My 2 1/2 year old son is obsessed with the boob. He likes to touch it, squeeze it, pinch it and sing about it.

“Mama, boobie, mama, boobie,” he chants.

I try not to laugh, wondering how long this obsession is going to last. I’m also trying not to be embarrassed when he sticks his hand down my shirt in public.

“Baby go suckie on the boobie. Big boy drink milk in cup,” he says as he reaches down my shirt for a squeeze. This fact is endlessly fascinating.

Breastfeeding was one of the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of being a mother. My baby was premature, weighing in at just under 4 pounds which initially made it difficult for him to nurse. To put it in perspective, my nipple was about as big as his little head when we first started trying to latch. With the help of a lactation consultant and a lot of perseverance, we learned together as he grew bigger and stronger. And he loved it! I had lots of milk and breastfeed for 18 months until the dude let me know he was done.

I had a ritual when I was breastfeeding – I would get the pillow out, sit down on the rocking chair with my baby and whisper “suckie on the boobie with mama.”

Now that the dude is two, he is learning about parts of the body. So when he pointed to my breast, I named it for him as the “boobie” in honour of this ritual, explaining that mamas have boobies to give milk to their babies and boys have a chest. Turns out that this sounds a lot more embarrassing when he’s belting it out in public than it did in the privacy of my home.  Note to self. In the future, use only proper labels when naming body parts.

Early on, I attended a breastfeeding 101 seminar where I learned that breastfeeding babies will instinctively pat, squeeze and nuzzle their mother’s breast. It’s nature. It’s the place they bond with their mother and get their nourishment. It’s the place they play and the place they sleep.

This attachment to the breast is something I’ve observed with both my own son and other babies and toddlers. It can be cute, and even heartwarming.

But as we approach the age of 3, I think this is one habit we’ll have to wean. I’m just not sure how.

This is just one of the precious things my son does. It’s funny, it’s cute, it makes me shake my head and wonder what comes next. What does your son or daughter do that you just have to tell someone about? I’ve love to hear your stories.