my cuddly little bear

J never has an issue with sleeping by himself since birth. In fact, he didn't like us to cuddle him much right before sleeping. He preferred rolling around by himself in his cot, hugging his bolster and companion, Kaka, before falling asleep. When we tried to get him to sleep with us in the big bed, he would make a big fuss until we put him back into his little haven.

4 weeks again, he went thru a sudden transformation. Instead of the usual practise which was milk, kisses from mama & papa, and then to his little bed, he clung onto to me like a koala bear and refused to let go. So that night, he slept on me. He first slept right on top, with his face tuck under my chin, when I tried to move him, he still clung on and shifted to my tummy (very soft and nice?), and finally when I tried to shift him back to his bed, he stuck his face right to mine, with his butt high up in the air. Since then, every single nite (unless he falls asleep in the car first), he has been sleeping in our big bed, either with papa or mama. Sometimes he'll get to sleep with us thru the nite, but most times we'll shift him back to his cot right after he goes into deep sleep.

To be honest, I don't mind this change. I know....i noe..there are probably some horrified looks on some of your faces now, thinking I am crazy to let J grow into this habit, and how we should be cultivating independence at this stage and what about personal space and all. Seriously, how long do you get to hug and hold your kids to sleep? You don't need to do any maths to know it's only a few short years, if not months. How long do they stay such trusting little babies? Too short I say. Already J is showing signs of wanting to do things by himself, like "wearing" his own shoes, taking off his clothes, refusing to hold our hands when he wants to run....my little boy is growing up. Soon he'll reach the stage where kisses from mama is so not cool and I'll be left thinking about the little bear who slept on my tummy and clung on to dear life when I tried to shift him away. So is it wrong of me to love sleeping with him? Nah...I don't think so. It's something I quite look forward to at the end of a work day =)