Family room

From the time Hubby and I started a family, we've always slept together as one. Initially it was more out of necessity than by choice.

Our first house was too small and the last 2 houses and current one were all temporary abodes so we saw no point in putting them into their own room only to have them move back in with us later - not that there was enough room anyway.

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a single thing. Sure, we have less privacy, and hence, less opportunity for intimacy. Our kids are still unable to go to bed on their own till now as they're so used to having us in the room with them.

But if not for the family room, we would never know that Nat still sucks her thumb occasionally in her sleep (a habit she broke when she was 4) and be there to pull it out of her mouth. Or that she throws a feisty fit in her nightmares which happen most often when she's had a fun-filled day. Neither would we be privy to the vocabulary recitals of Adam first thing in the morning when he started learning to talk nor the songs he would sometimes sing to sleep.

Sleeping in the same room also enables us to bond more with the kids. I remember when we moved Nat out of her cot into a mattress on the floor beside our bed, she would always ask to sleep on our bed for a while before we rolled her off the edge and onto her own. Sometimes, her Papa would allow her to fall asleep on his chest.

Now, Adam does the same with me, aligning his body directly atop mine falling sleep to the sound of my heartbeat. As endearing as it is (and as much as I love holding his little body and kissing his downy head), I try to discourage him by turning to the side to allow him to roll off but he would just cling on tight like a leech. This sort of response just makes me long for them to stay babies forever.

Soon enough, the day will come when they'll move out of our room and hopefully, there won't be separation anxiety (and by that, I mean for Hubby and I), but for now we'll enjoy it while it lasts.