An Aidan Story

Today you don't have to endure a boring monologue about how boring bedrest is (I think we all got that now). No, today I have to write about this incredibly funny, amazing and sad story about Aidan. As of the last like two or three weeks, he's figured out how to open doors and thereby requiring us to purchase doorknob covers. First set didn't work cause he figured it out, but these new ones are amazing and our little Houdini has figured them out yet. But we don't put one on the inside of his bedroom door because we want him to be able to let himself out in the mornings and to get used to the fact he has to stay in his room without being prevented.

This has caused some significant issues with him staying in his room at bedtime, this equals to a very ornery and upset Mommy at night. I try really hard not to, but by bedtime my nerves are fairly frazzled. Well, so two nights ago, I was having issues getting to sleep and finally around 3:00 in the morning I was finally starting to drift off, when I heard my son's little voice come out of the darkness. "Mommy, I scared." I sat up and he was standing at the bottom of my bed. I obviously asked him what he was scared of and he said, 'Skeleton.' That one word was heartbreaking to me because I knew it meant he'd had a nightmare and what parent wants to hear about their child having one.

I was so exhausted that I told him to climb up in bed with me and that he could sleep in Daddy's spot til Daddy came home in a few hours. So, my sweet little 2 1/2 year old crawled into my bed, laid his head down on the pillow next to me and drifted off to sleep. It was obviously comforting to him to be near me, but it was comforting to me as well. Maybe a half hour later, he woke up and told me he wanted to go to his bed. But when I told him that he could go, he said, "I want Daddy spot." I told him it was fine he could stay there, and then we both drifted off. When my Hubby got home, my son instantly woke up and told me "Daddy home."

Well, this morning when my Hubby got home from work and after falling asleep in our still running car in the driveway for 45 mins (poor tired guy), he came upstairs and found our son curled up in a little ball at the foot of our bed on the floor. I hadn't even heard him come in to our room, I felt bad especially since we've taken to keeping our window open just a crack with the fan going to keep the room cool. So he'd slept for who knows how long without a blanket on the floor. My Hubby picked him up and tucked him in between the two of us on our bed, but that lasted maybe 10 mins before he decided to wake up and wanted a graham cracker.

I hate the idea that my son has nightmares, but what parent does? But there is something about having your child come to you because they are scared and know you can 'protect' them & comfort them. I remember doing the same thing as a child, I even pulled the 'I don't want to wake up my parents, but I need to be close to them.' So I spent many nights curled up on the floor at the bottom of their bed until the sun would come up and then I'd go back to my room. Its crazy the similarities. Unfortunately Aislynn on the otherhand has night terrors and we spend two or three times most nights working to comfort her all the while she's fighting you tooth and nail. I guess such is the life of being a parent.

By the way, here are a couple of pictures of my kids using Daddy and each other as jungle gyms. Enjoy!