Stinkin' baby!

Little Bit and Bubba snuggled in Mama's bed

For the first time in my existence as a mother, I've got a baby who is sleeping through the night at less than 18 months! Less than a year even! It's the weirdest thing ever. It's been great. So much sleep, such peaceful mornings, no worries about sneaking out of bed without waking him to take my shower. Lovely. But it's come with an unexpected downside. I was snuggling the Little Bit the other day, nuzzling my nose in his hair, and I noticed his scent has changed. Hmm... that's weird. Where's that subtle, sweet, musky scent I remember? Then I realized.... he had smelled like me from sleeping with his head in my pit for the first 8 months of life. The smell I loved about my baby was my own pit stink! That's a bit awkward. Or is it?

I remember back when I was 7 or so visiting a neighbor who's dog had puppies. Her mom warned us not to handle the new pups or they would smell like us instead of their mother and she might reject them. Over the years I've heard the same warning for all manner of mammals from kittens to goats. It makes me think, while we humans would never reject a kid for not smelling of mama, that maybe, just maybe, I'm not so crazy for liking that he smelled like me. It was an aromatic love letter bonding my baby deeper in the depths of my heart. A lovely combination of sweaty mama and milky drool. And if that makes me awkward, so be it! I'm going to treasure that scent in that phase of babyhood for the rest of my life. So thank you, Little Bit, for the memories (and thank you even more for the sleep!)