Dear Papa Series: A foot in the hand is worth two in the mouth

Dear Packrat,
I am writing this in bed with Muffin wrapped round my trunk rather tightly. Every time I attempt to pry his arms and legs off me, he whimpers, kicks a bit and tightens his grip on me ever so tightly. So I decided that since I haven't had enough bed time any way, I will write this while lying on your side of the bed. The little one has since you left, claimed my side of the bed. We're in for trouble when you get back.

Anyway, he misses you. The larger part of the human sandwich that forms his sleep cocoon is missing. He speaks more now and articulates very clearly first thing every morning "Where Papa?" with a correspondingly quizzical look. For most part of the day, he behaves as he usually does. But come bedtime, after his nightly shenanigans and as he begins to wind down, he grabs my hand and burrows his foot into it. If not that, while tossing and turning, he grabs hold of your favourite-stolen from SIA-blue pillow, buries his face into it and takes a long whiff, eventually settles on my flabby, water mattress like belly to fall asleep.

This has been the case every single night since you have left. I wonder how long it will keep up for. When I told my mom, she said something that had me in stitches for a good ten minutes and I still chuckle when I think about it. Here it is for posterity. And Muffin, we WILL tell this story on your wedding day.

Me: Muffin is such a koala bear. He will only sleep when I am there.
Muffin's Mama: He really is the baby of the family.
Me: Yup! And he's even taken to having me grab his foot in my hand. Only then will he fall asleep.
Muffin's Mama: Well, we all will then know why it is that he will need his wife to hold his foot before he falls asleep!

 I look forward to warning his future wife about his strange yet endearing sleep habits. That said, I'm not entirely certain how endearing it would be to hold his future, stinky foot.

You are most welcome to take over foot holding duties when you get back. But you gotta lie in the middle this time because not only do you gotta hold his foot, you gotta hold my hand as I go to sleep too!

Much is expected of you, upon your return!

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