In the last few weeks, Little Bug has developed a really weird sleep pattern. Each morning he wakes up like clockwork at about 5:00 am. (He usually slept until 6:30). If left in his crib, he will stand and cry. Unlike our nighttime routine when this happens, he doesn't seem to respond to our tricks to get him down, and quite frankly, even if he did, it would be time to get him up once he finally went back down.
So, for the past several weeks, Little Bug has been sleeping that last hour in bed with us, and 9 times out of 10, sleeping peacefully. Twisting, turning, and sometimes freaking me out by getting right into my face and waiting for me to wake up. The silly smile I get when I do open my eyes is worth it, though. But overall, he isn't really bothering Appa and I when he comes into bed with us in the mornings.
And boy, oh boy, my baby is cuddly. Lots of mothers talk about the smell of their kids, but for me, it's the heat. There is a special sort of heat that Little Bug emits right when he wakes up. His skin is so smooth and soft and it feels like hugging a big warm loaf of bread (not that I make it a practice to do that). Even better, lately when I pick up my warm loaf of bread, his long not-a-baby-anymore limbs are a bit lax and it strikes me--every time--how he is such a little human now, not a baby.
I truly look forward to this hour of the morning.
BUT--we are also walking a dangerous line. We've been sucked into cosleeping for periods of time in the past, and for our family, it is not a viable long-term option. This morning cuddle time feels different in that he has slept most of the night in his bed and is still doing "pretty well" with his nighttime routine. (Damn you, Terrible Twos testing boundaries period!)
So, we continue to do this little morning routine, even though I worry we are setting a dangerous precedent. Coupled with the fact that we are going to be moving Little Bug to a toddler bed in the next few weeks, I think this has the potential for some "reprogramming" down the line.
But for now, I am going to enjoy my little loaf of Korean bread first thing each morning.
5am. . . That is pretty early. :-D Just came across your blog as my husband and I are also in the process of adopting. . . through Ethiopia. I love the adoption community, and always love finding other people who blog about their journeys.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Korean bread. Sounds delicious. :-D
I get a little visitor around 5:30 every morning. I go get him, his blankie, and silkie and bring him in bed. He presses his face right against mine and wraps his arm as tightly as he can around my neck. To be honest, this is my favorite hour of the day. Now that Isaac is 3, there are many times during the day that he says things like, "Ewwww, don't kiss me" or "kisses is for bedtime". I'm just trying to soak this up for as long as I can!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds wonderful to me! Although I do see your point - this may be a hard habit to break. Eek! For now, enjoy your Korean loaf :)
ReplyDeletesounds wonderful to me. Gabe is still at the stage where all he wants to do is play, not sleep in our bed.
ReplyDeleteToddler bed soon??? I can't bear it...