The Necessity of Change

So it is time. It's been time for awhile. Last night was Gabriel's first full night in his big boy room with a big boy bed. The poor kid wanted desperately to sleep in his big boy bed, but he needs to re-learn how to fall asleep when he can just as easily get up and walk into the living room and eat ice-cream with mom and dad. There was the first couple times of opening his door and walking on out into the living room only to cry as we put him back in bed. Then there was the open the door slowly and peek around and see us and then walk into the hall, put his head on the ground, and cry. Then there was the lay in bed and cry. Then there was that elusive, yet precious sleep.
It is amazing how difficult it can be as a parent to do what is best for your child. He needed sleep and he needs to learn how to sleep with no bars surrounding him. But for some reason, every time he appears from his bedroom you have the desperate urge to just hug him and keep him with you. It is something I would have never understood without having a child of my own.
I had no urge to hug him and keep him this morning when I was woken up by him with his huge eyes wide and bright right in my face, an arm full of trucks and a "tractor book" being tossed on me one by one, and "daddy up" being chanted gleefully into my drowsy ears.
Such is the necessity of change.