Most of my life I have spent with a roommate. I shared my bedroom with my brother from the time I was eight years old until I got married. So have never had my own place or any real memories of having my own room.

Still it is a completely different experience sharing the bedroom with my baby. For most of the past 8 months, I have not had much access to my own bedroom. It was a weekly annoyance when I would realize I wanted something that was stored in there but also did not want to disturb his sleep. And so it became somewhat normalized.

And so it surprised me how much freedom I suddenly felt like I had when we moved our 8 month old into his own room.

Attikis now resides in the guest bedroom at the end of our shared hallway. In my head I knew it would be nice to have him in the other room — especially since he is only waking once a night now. But the sheer joy and relief that settled over me upon having my room back was a rush. It truly felt like I was getting some of my life back.

The days of having to creep into my bed at night with the hope that I don’t wake him are gone. No longer will I feel guilty when I accidenly wake him in the morning while getting ready for work because he cannot hear me.

I can talk to my wife while going to bed. I can say goodbye to her in the mornings. We can have conversations on weekends while laying in bed before he wakes. I can actually do work in there whenever I wish and not be worried about where I left my laptop or headphones. It is so great!

Anyway, sometimes when I realize how much I take something for granted, I like sharing about it because it really is the little things that matter. I love my baby. But I also love having my own space.

What is something you have taken for granted at some point that brings you joy?