Living in the moment...

This morning after I changed Carsten's diaper before his nap, I told him that it was time to go "night-night". He grabbed me, hugged me, and laid his head on my shoulder. I sat there holding him for a few minutes and he just stayed there real still cuddling me, so I stood up and sat down in the rocking chair with him and rocked. He never let go of me for even a second. Actually, he clung harder to me as I moved from the floor to the rocking chair. After a few minutes, he feel asleep on my shoulder. When I stood up to put him in his crib, he clung to me even harder... in his sleep. I had to pry him off of me in order to lay him down. I loved every second of it!

Usually, I just lay him down in his crib for his nap, and he just rolls over and goes to sleep. It's been a long time since I rocked him to sleep. It's funny, because when I did have to rock him to sleep as an infant, I was desperately wanting him to learn to go to sleep on his own. Now that he does, I love rare moments like these when he needs me. He is such an independent and head strong child, that I know as he gets older, these moments are going to get rarer. This morning, as I sat there and rocked him, I closed my eyes, and just enjoyed every second of it. I concentrated on taking it all in so that I could remember it... the way he felt against me, the way he smelled, and the way he clung to me for dear life. It won't be long before I will have to beg him to even hug me!

It's funny because he has been doing this clingy thing for a few weeks now. He wants to be held more and cuddled more. I guess this is his mild version of separation anxiety, which I've read usually starts to peak between now and 18 months. I hear other parents of young toddlers complaining about the clinginess and neediness. Not me. Carsten was born into this world raring to go making little time for cuddles and hugs. So, I am LOVING this "phase". I hope that it lasts for a good while. :-)