Clinging to my baby

My little man is almost 2 years-old. It is amazing how quickly he has grown. He can do so much stuff - he just recently mastered the skill of jumping with both feet off the ground. We are all very impressed with his gross motor skills. He is such an active little boy!

While I know that he is growing and developing, I also seem to be convinced that he is still an itty bitty baby. For example, when Izzy was a newborn I used a sound machine in his bedroom. Although he isn't a newborn anymore, I have continued to turn on white noise at bedtime. It reminds him of sounds from the womb! He'll sleep better! Right? Last weekend it occurred to me that he isn't a tiny baby anymore. So, I stopped using the sound machine. And Izzy is actually sleeping better than before - he is taking longer naps and is sleeping about 15 minutes later in the morning.

I also have a very bad habit of doing too much for Izzy. I take off his jacket and shoes, without even letting him attempt to remove these items by himself. It is not impatience that causes me to do this, but forgetfulness. I just forget that he is a capable and smart toddler. In my mind, I have to take the BABY'S coat and shoes off. Izzy has rebelled against my forgetfulness, and he now screams bloody murder if I attempt to remove a shoe from his foot. And guess what? He is really good at taking his clothes off. When did he become so coordinated?

I guess I have been holding onto my little baby, even though he is struggling to be a big kid. Izzy is changing and growing right before my eyes. He doesn't need me to carry him, he wants to run. He doesn't need me to buckle him into his car seat, he wants to snap the harness together by himself. He doesn't need me to feed him, he maneuvers his utensils like an old pro. He doesn't need me to do lots of things that I used to, and it makes me sad. My baby boy has grown up too fast.