the joy of freedom

We've been having problems with Cooper ending up in our bed at some point in the night. Sometimes they are nightmare, sometimes he tells us that he just likes our bed better. Either way, it is a huge disruption to my sleep, because somehow my 50lb four and a half hear old takes up considerably more space in bed then Aaron or I (and those with kids are surely nodding while they read this)

In an attempt to reclaim my side of the bed (really, don't think that Cooper sleeps next to his father) I told Cooper that he could fall asleep in my bed, and come back into bed when Aaron gets up to go to work. This seemed like a satisfactory plan to Cooper, so off to sleep he went in our bed, easily transferred when he was sound asleep.

Somewhere around 4am, I hear the tell tale sound of the little running feet of a scared Cooper, fresh from a bad dream. Still dark, as my eyes adjust to the light, the little figure struggles onto the bed. I said:

"Aww buddy, you almost made it all night."

Then, the little figure tells me:

"Mommy, esh bleikme geebee, Daddy bed."

Yes- Cooper did in fact make it through the night, it was Taggart that escaped his room, and slid in bed next to me. I clearly remember the first time that Cooper wandered into my bed, fresh into the same fire truck big-boy-bed. Such a rite of passage out of baby-hood, and into the big boy world.