How'd HE get THERE?

My regular readers will know that we recently moved, Bab-E Brother having provided an impetus for more living space.

All in all, the boys are doing well in their new environment (having a neighborhood playground a block away helps. So does a screened-in back porch and a bigger yard for countless playtime adventures.)

However, when you're 5 and 2 (and 3 months for that matter), it'd probably be abnormal if there weren't some adjustment issues.

The issue we most anticipated was bedrooms/sleeping, particularly for Little Brother, who hears Big Brother talk about monsters, but has more trouble accepting that they're not real.

You may remember that we successfully transitioned Little Brother from crib to toddler bed several months ago, before Bab-E Brother took it over was born, but this was only accomplished with tremendous help from Big Brother, his roomie (and part-time psychotherapist).

We were a little worried that, having grown accustomed to having a "roomate", Little Brother would be fearful of sleeping in a room by himself, even if we tried to prophylax this for weeks with "in the new house, you get to have your own big boy room."

It also helps that:
-The boys share a "Jack & Jill" bathroom, complete with lights on and open doors.
-Mom-E and Dad-E's room is about 10 feet from Little Brother's door.
-We take turns (alternating most nights) reading stories in each of their rooms before bed.

But all of the above does not guarantee that he'll stay in his room all night.

On at least one occasion, we've awoke to find him usurping the foot end of Big Brother's bed, which is really quite cute.


Other times, he'll come into our room screaming at 3 am (which is a little less cute).

We try our best to get him back into his own bed, but if you were up until 1am, sometimes you're too exhausted to get up it's easier just to let him sleep with us (preferably facing away from us at the other end of the bed, since it's not the safest idea).

The other morning I woke up at about 6am to find Little Brother wedged in between Mom-E and I.

I suppose that I could've picked him up and put him into bed with us in a moment of transient global amnesia, but I have absolutely no recollection of doing so.

When Mom-E got up, she asked me "when did Little Brother come into our room?" (my side of the bed is closer to the door, and he usually calls for me.)

"I was going to ask you the same question," I replied, realizing she, too, had no idea how/when he'd come to join us.

So apparently, he's "adjusting" just fine to the new sleeping arrangement. He no longer needs to come into our room screaming. He just climbs on in and helps himself to our bed, and calmly falls back asleep.

No wonder he's such an animal lover, because that seems pretty dog-like to me.
It's pretty hard to keep a toddler out of your bed when you're exhausted and he sneaks in so quietly.

Ah, yet something else to be on the lookout wake-up for.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E