So, last week I was alone with the Shnook while TSA was on yet another business trip. Normally, my anxiety when TSA leaves is really high because I know that I'm just not going to get as much sleep. TSA handles all night wakings when he's home (YES, he still wakes up at least once or twice a night...and he's almost TWO). My anxiety stems from the fact that 1) I know he will wake up, and 2) I do not know how long it will take him to go back to sleep. 3) I do not know how long it will take me to go back to sleep once he goes back to sleep.
If I lie down next to him or bring him in bed with me, he will go back to bed almost instantaneously. If I try to get him to go back to sleep in his crib, he will cry, usually for longer than I can stand it. Even if I go in and calm him down, he inevitably wakes up again and again. I usually fight him and try to keep him in the crib because I almost always have difficulty going back to sleep myself if he's in the bed with me. He cramps my style, he sleeps perpendicular, he kicks me, etc. I need my space, man! TSA, on the other hand, LOVES to sleep in bed with the Shnook. This is why we have our problem(s). If Daddy didn't eagerly jump up in the middle of the night to cuddle with the Shnook, the Shnook might be able to sleep alone, all through the night. Maybe.
So when he woke up at the ripe hour of 1am and said to me:
“I tuddle with Mommy. I sleep Mommy's bed.”
instead of my usual resistance, I was somehow swayed by his ultimate cuteness and complete thoughts. I mean, really, who could argue with “tuddles?” Tuddles Wule the World. This phrase might be made into a bumper sticker which could be attached to my Subaru sometime soon.
“Ok.” I said, as I scooped him up and brought him to our bed. We both went back to sleep with relative ease, which for me, was sort of miraculous.
Was it manipulation? Sure. He is after all, the Shnook. Somehow this time I was ok with it. Perhaps that's why I let myself fall back to sleep so easily. If only I could've been like this for the last 23 months, I would've gotten a lot more rest.
Next kid will be different.
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