Big Changes

Obviously, I know about the changes that are coming our way in November - she doesn't let me forget for too many moments of the day :) But this week, Nate has showed me that even more changes are coming, and coming a little sooner than I expected.

For several months now, we've known that Nate would move into our basement bedroom when the baby arrived. But even though it is a great space, with it's own private bathroom, he has been adamant that he is not moving down there. To the point of tears he has expressed his lack of interest in moving from his current room. Scott & I have just dropped the subject when it becomes too intense, but we always bring it back up again at least once a week, just hoping that the idea would sink in.

When the plan to convince him failed, we decided that we would draw the line in the sand and start the transition after we got back from Disney in a few weeks. We figured we'd have some major parent points going on then. We ordered a trundle bed for him and talked up the fact that he would get to sleep in a new bed in the new room. Still, even with the promise that he could basically have anything he wanted if he would move down there, he continued to protest.

Until last Saturday night. He asked if he could take a shower down there when it was bath time. Sure, we said. And then I hear Scott coming up the stairs to ask me if it is okay for him to sleep down there - that Nate wanted to. I said that I would rather him wait until we got the bed (it was coming in 3 more days). Really. Was I really ready for this? Did that just come out of my mouth? Scott relayed the message to Nate and I heard screams from the basement. Okay, okay, I give - he can sleep down there.

And that he did. And did it again the next night, and the next night. And the great part is that he is having no problems going to sleep, sleeping through the night or getting up to go to the bathroom by himself. He even shared that he would never be sleeping in the upstairs room again. So I should be happy, right?

Well...I am....but I'm also sad and a little weirded out that Scott & I are the only ones on the top floor and that I'm not sharing a bathroom with a 4 year old anymore. I want to go into his room right next to ours and kiss him when I get up to go to the bathroom at night. I want him to need me in the middle of the night (really?) I want him to be as close as he can be to me so that I will know he is okay.

The fact is that he is okay. He's more than okay. He's choosing to grow up all by himself and I'm proud. And I'll have an infant to go into that room before too long that we will all love. And that will be more than okay too.