on the path to independence

"I want to do it." 

I've been hearing this a lot lately.  Evan is wanting to do things by himself.  This evening, he wanted to use the bathroom by himself.   After a month of being potty trained, he did not want my help this time.  I watched him go into the bathroom, tell me to "stay out there", close the door, move his stool closer to the toliet, lots of heavy breathing and grunting as he was getting his pants down and climbing on the stool, and then... toliet flush, and more grunting as he tried to get his little self down from the toliet. 

I was on the other side of the door, enjoying thinking that he is becoming more independent each day.  Not that I want him to stop needing me.  I like how he needs to play with him, hold him, and kiss his owies.  A small part of me even felt special when he cried when I brought him to school today.  Normally, he is fine going to school and most days isn't ready to leave when I pick him up.  But, today he didn't want me to leave.  

I just think its an amazing process to watch your baby changing from the screaming infant to a toddler who askes for things with "please" 50% of the time, and wants to do things for himself.  Sometimes I will help with something, like opening a door... but he wanted to do it.  So I have to close the door, and let him do it.  I'm learning to let him do things and hope to remain in the moment when watching him with his independence milestones.  Because once he can 'do something' that is one step closer to him being an adult.  Something I know will come sooner than I wish.