I'm raising a germaphobe

I have a cold. I caught it from the little germ factory better known as Sydney, who undoubtedly caught it at daycare. The same daycare AJ attends. Nevertheless, AJ is treating me like I am Patient Zero in the sure-to-become swine flu pandemic.

Here's some background to illustrate the depth of AJ's concern:

Yesterday morning AJ gave me a major guilt trip for not coming in to snuggle with him the night before. I'd been busy with Sydney, and by the time she finally fell asleep, AJ was already asleep, too.

So last night Jeff and I switched up the bedtime routine so that I was the one to read AJ his bedtime story and snuggle with him. This didn't sit well with Sydney who threw a fit that Mommy wasn't cuddling with her on the couch. But eventually she calmed down and fell asleep next to Daddy.

Meanwhile, in AJ's room, I'd finished reading "Dino-hockey" for the 5,428th time, and turned off the light. I then made the critical mistake of blowing my nose as I was crawling into bed to snuggle.

"Do you have germs?" AJ asked.

"Yes, Mommy caught Sydney's cold." I replied.

"I don't want any germs," AJ said.

"I'm being careful," I assured him. "That's why I wash my hands a lot and cover my mouth when I cough."

AJ asked a few more questions about how I and Sydney had gotten our germs. I didn't realize it at the time, but as we talked, he was slowly inching as close to the far side of the bed as possible. Finally, in a whimper, my little mama's boy announced, "I don't want you to snuggle. Can you ask Daddy to snuggle instead?"