As Carter lays on me I look over at the clock. It's 3:03. Our bed is slowly getting softer. It's a chance you take when you sleep on air. As I have done since Carter was born almost 8 months ago. My room and the room designated as Carter's are in the basement. But that's not where we sleep.
Marlee got married right before Carter was born. They were living in Pocatello. When they were staying here while she was working she wasn't thrilled about them sleeping in her bedroom across the hall from my parents.
My Mom wanted Carter closer so I suggested we switch the nursery and Marlee's room temporarily. Marlee and Tom got their own place in September but by then I had begun what was to become a seemingly never ending run of one brace, cast, etc, on my foot and the stairs became a problem.
So 8 months later here I am. I know he should be sleeping in the crib I'm looking at. It just happened to get filled with everything from our whirlwind late night arrival the other night and I'm still cleaning it out. I've got friends and cousins who would say I'm crazy to co sleep and I'm getting ready to move us downstairs and put him in the crib. When he was young he slept in a Fisher Price cradle thing but he outgrew it. The truth is since then I've loved having him close. Just this past week he's started finding me in his sleep. Suddenly I will feel his little arms come up around my arm and his warm little body snuggle in close. At night when he starts rubbing his eyes and signaling its bedtime Dad takes Carter and his bottle and they go to bed together. Then the first time Carter stirs around midnight I move him in with me. I think Dad likes finally having justification for going to bed at 7:30 pm.
I also love how in the morning after he's been jabbering with me for a while I'll hear my Mom say, "Carter, Come see Grammy." And I'll sneak a little extra sleep while they snuggle. Or my dad might walk by and snag him for Grampy time in the recliner. If my Dad walks down the hall and ignores Carter you would think Carter's world was ending. I love that they have this relationship. It's priceless. It means so much to me that they have let me stay here and have helped out the way they have. My parents are my rocks.