DeAugustine Family News: Growing Up

Evan is going through a lot of changes right now and they all have to do with growing up and becoming a "Big Boy". This is a bittersweet time because I get to watch him mature and become a more independent person doing "big boy" things like using the potty, pulling on his own pants and underwear, cutting holding scissors the right way, learning to spell his name aloud and drawing circles and much much more. But I am also watching my baby become a preschooler and this is a little sad, but a part of life!

When I look at Evan buck naked, I see that he has lost most of his "baby belly", he has gotten taller and lost some of the chub in his cheeks. He is looking more and more like a little boy rather than a toddler. I just went through his clothes and he is no longer wearing size 2T or even 3T, I am buying 4T shirts and 3T pants. Anything 2T is tight or short.....when did this happen??? We just got him sandals for the spring and summer and they are a size 8....really?? The size 7s won't work anymore?? Seriously he is growing every time I blink!

Earlier this year Evan took on independence by learning to put himself sleep and sleeping in his own bed...a twin size to boot! Now that he is expecting 2 more brothers we needed a new room for him. My family along with Tony and I made that happen and he LOVES it. He has a new "dinosaur" bedroom. Nana painted it blue and put dinosaurs all over the wall along with a dinosaur border, he has been in love since night one in his new room. He even has had no problem with the fact that his old room will go to his brothers! What a kid!

About 2 weeks ago we started potty training AGAIN! This time he had no choice but wear underwear....diapers are no longer an option. We are still working hard with it, he refuses to sit on the regular toilet, he says he is "scared" and he waits until we put him to bed in a diaper to poop. Baby steps :-) He stays dry all day with little prompting to sit on the toilet. When we go out in public he "holds it" until we get home so he can pee in his potty. He is really learning and I am excited for this transition.

Our next endeavor is the binky. He only gets it when he sleeps or is in the car, but he is SUPER attached to it. I don't want to throw too much at him all at once so we will give it another month or so before we say good bye completely to the binkies.

He is really showing us that he wants to know how far he can go before a consequence will happen. We often hear "no" from him or watch him run from us when asked to do something. He thinks that banging his head on the ground, biting himself, hitting himself in the head or even giving himself a spanking will in some way make us feel sorry for him and give in to his wants....not so much buddy! But he also has the cutest little grin that he uses when he wants to butter us up because he knows it is hard to say no to that cute little face...what a manipulator! His vocabulary is soaring and using full sentences for full conversations is becoming a constant. I couldn't be more proud of my little guy.

Lastly, Evan is thrilled with the impending arrival of his little brothers. We named them Riley and Morgan and he is excited to call them by their names. Recently while shopping with my mom, Evan kept bringing 2 of every outfit to her saying "Nana, this one is for Riley and this one is for Morgan!" He is excited now that there are 2 cribs in the babies room and as we get more and more stuff set up for them it becomes a little more real for him. He kisses my tummy in 2 different spots everyday and even tells Riley and Morgan good night when it is nap time. I still think this is going to be a hard blow to his comfortable little world, but hopefully by talking to him about the babies and explaining what is going to happen, he won't be too shocked when they arrive.