Big boy underwear instead of diaper. Big boy bed instead of crib. A drinking cup instead of sippy cup. Booster seat instead of high chair. Someone has graduated from toddler to preschooler! Our amazing Taj!!! With only a matter of days away from him turning 2 1/2 years old, sound the air horn and throw the confetti because we have ourselves a BIG BOY!!!!
It seems like our little Taji just grew up overnight! I cannot begin to say how proud we are of him, we are overjoyed and gushing about his major milestones in the last few weeks. First and most importantly, Taj is wearing underwear all day, every day, and staying dry! He wears them out in public (even when he is at his pre-preschool class all by himself for 3 hours), and announces to us when he has to go potty. I've always heard and read that boys are difficult and take long to potty train...... not Taj! He made it look like a piece of cake! We remained consistent with potty time since September, and then over 2 weeks ago we asked Taj if he wanted to wear his "skivvies" and he got very excited. Ever since then, he wants to wear them at all times and is really good about telling us when he has to go! Of course, we still put on his night diaper for nap time and overnight.
Secondly, almost simultaneously, Taj began sleeping in a big boy bed! We converted his crib to a toddler bed by taking off the crib railing. He figured out how to climb out of his crib months ago, but being the good boy that he is, he listened to us and didn't try to climb out. With him graduating to his big boy underwear, we decided to keep the momentum going and introduce him to his new bed. He couldn't have been more excited. All of these "promotions" are like rewards, he loves the recognition he gets, and loves being referred to as a big boy!!
Seeing his new bed for the first time:
Gotta child proof the door knob...... just in case Taj decides to sneak out of his room or sleepwalk (which he luckily hasn't!) And come to think of it, since he began sleeping in his big boy bed, he hasn't even tried to climb down from it! He stays and sleeps in it during nap time and all night long! I think he sleeps better now too!
Little brother approves.....
Did you know Taj is trilingual?!! It's pretty impressive! He soaks up languages left and right. He was an early talker and has always been above average in his vocabulary but now he is expanding his vocabulary in both Czech and Spanish! He knows everything from numbers to colors to body parts to commands and adjectives.... and sometimes speaks half and half (i.e. "Daddy is grande, and Jax is pequeno!"). He loves to listen to and sing along with Czech songs, and learned to count to 10 in Spanish in just two days! We love reading books in English, Czech, and Spanish, and with technology these days we can watch cartoons in different languages on You Tube! Here he is counting in Spanish, notice his clear pronunciation!:
Some more "big boy" photos:
What a dare-devil! He likes to create his own "demolition derby"!
Playdoh art
LOVES to pick out his own outfits..... this was his Bohemian look a while ago!
But above all, the big brother role was made for Taji! He dotes on his little brother, and has a very soft spot for him! And although he can get frustrated about sharing his cars or gets upset with Jax for destroying his train tracks and towers, he includes him in his games, teaches him things, makes him laugh, and plays with him so well! He did get a little threatened by Jax when Jax started crawling (4 months ago) and lashed out physically, but he learned quickly how to verbalize his frustration and distract Jax with other toys. Very good problem-solving! He even comforts him when he cries and tries to help me by asking me if he can feed Jax, etc.
Taj is growing up before our eyes, and we are enjoying every second of him coming into his own! He makes the toddler years seem so terrific! With all these big milestones accomplished, I love how he still needs his puppy lovie, and I absolutely melt when he wants us to hold his hand or hold him!!! Despite him giving up and moving on from his "baby" stage, we are letting him hold on to his pacifier while he sleeps in bed just a tad longer...... we figure he'll grow out of this one like he has naturally with everything else. :)
Happy 2 1/2 years, Tajinku!!! We love you sooooo much!
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