bye-bye baby...

Last week we converted Jayme's crib into a toddler bed (a- so she would stop getting hurt trying to climb out, and b- so she would be able to use the potty at night when we start potty training soon)... I think we mentally prepared as much as we physically prepared her room! Much to our surprise, she LOVES her big girl bed! We baby gated her doorway so she can't get herself into trouble at night, and I spent all of March baby-proofing her room completely (i.e. moved the office stuff out of her room and finding a home for everything that was piled up in her room). The first night we went to put her to bed she was so excited as she ran up to her bed and said, "beh?! beh?!"... she didn't even want to be cuddled by her daddy that first night, she was anxious to climb into her big girl bed all by herself and put herself to sleep- I thought this was just lucky night one, for sure she would cry or get up several times and play, etc... but much to our surprise she LOVES her bed and STAYS in it! There have been a handful of times she has gotten up at night, but I didn't notice until the morning when I noticed toys out, or her babies tucked in with pacifiers she had dug out of her drawer for them in the middle of the night. My favorite part about her big girl bed is that she will wake up and chat with her babies or read a book in bed before calling me in to get her (she doesn't get out of bed until I come get her! LOVE IT!)
So now that we have had 2 weeks of toddler bed success, we are on to potty training. I am anxious to get her trained because a- diapers are ridiculous expensive, and b- her diaper rashes will go away and STAY away (I assume)... however, as excited as we are to get her potty trained, I can't help but think this is just one more transition of our baby girl turning into a little girl. I am clinging to those last little baby phases as she is simultaneously pushing her limits and trying to be a big girl :she sits at the table without her high chair now, diapers and soothes her baby dolls, carries on full conversations with us- even though we understand about 1/4 of it- tries to dress and undress herself, hates having a diaper on if she can help it, says "noooo- good-byEEE!" when she is trying to focus on something and doesn't want help (coloring, when she goes number 2 and needs privacy, brushing her teeth, getting into mommy's makeup drawer...) she is getting so big so fast, it makes me sad and proud all at once. Its precious to watch her and her girlfriends develop actual playmate friendships and I love how she will rehash/gab about her playdates with her daddy after work and for the next day or two she begs to go play with "Au-rey" or "lie-ly"... I wish we didn't live so far away from her friends, but Lord willing we will find a house and a location that meets all of our needs soon enough.

Daddy teaching her how to roll down the hill (she couldn't get enough, and I couldn't get enough of watching his joy in being a hands on daddy)

lovin' on baby Jax with her mommy (she is such a mommy's girl- "my mommy!")

big girls eating lunch at their big girl table (seems like yesterday they had baby food and high chairs!)

loves her big girl swing at Grampa's house

"Au-rey" and "Mae-me" are independent little divas... we are gonna be in trouble with these two!

full on conversating in their own language

my favorite picture. (what you don't see is lil' miss independent wanting to hold Age's bag and walk- no being held by mommy in public!)