Big Kids. Er, sortof

Our kids are both bigger this weekend. Not compared to everyone else's. They both still barely hit the 5th percentile mark on the growth charts. But still...

Trystan's crib converts to a toddler bed with a half rail (to keep them from falling out, but that doesn't keep them from climbing out). Yesterday after his nap, my husband pulled out the conversion kit and off came the crib side. Trystan had no trouble last night staying in bed--I think he was asleep almost before he hit the pillow. Same for this afternoon's nap.

Tonight is a different story. I think he's trying to break his big sister's record for the most times hopping out of bed. We're at 5 so far. The last time was cute. He poked his head into the office (where I'm trying to catch up on a week's worth of email and blogs), saying "air mah-yee? aire-yar. 'o ock ock", taking my finger, and leading me back to rocking chair in his bedroom. (Translation: "Where's mommy? There you are. Lets go rock rock.") Very cute. I'm sure I will miss this when he's 16 and slamming the door in my face :)

He's also gotten to wear pull-ups for the first time, and is loving them. And using the potty, some of the time. Mostly when we're not home (he really likes public restrooms). It is funny how he requests the pull-up over the diaper. By shouting "PAAAANNNNTSSS!" (as in, big boy pants) as you're trying to lay him down for a diaper change. Its less funny when he's yanking the regular diaper out of your hands and throwing it across the room.

I'm happy he's excited. And that he's going. As far as we know, he shouldn't have any more trouble tinkle-training than any other boy (and with his current level of interest and control, might actually be pretty fast about that). For a kid with less than a (according to the exact type of bowel defect he had) 25% chance of gaining "fecal continence" (poop control), he's already telling us when he needs to go (especially at restaurants..I mentioned the public restroom fetish already), and actually pushes poop out on the potty. Did I mention that he was 2 a week ago? Many kids with the factory-default anatomy "down there" can't be bothered to do that till closer to 3. Somehow, I think there's better than a 25% chance that he'll get full control of that with very little medical/medicinal intervetion.

Come on, you don't discuss tinkling and bowel movements that much at your house? Your dinner table conversations must be boooring...

Charlotte is finally big enough for a booster seat. For those of you who aren't familiar with the assortment of child protective devices, I shall explain. Up until a baby is both 12 months and 20 pounds, they must ride facing backwards. Children must ride facing forwards in a car seat that has its own buckles until they are 3 years and 30 pounds. Then they may transition to a high-backed booster seat that positions the car's lap and shoulder belts. By 4 years and 40 pounds, they can use just the bottom booster seat.

At about 18 months, we figured that as long as Charlotte had a jacket and shoes on to weigh her down, she was close enough to turn forwards. On her third birthday, she was pushing 25 pounds. By shortly after Trystan's first birthday (Charlotte was 3.5), he was ready for a forward-facing carseat: ideally, Charlotte's. Trouble was, Charlotte was still in them. And nowhere near the 30 pounds required for the next step up. Those things are expensive, especially when you need two (no, I won't spend 15 minutes uninstalling and 20 minutes re-installing those every day to save $90. And my fingers would be permanently bruised). I'd hoped that Char would move up to a booster and pass her carseats down to her brother, but no. So we bought her a pair of seats that convert from forward-only to high-backed booster.

Now, at 4.5, she's finally registering over 30 pounds and 38 inches every time we check her (32 pounds and 38.5 inches, most often). And she is a pain to un/buckle in my car in the garage because I can't open the car door on her side (without smashing the lawn mower), so I have to either climb over Trystan's chair or climb back from the front seat. And with kindergarten looming (one with no school busses) and the potential for carpools, I wanted a seat that didn't require a contortionist to use. So, she got a high-backed booster, and Trystan has inherited her forward-to-booster chairs (his existing ones are getting a little worn from years of abuse. And they're really really heavy if I ever have to move them or fly with them).

Maybe by the time Charlotte's in driver's ed, she'll be big enough to convert to that bottom-only booster seat.