Smuggling Snuggles

Our boys have never been big snugglers.  They are affectionate - seeking frequent hugs, fighting over our laps - but they don't just hunker down and snuggle.  For five years, we've heard stories of kids climbing into bed with Mom and Dad on a Saturday morning, the whole family blissfully snoozing and snuggling for an hour before rushing off to meet the day.  And for five years, we've lusted after this fantasy, wondering why our kids appear to challenge every rule in the book (kinda like how they refuse to sleep in the car, EVER, even if it's three in the morning and they've been up for sixteen hours straight).  Ethan and Adam's idea of snuggling in on a Saturday morning used to look a little something like this: Boy #1 (they rotate) climbs on top of Mom or Dad's head and starts bouncing up and down while at the same time kicking the other one in the face; while Mom and Dad are trying to come to and figure out who is attacking them, Boy #2 runs in screaming "I AM SOOOO HUNGRY!  I WANT BREAKFAST RIGHT NOW!" as if their last meal was back in 2010.  It's really a lovely way to greet the day.

Ethan's idea of morning snuggles remains as described above - he wakes at the crack of dawn and spends a lot of quiet alone time in his room (thank god), but by the time he comes to wake us, he is fully dressed and beyond ready to get up and at 'em.  There is absolutely no chance of buying ourselves any more time to snooze.  But our Mini-Munch, on the other hand, has suddenly discovered the joy of a good snuggle!  A few weeks ago, out of the blue, Adam began tiptoeing into our room every morning between 6 and 6:30, silently crawling into bed, curling up next to me or between us, and going back to sleep for an hour or so (or until Ethan's appetite alarm rings loud enough for all of us to hear).  It's quite a little miracle in our house, and I am soaking up every delicious snuggle I can get.  There is something so divine about lying next to my littlest boy, watching him sleep.  He is such a bundle of motion all day long that I so rarely get to just observe his face at rest - his long eyelashes, his perfect rosy skin, his little forehead freckles.  Adam still sucks his thumb when he sleeps, which I know we need to address soon, but for now, I love watching him take little sucks and then drift off, then stir and suck again, then drift off, as he moves in and out of that light sleep of early morning.  When there's somewhere we need to be, and I begin trying to wake him, Adam's eyes open just a bit and he says so sweetly, "No, not yet Mommy.  I want to snuggle for a few more minutes...just a couple more minutes, Mommy."  And I can't resist - I hold him for a few minutes longer, lingering in those quiet moments before facing the busyness of the day ahead.  

I know this won't last forever.  With Ethan, we've always been vigilant about maintaining proper sleep hygiene - sleep in your own bed, after a proper bedtime routine, no exceptions (I do realize and own that this is probably contributing to the no sleeping in the car and no snuggling in the mornings routines).  But with this, our second child, we benefit from the reassuring influence of perspective, knowing these days are short, and that they should be cherished rather than worried over.  Sure, Adam's early morning voyages may start coming earlier and earlier.  And despite my love of our morning snuggles, I have no interest in adding a full-time companion to our bed.  But I've resolved to cross those bridges as I meet them, and for now, to live in and for the moment, and to enjoy every last snuggle I've wished for.

And in totally unrelated news, check this out!  I am thrilled to announce that Ben has decided to follow my sage advice and start a little gardening blog.  All spreadsheeting and crop counting will now reside over in his neck of the woods.