a bitter-sweet turning point

Ever since we brought Sophie home and she was allowed to be crate-free at night, she's slept on our bed. She never once got off the bed and would alternate through the night which human she would snuggle up to. She'd wiggle and stretch her body in a snake-like manner when our alarm clock would go off in the mornings and get extra cuddles before we rolled out of bed and she'd stay on the bed until Shawn was dressed and she'd leap to the floor and dance her way down the stairs to be let out.The two years plus that we've had her in our lives, sleeping was just extra special with a Sophie glued to our backs or legs all night. Her grumbles and snuggles just kept us dreaming sweetly. As the nights progressed, Sophie started to lunge into Jinx's spot at the bottom of the bed as soon as he'd jump off to sleep on the floor. Jinx starts each night on the bed, between our feet and then about 4-5am jumps off and switches locations to the hallway outside the bedroom. Sophie started stealing his spot around January each time Jinx would leave. I know this because I am a super light sleeper and as soon as the dogs start to move on the bed I am AWAKE!Sophie's never-leave-the-bed manner was both a blessing and a curse. We knew she could be trusted at night to not run around and cause problems or eat the table. But we keep the baby gate open across the stairs anyhow - just in case. But this also meant that if Sophie needed to be sick in the middle of the night, she'd end up barfing all over the bed at 4 in the morning. This wasn't such a sweet and wonderful moment to be spending with her and I wished fervently that she'd learn to at least jump off the bed when she was feeling ill. I'd rather she throw up on the wood floor than through the comforter, sheets, memory foam and mattress. =/For a couple of weeks in March (April?) both Sophie and Jinx got really sick and alternated nights in which they would be sick on the bed, in the hallway, or need to be let out urgently in the middle of the night. Sophie started to learn that if she rocketed off the bed in the middle of the night, it would in turn wake me up (likely yelling out, "WHA? WHAT's going on!?') and Shawn getting out of bed and rushing down the stairs to let the dogs out and be sick in the yard (much more preferable than on the bed!) However that got to be a habit for Sophie so we started ignoring her when she'd jump off when she was obviously feeling just fine but decided she was bored and wanted attention.Sophie soon got the hint that we wouldn't always get up between 3-5am to suit her whims and she went back to sleeping through the night on the bed, snuggled up to one or the other of us. Only in the last week...Sophie has started jumping off the bed between 3am and 3:30am.  Since she's showing zero signs of being ill and Shawn had only come to bed about an hour and a half prior, we knew she didn't have to be let out. So we just ignored her, which results in her sleeping in the hallway all night. I admitted to Shawn the other day that it sort of makes me sad that she leaves us - often BEFORE Jinx does! - to sleep in the hallway. I think she's trying to get the corner spot that Jinx likes to sleep in BEFORE he gets it. Little brat.The last two nights she's gotten off the bed as soon as Shawn climbs IN TO bed! It's heart breaking. I think it might be because the bedroom is slightly warmer than the rest of the house (it hardly gets cool air. Very frustrating!) and she's cooler in the hallway. But really, I am just beside myself with sadness that our little puppy is finding sleeping on the floor, alone, a better place than snuggled up next to us. It really does make us sad. We were so happy with her company on the bed. She's very comforting.Alas, out Sophie is 3 years and 3 months old now and I guess she is starting to leave the nest in her own way. It's nice to know she's feeling safe and secure enough in our own home now to be on her own, but I sort of wish she'd not give up sleeping with her humans though, because we miss her. *sniff*

MuMMMM! I am so grown-up enough to be on my own. You are SO embarrassing!