Sleep Update

The topic of sleep is a widely discussed topic once having a baby. Countless books have been written about it and it is the focus of most parenting groups. in fact, every conversation I have had with a new parent seems to touch on it. I, like most, was consumed with the topic of sleep when my kids were born. I just wanted them to sleep more, go to sleep easy, and sleep through the night. In fact, the number one reason Pearson sited for not wanting a third kid was he couldn't have any more extended years of sleepless nights. I find this funny since he actually gets up almost every night on his own and for the most part I was the one getting up with the kids. I think his gripe was much more about the early morning. Funny too, because he always has managed to sleep later then most of us. But this post isn't to fault Pearson and his love of sleep. In fact, I love sleep too and sought out those self help books and talked to anyone I could about how to improve our situation, which all things considering wasn't terrible. Although, Whitaker didn't sleep through the night until three despite multiple cry it out attempts. He got up at 5 am for just as many years and it was 4 am with daylight savings time switches. Further, he quit napping at two. I believe I wrote a post about Whitaker smearing poo on the walls in protest of napping. Needless to say, we had some tired years in there. However,  for the last couple years, it has been pretty darn great. Our kids have lived so many places and traveled enough that they will go to sleep anywhere. They don't require special noise machines or blankets or stuffies. They will sleep at family's and friend's houses without us. They don't awake at ridiculously early hours anymore and in my opinion anything after 6 is acceptable. Even better if they do wakeup early or earlier then I want to get up, they know how to get their own food and operate remote controls for the TV just fine. Relatively speaking it is has been pretty great except for occasionally (more like a couple times a week) the kids will come in our bed. I have decided to live with it as I know this is just a phase and they will be grownup before I know it.  Although Mae coming in drives me batty because she rubs her legs against mine and wakes me up ALL night. I have developed a strategy to deal with it though, I just go to her bed and sleep. So this sleep thing keeps changing and I feel like some nights we all play musical beds. A new sleeping phase has happened most recently that I wanted to be sure to document.

Mae at the beginning of the year decided one night she was going to sleep in the extra single bed in Whitaker's room. Following that night, night after night she kept going back to the extra bed. At first she would ask Whitaker permission. Then she stopped asking him and we all just started assuming she would sleep there. He also started expecting her to sleep in there.Then most recently in the last few weeks, the kids have taken to sleeping in the SAME bed. I don't know how it happened but I believe it started with Mae reading Whitaker books before bed. Anyways, it is adorable and this basic ritual of them sleeping together has made them seem closer. They also switch beds now going back and forth between their two rooms AND we even found them in our bed one night! I don't know how long it will last but I am fully embracing it right now.