Movin' On Up

At three months and about 18 pounds, Little Man has outgrown the pack n' play he's been sleeping in at the foot of our bed. So last night, this Mama Bear took a deep breath and tucked him into his crib in his nursery for his first full night in his room.

It was definitely harder on the parents than it was on the baby! For Little Man, the big move seemed to be a non-event--he slept his normal pattern and seemed unconcerned that the beloved boppy he still sleeps in had moved into a bigger bed. The next step in baby's world of sleep is to get him out of that boppy...he still hates sleeping on his back and will only snooze for about an hour at a time on his side using his sleep positioner.

His bed isn't the only thing that has been upgraded. He's moved out of the infant position in his baby bathtub, and he loves the freedom he has to splash the water around. Bathtime has become one of his favorite times of the day.

He loves sitting up, and spends a lot of time sitting in his bumbo seat watching his Daddy play video games or swatting at a toy his Nana got him that conveniently sticks to the tray (excellent for Mommy sit-down time so I don't have to retrieve the toy a million times). It was just last week that he starting reaching out with intention, and now he consistently grasps at some of his toys. It is amazing how quickly he is developing.

Family dinners at the table are also going to start soon. Little Man's Mamaw and Papaw got him a very cool highchair that fits in an adult chair (great space saver for our apartment which is rapidly filling up with even more baby equipment). While he won't be munching on anything but a bottle for a few more months, he can still sit at the table with us while we eat. I'm so excited to start this family tradition early with him.

Every day it's something new. Now if he would just sleep through the night....

A View From the Other Side

Earlier this week, I took Little Man to his first Mommy & Me class at our local library, delightfully called "Baby Bear LapSit". The teacher led the 15 or so tots in songs, read a few stories, and finished off the program with bubbles and some dance music. I didn't know how Little Man was going to handle it, but...

He LOVED it. He was totally fascinated by all the other kids, and every time the teacher looked at him he gave her a big grin. He's such a little flirt. His favorite part by far was the bubbles--I lifted him up in the air and let the bubbles land on his face. At first he looked startled, but after a moment he smiled up at all the bubbles and waved his hands around in the air. We will definitely be going back next week.

It was a first for the boy, but it was a first for his Mama, too. It was the first time that I attending a program for kids as opposed to teaching it. Between professional and volunteer work, I had been in that teacher's shoes a thousand times. I was worried I would spend the whole time thinking about how I would teach differently, or policing the other children. And while I did reach out a couple of times to stop a potential face-plant in the carpet by another tot (once a nanny, always a nanny), I found that I was able to really enjoy the class with my son. And I remembered how, when I was teaching or nannying, I would watch the parents and feel so envious of them, there with their own child.

Then I looked down at my own little stinker, who was kicking his feet and waving his arms and watching all the action with his wide eyes.

And I knew I had finally arrived.