANGE, but that doesn't mean I won't go kicking and screaming into each new phase of life.

Moving Eli from baby food to regular food just about did me in. In fact if it was socially acceptable and filling to him I would probably still try and feed him baby food. If I find something I'm comfortable with I like it to stay that way.

His graduation day is going to be awesome. 
Which brings us to potty training. Oh dear goodness the potty training. Eli had shown some signs earlier in the year that he was maybe ready to be potty trained but I wasn't ready, and my doctor told me not to rush it so I took that as my cue to NOT RUSH IT.

Then this past weekend a friend who has a son Eli's age told me this was her weekend to potty train and for whatever reason I decided to go for it also. it was a split second decision.

Thursday afternoon I went and got the necessary potty training ingredients, big boy spiderman undies and fruit snacks for bribery. Then Friday morning before Luke left for work we made a big deal about how Eli didn't need "baby" diapers anymore and he was a BIG BOY now and how exciting this was.

And then around noon it all went to crap.

The morning was smooth. There were a few accidents which is to be expected but it seemed ok. And then around noon Eli described he was done with potty training, and started acting in a way that I can only describe as a RABID CAT.

I won't go into details because I don't want to relive it again, but it was ugly for a few hours. Eli inherited his mama's trait of being resistant to change. It was just Eli and I in the house and it was like two magnets of the same force trying to come together. We both hated change yet we were trying to make this work and it wasn't coming together. 

I'm gonna be honest and admit that I wanted to give up right then and there, but I also thought about how we will save money not buying diapers (for at least another two months) so I powered through.

Then Saturday morning Luke suggested we go ahead and move Eli to his big bed.

TOO MUCH CHANGE.

I tried to talk Luke out of it, but he shared his pros and cons for wanting to do it and I could see that it only made sense.

We stuck with the potty training and by Sunday afternoon Eli was pretty much trained all the way. After our epic afternoon on Friday it all seemed to go smoothly. That's the thing with change, we tend to be so resistant but once we get through it the other side isn't all that bad. 

So in one weekend Eli became a toilet using, sleeping in a big bed boy. And mama cried.

This seems to be the theme of motherhood, I am so proud of Eli and proud that he "got it" and moved forward in his tiny little life however it didn't come without some tears on my end. My baby boy is getting a little bit bigger everyday. 

Eli has been so excited telling us "I no wear diapers I a BIG BOY'. It's such a joy to watch the excitement in his eyes as he conquered something that he didn't want to do at first. I pray that throughout his life there are many more moments of watching him achieve something that seems far off or lofty.

And I'm sure with each of these moments I will cry a little. Tears of thankfulness, tears of joy and tears of realization at just how fast this all seems to go.

Now to figure out what I will do with all the extra money we are going to have since we don't need to buy diapers anymore.