Sleeping In His Own Room (June 20, 2008)

I was clearing up Zach's cabin in anticipation of our friends Captain Jeff and his 4.5 year old son Sam spending the weekend sailing with us. Sam has his own room at home, so I figured he might want one here on the boat. Zach has slept with us every night of his life, and we have never tried to transition him to his own cabin because we LIKE having a family bed. He knows it's there, but it's usually more of a play room, toy dump, laundry sorting, mess area.

When he saw how it looked as a "bedroom", complete with pillows and clean sheets he asked if he could sleep there that night, "like a big boy". I was floored. I let him know that sleeping in there meant no nursing and no mommy and daddy. He said, "All I need is a water bottle, my blankies, a flashlight, and some stories." So I set him up with the requested items and he laid in there alone, listening to stories on CD, and went to sleep all by himself. The boy who has either nursed or snuggled to sleep every night of his life just turned around did this out of the blue.

Of course I was a nervous wreck. I stayed up half the night baking and checking on him. Doug was loving the extra real estate in our bed. At around 5am Zach called out to me. Ohhh, my baby needs me! I went in expecting he would want to come to our room or nurse or something.

Nope.

"Mommy, can I have some cheese and crackers? I'm so hungry."

Apparently I have been replaced by a cheap appetizer.

So he did it, and he was excited by the whole experience. I asked him what it was like, he answered, "It's like being without your mommy and daddy." So I asked what THAT was like?
He said, "Well at first I was scared, but then my friend T-Rex came and cuddled me and everything was ok."

Again, replaced by an imaginary cold blooded, carnivorous, reptile. H

He asked a few more times to sleep in there, but it's been a bluff so far. I am happy to report I still have my snuggle boy next to me at night. But I am keenly aware that June 20 was a warning shot across the bow to emotionally prepare myself for the next step in growing up. I am going to need to be sedated when this boy leaves for college.