Noodles Big Sleep Over

“Hey Noodle, do you want to sleep over at Grandma's tonight”, my mother so lovingly asked my baby.

“Sure, GaMa, I will love to sleep at GaMa's house”. He answered with affirmation.

My heart dropped and I lost my breath for a split second.

Noodle has never, ever, ever, even remotely, had one drip of desire to sleep outside of our home, and has never, ever had the need to. He has been asked before, and declined. He has attempted to stay out and changed his mind last minute. And, never, has there been such a definitive YES!

OMG, I wanted to pass out. He'll change his mind, I told myself to calm the about to come on panic attack.

Why?

Why did I react like this?

Schmoogie had slept over my parent’s house a gazillion times by the time he was Noodle's age. He had slept at my grandmothers, my sister-in-laws, even at a girl friend’s house, and I never felt like this. For the love of God, why, oh why, did I have such trouble with this?

After a mulling it over, missing him so bad it actually hurt, and then yearning to pick him up. After having him run into my arms to embrace a gigantic hug, kisses galore, a million and one I missed you’s, and then wishing for a moment's peace, I asked myself again, WHY did I react that way?

Well, he is my baby. He and I have one of those relationships, he's a mama's boy good boy, and he's my baby, oh I already said that, and, he’s my last, need I say more?

When our first bones are little, we cannot wait for their accomplishments, it's as if we want them to experience everything by the time they are a year old, and it’s insane, really. Once you experience just how fast it all goes by, you learn to embrace the little ones, and their stages.

This time, second child, I KNOW how fast it goes, and quite frankly, I don’t want to let go of his baby innocence. I am like this with every step of his existence, Noodle walked later than Schmoogie, he spoke later than Schmoogie, and we didn’t even correct his speech until recently. And, it is all okay; we weren’t as vigorous in the coaching, because I don’t want him to get big.

He stayed the night at my parent’s house, without crisis. I called three thirteen times, and by 5:05 last night, I had him back in my arms. I put him to sleep in my bed and just schmooched him all up, we snuggled, and I fell asleep with his warm (still baby) breath in my face, and I loved every minute of it.

I know I sound selfish, but a baby is only a baby for a short time, and I love my baby!!

Peace.