Upon returning home, I was very happy to see that both Eric and Noah had survived my time away. But the time away was hard on all of us. Eric can say with certainty that he never wants to be a single-dad. I learned that two weeks away is much too long from my favorite two guys. And Noah, though he did okay while I was away, now has significant separation anxiety (particularly at night).
The last two nights have been difficult putting Noah to bed. We've gone through the regular routine both nights. I read him bedtime stories, he sucked down a glass of milk and I rocked him to sleep. Usually once he's asleep I can gently lay him in his bed and sneak out of his room. But not the last two nights.
The last two nights as soon as I make any movement toward his crib he wakes and grabs onto me like he's sure I'm going to leave him again. I rock him back to sleep, hold him a little longer until I'm sure he's in a deep sleep, then try again to put him in bed. As soon as his body touches the mattress his eyes pop open. I try to rub his back and shhhh him back to sleep, but with no success. He immediately stands up in his crib with his arms stretched over his head high and says "momma momma momma". It's heartbreaking. I know he thinks that if he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep, he might wake up and I'll be gone again.
Don't worry Noah, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here and it's okay to go back to sleep.
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