Crib Strike

So for the past 2 1/2 - 3 months, Colm has decided that he likes Mommy and Daddy's bed SO MUCH BETTER than his own. I am not sure what exactly forced us to venture down this path to begin with, but I keep hoping this is merely just a phase. All though, we're beginning to have our doubts. I can remember the good old days where he'd sleep all night in his crib, no waking up, no crying, no problem. Those days are a fond and distant memory and I'm desperately trying anything to get back to that place of serenity, but it's not going very well. It seems to have started during the last teething cycle....he'd wake up SCREAMING and Matt or I would come running. We'd pick him up and try to get him back down by walking or rocking him to sleep, but the only thing that would really soothe him was laying with us, snugly in the middle. Normally, this would not be much of an issue. We've got space in our bed and Matt and I seem to fit comfortably with no problem. But when you throw a toddler in the mix, who loves to turn and twist and spin around and sleep completely sideways in his sleep, this presents an issue where neither of us have any space and are practically falling off of the edges of the bed. How can something so small take up so much room?? It's amazing! See diagram:

I am having a really hard time just letting him cry it out, but that's my next step. But I'm so torn because he is still so young and not fully able to tell me exactly what he wants or needs yet. I've read on one hand that it's good to let him just cry....it helps build independence. OMG...it's sooo hard. I've been so used to waking up and tending to my sweet baby for a year and 1/2 now, that it's hard to let him go and just wail. I feel almost like I'm betraying his trust...he's trusting me to come in there when he needs me. And when I don't show up, it's like "Where's my Mama?? I need my Mama and she's not here!" UGG....rip your heart out, right? But I've also read that it's good to let them sleep with you and good to come when they cry. Crying is their form of communication to you. When you come when they cry, it helps build trust and have a sense of security. I've read that by letting them sleep with you, there's a lower risk of SIDS because the parents are more in tune with the baby's breathing and the kid comes out to be a more well adjusted adult for having a good sense of security early on. So I have no idea what to do here. We're both so low on sleep that we're dragging during the day. I'm going to try letting him cry himself to sleep as much as I can stand it. If that doesn't work, I think I'm just going to let him fall asleep in our bed and try to sneak him back in his crib for the rest of the night. Man, being a Mom is seriously a tough job! I really wish these kids would pop out with an instruction manual! That would be pretty sweet!