Major milestone today: Mark and I slept in our bed last night, all night, with the kids in a different room. Both of them. First time since Oscar was born almost six years ago.
We set up the double bed in the tiny second bedroom in preparation for the impending birth of New Baby — it’s good to have extra beds around, because who knows which kids will be asleep where while I labor?
But now that there’s a bed in there, we’ve been putting Milo down to nap in it, and calling it the "boys’ bedroom." And we moved the basket of bedtime stories into that room too. Mark’s been snuggling down with them for story time, and asking, "So, should we sleep here tonight?" Oscar’s ready, but Milo’s always said no. So all three of them trooped back into the family bedroom, which is crammed full with our first queen-sized bed and the twin bed we bought when I was pregnant with Milo.
A few evenings ago Oscar fell asleep in the car and we put him down to sleep in the boys’ bedroom. He woke at three and we brought him back. But last night, both of them fell asleep in the car. We put them down next to each other, left the hall light on, and went to bed in our own room, with no one to keep us company but the kicking baby in my belly. Rather nice for a change!
The light was streaming through the windows before they woke up. I listened, entranced, to a sound I’d never heard before: the muffled sounds of my children’s voices as one woke the other up on the other side of a wall. I couldn’t make out any words. I did hear giggles. I heard Oscar get out of bed, go to the bathroom, flush the toilet, return to the boys’ bedroom. I thought about how much fun it is to wake up with the children and talk and giggle with them for a few minutes while lying in bed. I wished that I could hear what they were saying to each other. Maybe I could install a baby monitor or something? And then I thought: No — I don’t always have to eavesdrop. Let them enjoy being brothers together.
Of course, it wasn’t long before they sneaked into our room and jumped on the bed. "Wake up mama, wake up daddy," chanted Milo. And then — really! — the two of them absolutely plastered us with kisses and hugs. Milo hugged and kissed me while Oscar hugged and kissed Mark, and then Oscar hugged and kissed me while Milo hugged and kissed Mark, and then they put their hands on our faces and gazed adoringly at us, and then they switched places and did it all again.
Who knows whether this will happen again soon or not? I don’t know. I don’t care — I like having them with us, and I like them sleeping together in the next room too. I’m glad they’re together with each other and don’t need to sleep alone. I have no idea how long it’ll be before they willingly "go down" in the other room, instead of being carried there unconscious. But I believe I’ll remember this Fourth of July for a long time.
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