A Voice from the Eastern Door

The Bed Bug

Little brother is my little cuddler. He always has needed to be held or have to be right next to us to fall asleep. The only times he’s fallen asleep alone is in his car seat. On rare occasions from sheer exhaustion he would just drop where he’s playing. Since he was a baby I tried everything. There were times that he slept in his crib but he’d wake up about an hour later and scream for us. Then at eight or so months he scaled the crib to get out. After that it was safer to let him sleep with us than sleep with one eye open, waiting to hear the thump that was him successfully getting to the outside. Then I spent weeks coaxing him into his own toddler bed but he was so miserable. That show “Super Nanny” is so misleading. In two nights the kids are asleep in their rooms and sleeping through the night. Every single night I spent hours getting him to fall asleep in his toddler bed only for him to crawl in to my bed in the middle of the night. After a few months of not getting sleep we just gave up and let him sleep with us. Sure we have a list of excuses why. Like his room is so far away from ours. He’s our baby who just needs extra cuddles. And there are the times he got sick, a fever or had scary dreams, which practically justified our co-sleeping arrangement. I’ve always gotten a lot of flack for “letting” my son sleep with us. To be honest having little brother snuggled with us never really bothered me. He’s little and will sleep through the night that way. After four years of someone using your arm as a pillow you get accustomed to that loving little weight. There have been instances that he’s slept alone in his room but it never keeps.

So he turned four and my husband had a talk with little brother. He told him, “You have until you are five to sleep with mommy and daddy. Then you’ll be too big ok.” Whenever I had been feeling like I had to get this baby out of our bed I would be met with the saddest, cutest little eyes and a plea. “Pwease mama, I wub you. I’m scared.” Then I would feel sad for him and make room. Now we get one more full year of the sneaky sleeper. Seems fair. We didn’t officially kick Big brother out of the bed until he was almost five. He was so tall one of us would leave out of discomfort and go on the couch. That hasn’t been a problem with little brother yet. Officially an extension has been given to the bed bug.

 

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