Mr. Independent

Independence... Something Noah really wants these days.  I feel like in everything he does, he is trying to prove how big he is.  A few examples...

-- When we go on walks, he ALWAYS has to hold Rudy's leash and he does NOT want anyone else to help him.  Hands off the leash.

-- He refused to eat in his high chair anymore.  He only wanted to be at the table eating off a plate, not the tray.  

-- He wants to brush his teeth himself.  This has always been an issue, but seems more so now.  We bought a stool for the bathroom sink and he thinks he can do it all now that he can climb up to the sink himself.  

-- He doesn't like sippy cups anymore.  Although he still uses them, sometimes it is a battle.  He just wants a big cup because that is what Mommy and Daddy use. 

-- At the store, he does not want to ride in the cart.  He wants to push the cart and bring me various things off the shelf that he thinks we might need. 

--  He does not like to hold your hand and will run away if not watched carefully. 

-- A couple weekends ago, we had corn on the cob for dinner.  I raked all the corn off the cob for him.  He was eating it like a champ, until he noticed that we were eating it off the cob.  He would not eat another bite unless it was on the cob.  Once he cleaned up the cob, he tried to put his corn back on the cob and eat it.  

-- He does not like to have his sncks chosen for him.  He likes to go to the pantry or refrigerator and pick out what he wants.  He does not always get his way, but he tries.  He also wants to get his cup of milk out of the refrigerator himself.  He climbs onto the ledge and reaches to the top shelf, pulls it down, and then closes the door.  

On the one hand, it is exciting that he can do so many new things and that he is his own person.  On the other hand, it can be very frustrating because he is still small and can't do everything on his own but gets so upset when you try to help him.  I am learning to be patient and let him try to do things on his own even though it would be way more efficient and much cleaner if I did them myself.  Much like Noah,  I have a long way to go, but I'll get there one of these days.