Changes

Today I deflated Aidan's bathtub. He has not used it in weeks, because he prefers a shower now. Gone are the bubbles and the infant soap. We use dove bar soap now, and he knows not to get it in his eyes.

I sit here hearing the dishwasher, knowing that in the load is my portable and manual breast pump. I used to pump on the way home after teaching many nights, (while I drove!) because I was so engorged. I have no need for this now. I really don't know who I am going to give it to.

A year ago I bought construction themed bedding for Aidan. He had grown out of his infant bedding, and since in my mind he would not be asking for a specific theme for a while, I could get buy with picking it out myself. Flash forward a year. Aidan recently informed me that he did not want a construction room any more-he wanted a racecar room. Uh-oh. He's only 4!! Yesterday I found racecar sheets, and his expression when I showed him made me realize quickly I had to purchase them. Aidan asked me multiple times this morning where his sheets were. "Can you get them from the car? can we open it? Can we put them on now? are they washed yet? are they dried yet? can I help you put them in the laundry basket? can I help you put them on?" I complied. He is sleeping peacefully in his racecar bed right now.

While my mother and Aidan were shopping yesterday, (*she* was to push the cart, not me) I overheard Aidan tell my mother "my mommy would LOOOOVVVVEEEE that!" made me smile.

Dinner time approached last night when we were at my parents house after shopping. They invited Aidan and me to go out for pizza. Just as we were getting in the car, my sister and her two kids came home. They live next door, and had been gone all day. Aidan exclaimed "Mommy! I want to go to Aunt Suzie's house!"
I asked him, "do you want to go to dinner with grandma, grandpa, and me, or hang out with Suzie? of course his response:
"I want to hang out with Suzie."
He did...and the little bugger did not even notice that I was home for over an hour when we returned. My mother told me that she was impressed at how independent Aidan was, and how geat it was that I facilitated his independence by giving him choices. Then she told me, like she always does, what a good mother I am.

My mother, complimenting me on my mothering. She did the same thing when Aidan was a newborn and we were staying with my parents in the early weeks. She told me she was impressed.

I am impressed with my little man, who is becoming such a big kid, while the vestiges of his babydom slowly dissapear. I am so proud of who he is becoming. I am going to tell him this as soon as he understands. What I tell him now is that I am so happy to be his mother