Pretty (clingy) girl

My sweet girl has been coughing a lot this past week. She is never sick. In the past 3 years, we've been to the doctor twice.. other than annual check-ups. As a baby, she was sick A LOT. So I'm glad she hasn't been a sick toddler. When Kennedy doesn't feel well, she likes to crawl in my lap and snuggle. There's nothing more wonderful than when either one of my kids crawls into my lap and puts his/her head on my chest. It fills me with so much happiness that I feel like I will burst into tears.

In fact last night when when I was putting Kennedy to bed, she started clinging to me more than usual. She gives me extra "loving" when she's about to ask for something.

K: "Mommy, can I please sleep with you? I can't sleep in this bed. Puhhhhleeeease?"

Me: "No honey. Mommy sleeps in the bed with daddy. You sleep in your very own hot pink polka dot bed. It's perfect for sweet girls like you!"

K, with teary puppy dog eyes: "Mommy, I promise I won't kick or roll around. I'll be real still. I just want to sleep with you. I LOVE you..."

She promised to be still because I told her the last time we slept together, she kicked me, hogged the bed, slapped me... unintentionally, of course. We've shared a bed when staying at a friend's house for out-of-town trips. And then when Brady was smaller, I pulled her into bed with me every once in a while when Chris was out of town and Brady kept getting up. I can't handle two kids waking me up every hour, so I would throw her on Chris' side of the bed and pass out.

Okay, back to the story. She is officially crying now. It's not the whiny/annoying cry that she does when she wants something. It's the "my-feelings-are-hurt" cry.

This is where I normally give in. Crying child = wimpy mommy. But I didn't give in. I told her that I loved her more than anything, but sleeping time was meant for her pink polka dot bed. I held her in my lap, which is getting harder to do the older she gets. I played with her hair. I kissed her sweet face. And I cried.

I didn't "boo hoo".... (I am trying to be the parent here). Tears just flowed down my face as I thought about how much my baby girl has grown up. I calmed her down and I tried to regain my composure, not letting her see my teary face. I snuggled in the bed with her until she got sleepy. I held her longer than usual because I think she needed extra snuggles. And in a few years, she won't want me to hug her or snuggle with her... so I'm going to take advantage of every bit of it now.

And besides, could YOU resist this face?