The Bassinet

Tonight begins the first night of an undetermined period of time of guilt. I'm trying to get the gumption to boot Mikayla from our bed.

We are co-sleepers. Sometimes I feel like I should say that in a whisper, like a dirty secret or mention of a skeleton in the closet. Frankly, neither Isaiah or I have ever felt like we were putting our kids in any danger due to co-sleeping, but, of course, that’s our family and we’re both fairly light sleepers.

At first it was a practical decision. After getting a c-section the physical act of leaning over the side of a crib and then pulling up the baby is too demanding for me. When I discovered that Mia would sleep much longer when snuggled into the crook of my arm, I was sold on the whole idea.

With Mikayla I haven't even tried to put her in the crib yet. She has her own special little place tucked in the space between our pillows, which, since we both hang off of the sides of the bed, gives her more space than either of us have! It gives her her own defined space while also allowing her to tap dance on my shoulders, chest and stomach throughout the night when she gets hungry.

She's never cried to be fed at night, not once! She has very expressive feet.

While Mikayla has been doing great with her sleeping, Mia and Maggie have started their nocturnal drive by's again. And when we add any other child to the bed, even for a quick hug, that queen-size mattress starts feeling like the Incredible Shrinking Prison of Beauty Rest Doom.

(Isaiah is quite long-suffering, especially when Maggie sneaks into our bed then snakes her arm under his and grabs a solid handful of armpit hair as she startles awake. That tends to wake him up too. His sleep has not been restful.)

So, long story getting even longer, Mikayla is nearing the spot where she may consider sleeping through the night and so today I prepared the bassinet to lay by the bedside.

It's now mocking me.

I feel like the setting of a strange new version of the Night before Christmas: "the bassinet is placed by the bedside with care in hopes that Mikayla soon will be there."

Sigh. Who know how long it will take, but for tonight she still tucked in between our pillows, twitching her toes in preparation for her Hungry-Time Tap Dance.

JJ