Side Sleeper

Will has always slept on his side - even when he was first born. He has always slept in this exact position - with his head tilted back. It looks terribly uncomfortable to me, but he obviously doesn't think so. I went in to check on him as I do every night before I go to bed - I can see him on the monitor (also known as Will TV), but it isn't the same as seeing him in person. Seeing him sleep always makes me smile - not only on the outside, but also deep down inside as well. It can change your mood from sad to happy. I cant explain it, but it is the sweetest thing.

Tonight he had the pancake bear (from his Aunt Amye) between his arms like he was hugging him, but when I went back with my camera, the pancake bear was face to face with him. Every night we put him down with the pancake bear, giraffe or duck blankie (courtesy of Julie), and a silky blankie (from his Aunt Leen). I am hoping he will become attached to one or all of these. He likes to hold his blankies in his hands while he is trying to fall asleep - he opens and closes his hand, regrabbing them time and time again. I think it is calming and soothing for him.

I had a blankie when I was growing up. Well, I had many. Surely I had a favorite, but I just remember always having a blankie. I was embarrassed about it, and I remember that on my last day of preschool, we were cleaning out our bins where we kept our things. I left my blankie in the bin because I didn't want anyone to know I had it. I guess I would sneak it out during nap time. Anyway, my teacher found it and held it up in front of the whole class and asked "Whose blankie is this?" I was too embarrassed to claim it, so when my mom picked me up on that sad day, I had to tell her the terrible news. We went back the next day to reclaim my prized possession. I was thrilled to get that thing back! When we got there, the janitors repurposed it...as a rag! They were cleaning with it! This is one of my earliest memories - maybe because it must have scarred me.

After that, I remember taking my blankie to sleepovers with friends. I would take it out before bed and tell them that I had to lay on this "special blankie" because I had a back problem. Seriously. I remember saying those exact words to Jennifer Monoghan, my best friend from elementary school, before we went to bed one night after playing My Little Pony. Today I find that memory hysterical. I assume my friends didn't think anything of it since I don't have any bad memories about sleepovers and the blankie.

So I am not sure if Will is going to follow in my footsteps and attach himself to a blankie, but if he does, I hope he carries that blankie with pride, or, if he needs to, maybe he can use that hereditary back problem as an excuse.