Big Boy

Erik peed on his potty chair for the first time today. We bought one a couple of weeks ago just so he would get used to it. He likes to sit on it and read stories. This morning he actually peed while I was reading to him. He was so proud -- he stood up and clapped for himself. Two later attempts resulted in him peeing on the floor. I am still okay when he does that (as long as it's on the tile) because at least he is becoming aware of going to the bathroom. If he continues to have success and seems interested I may pursue potty training more earnestly. If not, he can just enjoy occasional stories while naked and we will try for real when he seems ready.

Another thing that makes Erik seem like a big boy is the huge improvement in his communication skills. Last week he said, "Ow" two days in a row when I was putting on his shoes. At first I thought maybe I tied them too tight or his sock was crooked (he had only been wearing the shoes for 6 weeks). Nope, he was trying to tell me they were too small. I bumped him up a size (I have a stock of shoes that I bought on sale) and haven't heard a complaint since. It is nice that he can communicate his needs more clearly now!

The other thing that makes him seems older is that he is capable of "milking it" for attention. A couple of weeks ago I told you about him getting picked on at play group. Well, today my friends Karen and Leslie were over. Sean, was attempting to hit Erik but actually didn't touch him at all - bad aim. Karen, Sean's mom, said No Sean and I said, sarcastically, Sean you better not hit Erik or my baby boy will cry. Well, two seconds later Erik bursts into tears -- big fat lip and all. It seemed like he heard what I said and decided to try it. Pretty funny. I did give him a hug of course but laughed at the same time.