The other day we packed up the rental car and went over to Victoria for a family visit, while my husband stayed at home to work. We went to my parents and it was a full house with my mother in law and niece visiting too. This meant our usual division of bedrooms was a bit different this time around.
Ben has been a great sleeper for the last 9 months and I didn't think too much about our sleeping quarters this time around, after all it was just two nights. I knew that it might be a bit tight but I thought that quiet tip toeing into the shared bedroom would do the trick.
Back in the day when co-sleeping was our routine.
Night 1: Ben went to bed at his usual time and I followed up the stairs a few hours later. I patted myself on the back when I got into bed and turned on the bedside table lamp to read a novel for another 30 minutes...while he slept in his crib next to me! I was seriously impressed and didn't see any potential nighttime problems ahead. A few hours into our mutual REM sleep a little voice called out, "Mama! Bed! Mama! Bed!", followed by a wail and tears and an escalating cry from little Ben.
The boy ended up in bed with me and he settled right back to sleep, as soon as he lay across me. He moved around and tried to sleep on top of my head, he pulled my hair, and pummeled me with his restless limbs. The sleep was not good by any means and co-sleeping was difficult. It was so much easier to co-sleep with a baby versus a 30 pound toddler.
Night 2: Man, there was a certain dread about the sleeping situation and I even thought about sleeping on the couch in the living room. However, I am always hopeful in life and so I had high hopes for a great nights sleep. It didn't help that I didn't get to bed until after 1 AM, and it didn't help that my boy woke up as I opened the bedroom door. "Mama! Bed! Mama Bed! Waaaaa!!". Another night of co-sleeping, along with the pummeling in the kidneys, hair pulling and a sweaty toddler laying across me. To make things even better, Ben had horrible night time breath. Oh my!
There was a very early morning wake up, and I'm ever so thankful that my visiting mother in law is a naturally early riser too. She took Ben and I trotted back to bed to get a few hours of solid sleep. This little venture back into co-sleeping made me think about people who still co-sleep with their growing children. How do you do it? How do you not get them to not lay on your head and poke you? Ben also found sleeping with me very distracting and did not get a good night sleep for the two nights we were away.
Tonight: Ben is back in his crib, in his own bedroom. He fell asleep at the drop of a hat and I will be doing the same shortly. Do you co-sleep with your children? How do you work it?
Looking for something?
Well, Hello There!
Mama in the City since 2008 and blogging since 2009!
My first apartment baby is now a full on boy and we struggle with finding space in our condo for his growing toy collection. I'm also a new mum to our second apartment baby, born January 13, 2012!
I have a husband who is an excellent cook and takes amazing photos. I work as a labor and delivery nurse and really love the work that I do and gave birth to baby #2 at my work place.
I use this space to write about my family and to share my passion about breastfeeding, birth and parenting. I have a fantastic purse collection and have loved watching it grow, mostly lovely gifts over the years from my husband. I currently have a closet full of purses that are too small or impractical to fit a diaper or sippy cup in, and so they are on hold for future years.
Have a question or a comment? Email me! I also love to read comments left on posts, so feel free to leave me a note!
Things this city mama loves
Blog Archive
MITC's Top Reads
-
Back when I had Ben in 2008 I was given an aqua Bumbo floor seat as a baby shower gift; it was a requested gift as I was pretty sure I want...
-
I've got a case of the kindergarten blues and it's not the usual case of, 'I can't believe my baby is old enough to go to sc...
-
This September Ben will be heading to kindergarten and I feel very fortunate to have access to some of the inside scoop on how to help him g...
-
A couple of years ago I wrote a post about how much we paid in daycare fees, $80/day for a licensed at home day care, and it continues to be...
-
What do you do to make yourself feel taken care of? It's so easy to neglect yourself when life gets going in the day to day grind, but u...
-
Life is good when you get to go to parent friendly cafes and enjoy a morning coffee as the tots play. This past week we went to Crumsby'...
Follow Me!
Sites that I read
- A Gift for you (28)
- apartment (29)
- Baby Ben (44)
- Back to Work (38)
- Breastfeeding (22)
- Delivery room (8)
- Dining (15)
- Family (85)
- Favorites (10)
- Gentle Parenting (5)
- Having a Baby (23)
- Hawaii Style (16)
- Holiday Talk (28)
- Hot Topics (8)
- I love purses (6)
- In the News (8)
- Just for fun (25)
- Lazy Weekends (9)
- Mama Reviews It (6)
- Parenting (46)
- pregnancy loss (7)
- Product Wednesdays (11)
- Pure Mama (71)
- PURPLE Cry (10)
- Rainy Days (10)
- Ramblings (63)
- Sisters (12)
- Sleep (23)
- Toddlerhood (34)
- Vancouver (61)
Attack Of The Sleeping Toddler: Co-sleeping With Ben
2010-08-07T21:25:00-07:00
Unknown
Sleep|Toddlerhood|