Loumy Sleeps

Each night before finally retiring to bed I have to check on the kids one last time. If I forget, I always lie in bed and tell myself, "they're fine." But then something always says, "Oh yeah? What if there is something caught around their neck and they are slowly suffocating? Then how will you feel?" So I always get up. Sometimes Chancho says, groggily, "I already checked on them." But I still have to go because...well...maybe something got caught around their necks since he was there 5 minutes ago.

They are never suffocating. String Cheese and Deedle might need a blanket put on after having kicked it off or something, but usually they look comfortable and fine. With Loumy, you never know what you will find. He usually sneaks out of his bed after we put him down and plays, very surreptitously, in the dark until he passes out of exhaustion. He can fall asleep anywhere. I might have shared this photo before. This was taken two years ago and nothing has changed.One night Chancho couldn't find him anywhere in his room and then finally saw two feet sticking out from under the bed. He had to call me in to take a look before gently pulling him out and putting him in bed. It looked as if maybe he had crawled under there to find something and then didn't have the energy to get back out.

I took these photos in the last 2 weeks:
Today we set up his new bed with his "cool sewfa (aka surfer)" bedding. The kids each slept in their own rooms and so far they are all asleep with no complaints of being scared. I just checked on Loumy and he is actually lying how I left him. That is partly, I'm sure, because we let him stay up late to watch the original Star Wars, which he was been UBER excited about ever since Chancho told him they could watch it together on the new TV. So, he may have been too exhausted to move.
(Look at that cute, little, round Haitian ear, would you? Oh yeah, and its that time of year for me to braid his hair again. I love doing it like this until I get too tired of it.)

Maybe his new bed will help him want to stay in it more. Or maybe not. But I hope he outgrows this soon because he is pure muscle and very heavy (much heavier than Deedle, even though she is still quite a bit taller) and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to lift him back into a good sleeping position. Hopefully I'll be like that Mom in "Love You Forever" who, when her son is older, drives over to his house and puts a ladder up to his window, climbs in, then lifts him out of bed to rock and sing him their lullaby. I love that book and I always tear up at the end and the kids always look at me strangely, wondering why my voice has suddenly choked. I love it all except for this drawing because I'm like, "Pshh...yeah right...try lifting Loumy when he's a man...(and also, try climbing a ladder into your son's house in a dress and pumps)."

And now look what I have done. I found the book and scanned the drawing. Don't any of you say I never go the extra mile.