Now that my daughter is three, it seems many milestones of the independent kind are starting to fall into place. We've always let her get there in her own time with it all but sometimes I have wondered if the possibility she may be our only child has meant I haven't pushed her forward with some of those independent milestones for fear of letting go of my baby. I think there was a time during my IF battle when I did cling desperately to my daughter. I didn't want her to grow up too fast just in case I never got to witness another child growing up.
But now I'm embracing the next stage of my daughter's life and I don't think it's my parenting style to push. Intuitively (mainly!), we seem to know when it's time to encourage her independence.
We started toilet-training around two/three weeks ago. We've had many spills on the carpet, as you do. But yesterday our daughter did wees in the potty and then the toilet on her own! I was so very excited the first time she did it and phoned my husband and then texted friend no.1 and my parents! My husband phoned me last Sunday when he got her on the loo in time to catch an escapee poo!
My daughter is also dropping naps. This was the one time in the day she used to have a wee suckle on the boob but now that is gradually stopping. So the breast-feeding days could be over. I have been happy to breast-feed all along and knew around three we'd call it quits but it has happened so gradually, it hasn't been traumatic for either my daughter - or me!
We're moving our daughter on to cups during the day although she still has a bottle at night, and often at lunch too. So that process is slowly happening too.
I still end up in our daughter's bed every night. She has always been an unsettled sleeper. I am trying to wean myself on to the mattress on the floor next to her bed which is a very slow process but I know we'll get there with this one too.
The point is, I have accepted the fact that she's a little girl now. The highchair went out to the garage last week. I feel as though I've said goodbye to her baby years.
2 comments:
You sound like me - I have a 3yo son and am going through potty training as well. And I also have unexplained secondary infertility and just started going for treatment in january. had a heart-breaking miscarriage jan 2007 and no luck since. I also am a bit sad that my son is no longer a baby - My prayers are with you. We will be mothers again!
same w/ me.....sometimes my son (after getting out of the tub) wants to be wrapped in a towel and held on the rocking chair like a baby! i do it! and one or two times, he had me hold him on the rocking chair and give him a sippy cup of milk like a baby...i did it! it was only once or twice.....and then ...it may never happen again so i glady obliged him!!!!
nancy
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