Big boy bike

One of Henry's favorite things to do so far this spring has been riding his tricycle. He got it as a gift from Oma (my mom) on his first birthday and he's gradually progressed from pushing it, to sitting on it but pushing with his feet, to finally, just this spring, starting to use the pedals to make it go. The only thing is that he's grown so much that the tricycle was getting just a little bit too little for him. Patrick couldn't resist and went to the store on Saturday during Henry's nap and bought him a big boy bike. He assembled it and put it in the backyard and when Henry woke up we told him there was a surprise for him outside. He peeked out his window and was so excited he ran down the stairs and outside to see his new bike. We both thought the helmet would be a hard sell and were really building it up; he however was most excited about the helmet and strapped it on right away. He's doing really well - he's already learned how to pedal and steer it by himself. It really takes a lot of concentration to ride and steer at the same time, and he is very fascinated by the wheels turning around so he looks down a lot while riding which is a tidge dangerous. He's had a few close calls, but no collisions yet! He can't wait to ride bikes with Papa Bug (my dad).

He looks so big and grown up riding it. It's a little bit bittersweet. I love watching him ride it and beam with pride, but it also makes me sad to see him look like such a big boy and to realize that my baby is big enough to ride a big bike.