Check out this great book – The Guide to Baby Sleep Positions

Just before Shorty #2 arrived, we decided to buy a king size bed.  Turns out this was a very good call.  You see, our kids are like pack wolves.  They love to sleep all snuggled up with us.

When #2 was born, we didn’t even bother with the crib.  She nursed so often, we just kept her in the bed with us (in a co-sleeper – don’t worry!).  Eventually she moved into her own crib and now sleeps in a toddler bed.  But she falls asleep with us and most mornings wakes up with the sun (thank you very much 49th parallel in the summer when the sun rises at 4:30am!!!) and climbs back into our bed.

The challenge is that Shorty #1 is now 6 (and the height of at least an 8 year old) and she often climbs in with us when she has a nightmare or just wakes up in the middle of the night.  Sometimes, we end up 4 across in the king bed with elbows and butts pushing J and I to the outer banks.

I know I should relish this quality, snuggly time with the kids while they kick and wriggle and stick toes in the waist band of my pj’s.  But man, I’m almost as sleep deprived as when they were babies.

Shorty #2 is a hair twirler (like me), but since her locks are only just coming in she would much prefer to twirl (or better yet clench) my hair.  She can’t go to sleep without a good mass of hair to twirl.  Shorty #1 is becoming more independent, but at bedtime her jealousy of #2 shines through and she fights for position next to me.  So this means I get to be in the middle with a kid on either side; twirling, snuggling, clinging, scratching, elbowing etc…  Forget about having to pee, I am stuck there until everyone falls asleep and we can move them to their own beds.

Hands down, my favorite bed-sharing move is the spin.  That’s when the kid’s head moves off the pillow and nestles into J’s back.  Her feet push into my back (usually her little toes hook into the pj’s waistband) creating the letter “H”.  Sometimes you get lucky and get the head in your back – but don’t be fooled it can be as painful getting a melon in the spine.

I know, I know.  I really need to enjoy these moments because in the not so distance future they won’t want to be anywhere near us.  The real kicker is that when I’m on the road in a hotel room all by myself, I can’t sleep.  I need these little monkeys around me.  So I’ll keep drinking lots of coffee in the mornings, use plenty of under-eye concealer and enjoy the moment.