Where's my baby gone?

As I hugged and kissed my birthday boy today, I realized he was no longer a baby. For the last many months, whenever he has done something 'big' I always show him how proud I am of him and always say 'where's my baby gone?' still - even now, he replies 'here he is' pointing to himself. He knows he will always be my baby even when he is twenty!! I watch him at the dinner table now and marvel at how far he has come. It was two years ago that we started the gruelling process of not letting him eat what he wanted to eat. He was made to eat our food, and it took nearly twelve months before he ate anything more than two minute noodles. Many,many nights he went to bed with no dinner. But I was comfortable with that, and with the advice of my paediatrician, that I knew I was doing him a favour..............oh boy I never thought it would take as long as it did. The small victories along the way let us know that we were indeed doing the right thing.

Now two years later, he sits down to delicious dinners which he actually enjoys. This week he has polished off a good serve of corned meat, white sauce, mashed potatoe, peas, corn, brocolli and carrots. Last night he ate a bowl of fried rice. He has also tried my homemade sausage rolls, and, yesterday while eating my much loved patty cakes, with his mouth still full, he asked 'was the caramel slice ready yet'?

Another large victory and stepping stone well into boyhood is the fact that he has always performed when left at daycare. He has been going to day care since he was 15 months old (when Daisy's was started) and he has always carried on, which has only caused us both distress. Now, during the last term of school, he has stopped crying when left. I have left him at Holiday care now for two days, and I just get a big hug and he just walks away, content to join the other kids...............

Where has my baby gone?