by Maggie Downs posted in Life

Dear son,
Last night you screamed for me.
You?re well into age 3, so you?ve been sleeping through the night for a while now. A scream at 2 a.m. is unusual. That means when you cry out in your sleep, as you did last night, it slices right through the dark like an arrow and pierces my dream bubble. (Wait for me, Jon Hamm. I'll be back soon, I promise.)
The moment I hear your bold, brassy cry, I leap from my bed and run to your side. Like Miss Clavel in the Madeline books, I know at once something is not right.

 
They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but I think it should also count with toddler urine and bathrooms. Most of it made it into the bowl ? and absolutely none of it was in your bedroom ? so I considered that a win. Once you were finished, I pulled up your miraculously dry pajamas and wrangled you back into your room. As soon as your head hit the pillow and I placed your stuffed cat in your arms, you began to snore.
Your daddy and I were up for much longer.
?This is parenthood,? I said, gazing up at the ceiling.
?Yeah, most of the things we do, I never even imagined we would do,? my husband said. "Gross things. Weird things. Bizarre situations. And it's just another Sunday night for us."
Tonight you cried out in your sleep. Again.
This time you had a nightmare about sharks ? and that is totally my fault. I'm sorry.
Love, Mommy

Does your child scream out in the night"

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