Hacking At The Cord

My oldest is hacking at the cord. It's killing me a little. Where is the line between pushing the baby bird out of the nest and keeping him swaddled and wrapped up in your arms?
Apparently right at close to four years old.
While he's been potty trained for several months, and very succesfully - I mean MAN he did a good job when he set his mind to it (and good job to Dad too) - we've had him still sleeping in his diaper every night "just in case". He has never wet the diaper. He peed his pants a few times here or there, he once fell asleep and peed his pants but you know....actually in the diaper? Never. So when he started asking me a few nights ago "Can I please go to bed without a diaper now? I'm a big boy." I wanted to faint. No diaper? But....ummm, you sleep with me. What if you pee on me? I have an expensive memory foam mattress pad that would be ruined if you pee on it. And if you don't wear a diaper.......then, then, you....you AREN'T MY BABY ANYMORE. I played it off that I needed to talk to Dad......because I just didn't want to make the call. So I finally talked to the marital partner and he says "Well yeah sure.....".
Gasp.
No Diaper.

And then there was this morning. After I dressed him he walks over to me very seriously and says "Mommy, I have to tell you something. When you are at work I put on my own clothes. Daddy let's me dress myself because I am a big boy now. I can do it myself."
What? YOU CAN DRESS YOURSELF?

We had to take the clothes off so that he could proudly dress himself (okay the shirt went on backwards).

First he dresses himself, and now tonight he'll snuggle up next to me with no diaper.
What the hell is going on today.

I am not ready for my baby bird to make such big steps. I never thought I would have issues with progress - and in fairness I would never slow down his development, I'm so very proud of him.

But it will tear at my heart even as proud as I will be of him for going to sleep with no diaper. I remember when I worried how I would be able to carry him because he was so heavy (at almost 10 pounds). I remember how he used to call me the MaDaddy. And now he dresses himself and doesn't pee the bed.

We must be doing something right.