Baby's Growing Up

Lately Baby has been fascinated with growing up. I'm the only one allowed to call him 'Little' and 'Baby.' He constantly tells everyone else he is NOT little, he is BIG. His BFF also feels the same way. Maybe this is a consequence of being the youngest in the family. He just wants to be big like his big brothers.

Over a month ago he announced to me that he was getting hair in his armpits. Trying not to laugh too hard I asked to see the hair.

"Oh, you can't see it yet. It's going to grow in where the white patches are."

"Can I see where it's going to grow in then?"

"No, but Zac already has hair in his armpits!"

"Really? Do you think he will show me?" I really wanted to see hair on some eight-year-old boys.

"No, he's kind of private." Excuses, excuses.

A couple of weeks later we were driving somewhere in the car. He was sitting up front with me running a one-sided nonstop monologue. I had tuned him out, probably thinking about laundry, until he started talking about hair again.

"Look, Mom!" he had obviously said this several times. "I can pull my skin without touching it at all!" And he was pulling his leg hairs. I don't know if he realized he's always had leg hairs or if he thought it was something new associated with the growth of his armpit hair. He was pretty amazed.

Another few weeks later he announced to me, "I'm getting hair down there!"

"Really!?!" This time I couldn't help the laughing. "Now can I see your armpit hair?"

"No, it hasn't grown in enough to see yet."

"This means you're turning into a Real Man and there is only one Real Man allowed at this house. We're going to have to get rid of it."

He walked off completely unfazed at my comment and jubilant about his hair growth. As of a couple weeks later he still won't show me his hair. I have my doubts until he actually shows me, but in his head he has Grown Up.