From Baby to Toddler

Just over the last few months, it seems my sweet, angelic soon-to-be two year old has gone from my quiet, happy little guy to happy but a destructive, mess-making, all-boy little guy. Every day, I catch him looking more and more like a child instead of a baby. And at times, it seriously feels like lifetimes ago when he was my little newborn baby. I can remember his birth very clearly but it seems as if his babyhood went by in a blur. He is an absolute joy day in and day out and I constantly find myself thanking God for allowing me to be Mommy to one of his best angels. But I also find myself asking where this mean little streak came from. He loves to pull hair - and he does it to be mean! He knows what he's doing, he knows it hurts, and you can tell he does it when he wants to express himself in an angry way. He somewhere got it in him to start wrestling. Last week, Sissy was trying to read to him and all he wanted to do was rough-house. I was trying to wrap gifts a few days before Christmas, and all he kept trying to do was jump on my back and wrestle. This is the same little boy who threw an absolute fit before bed last night when I would not let him play in Mommy's makeup case. He would pull out my chapsticks and knew exactly what to do. He's feisty and he has a temper but he makes up for it in adorable moments and actions and overall, he's just a sweet little bundle of love! I have never had the chance to do the toddler thing before and it is definitely a learning curve. I am big on attachment parenting and believe whole-heartedly in the benefits of co-sleeping. But after last night, where M could not get comfortable and was fussin' up a storm and all sorts of sideways and all over the place in bed, I am this close to working towards getting him to sleep by himself in his crib again. Maybe I should make that one of my many New Years resolutions?  Not a single person I know supports me on my co-sleeping and attachment parenting beliefs but I want my child(ren) to feel very secure in my involvement and emotional availability to them. Another of my New Years resolutions (which I feel very strongly about) is learning how to better discipline my 6 year old and learning to say "no" and stick to it while also forming a stronger bond with her and making myself more available to her and learning to have patience with and listen to each other better. Two very big, important resolutions. I also resolve to start exercising again but if I fail now and again on that one, I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I can't wait until New Years Day to have a whole day off to get things done, enjoy time with my not-so-much-of-a-baby-anymore baby, and sleep in!!!