My baby is growing up :(

I guess I should be excited that he's growing and maturing, and I am...don't misunderstand me! It's just that it's so hard to watch him gaining all this Independence. He's just started this "frowning" thing, where he dips his head low and frowns at you. And he cracks himself up answering every question with "no."

In fact, that is our favorite pre-bedtime ritual : "Daniel, do you want to go nite-nite?" "No." We all crack up. This gets repeated several times until all of our sides are aching from the laughter. Finally we say "Daniel, it's time for nite-nite." Then we get our bath, diapered, pajamas, teeth brushed, and rocked.

Well, at least we used to get rocked. Recently he has decided that he would rather lay in bed and talk to himself and go to sleep on his own than be rocked to sleep. I KNOW I KNOW, I should be thankful....but I'm not. I'm miserable, because my "baby" no longer wants to be rocked to sleep. I suppose child psychologists would say he is a healthy, well-adjusted child who feels comfort in his surroundings, and is so confident in the fact that I'll be there for him that he is willing and able to go to sleep on his own. Well, that makes me feel really, really good. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm miserable because I want to rock him to sleep. I do, however, take solace in the fact that he still wants to be rocked to sleep at naptime.

And since Michael is in NYC until Friday I'm lonely and miserable at night (no time to be lonely during the day...Old Navy has me working waaaaay too much this week!) and it doesn't help that my son won't sleep in the big bed with me. Again, I KNOW I should be thankful that he won't but sometimes you just need a snuggle buggle and you can't find one.