For the last 4+ years of my life, someone else of the offspring variety, has almost always been co-sleeping with us.
Never alone in our own bed, we were living for those nights when our vital organs weren’t repeatedly stabbed, unknowingly by tiny limbs. It’s also not a rare occasion that I’ve drowsily opened my eyes to a tiny buttock or foot on my head.
But let me rewind a little. This summer, we redid the boys’ room, and we were totally pumped about our potential game-changer in terms of sleeping arrangements. We were kind of proud of ourselves.
We were all about the newfound space with our so-called cleverness. We were all, Check it. You can totally shove them up there on the bed, and then they can’t get down to bother us. YES!
Only, Malone wasn’t quite ready for it, yet. To be honest, he liked his pack-n-play more, and the whole idea of stashing our just-turned-two-year-old, high in his first big boy bed made me a little nervous, to say the least. A few months of growth in toddler world can make a huge difference, we thought. So we pulled a Harry Potter instead, and stashed him in the closet. {Please refrain from calling DHR. Our closet is actually a decent size and oddly enough, he liked it.}
In the meantime, something unexpected happened while Malone snoozed happily under three feet of dirty laundry…Emerson adopted the bunk bed. She willingly moved in with her big brother, and started sleeping in Malone’s {would-be} spot. Despite the fact that she had a perfectly good, fabulous room of her own.
Cue the heavenly host of angels’ voices, because for the majority of five months, for the first time in four years, we experienced a bit of an unexpected reprieve. We slept without tiny feet in our ears. It was amazing, this quality of snooze sessions.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Malone decided he was tired of being shoved into a closet, and since we didn’t really want to handicap him with more serious issues {than I’m sure we’ve already given him} we I caved and let him sleep with us. At the same time, true to form, Emerson started migrating from the bunk bed with “bad dreams.” It was as if she had a secret sensor and didn’t want anyone else to upstage her sleeping needs with the parentals.
So every night, slowly but surely, we had two children sleeping with us.
We were being sucked back into the black hole of restless, zombie-esque, bruised internal organs world. Something had to give. We were over the kidney sucka punches.
So a few nights ago, we tried something.
Shameless bribery in it’s finest form.
We took Emerson to Target, and let her have her pick of bedding. Anything she wanted. Under the strict agreement that she would sleep in her own bed like a big girl.
That night, something magical happened. Malone joined Aiden in the loft, and Emerson proudly took to her hot pink fabulosity. And they all slept soundly in their beds. All night.
Yes, that bedding does, in fact, burn my retinas.
Yes, the photos actually make it look kinda cute. Nothing against character bedding, just know that I not-so-secretly vowed to never have it in my house, and reverted to the fetal position in the middle of Tarjay when I purchased this for her.
And then I reminded myself that I just paid 35 dollars for a full night’s sleep, and a guarantee from our four year old that she’ll continue to sleep in her bed. I am not above threatening to burn her newly acquired neon love if she falters. And make her watch.
An ultimate end to our musical beds conundrum? Yes please. Here’s to the delicate mix of bribery and putting our foot down, all the while ensuring her need for intense counseling later in life. And recurring nightmares of gargantuan man-eating, neon Hello Kitties.
I mean, it’s kind of 80′s fabulous, right? It’s growing on me. This is the beginning of the end, and if you come to my house you will find it tastefully hidden.
Ah, parenting + compromise.
Meh. At least it’s not Power Rangers.
Happy weekend, everyone!
This is hilarious! It sounds just like my house, I vowed to not go there with character bedding but caved on this hello Kitty tarjay bedding too, only I did sheets only! You are a brave woman to go for the neon spread too, but I completely understand it is worth it for regular sleep!
I am completely with you on the non-character bed but sometimes a mamma’s gotta do what a mamma’s gotta do! 5 weeks ago we took our 2 1/2 yr olds pacifer away. He used to nap 3 hours a day now NADA! NOT ONE NAP IN 5 WEEKS! Its killing this pregnant mom! I’ve almost given in to give it back, my hubs even naps with him on the weekends (probably not a good habit) but all I want is my napper back!!!! He’s such a beast to his 2 older sisters when he doesn’t nap and so am I! Hope the sleeping trend continues for you!
Jen-Emerson gave up her naps when I FINALLY wrestled hers away. And now that we’ve moved beds with Malone, he doesn’t really take one, either. I’m not ready for full on no nap mode. But at least it means they pass out easily at night-I guess it’s all a trade off. ;}
Oh my goodness, that is too funny! We are hoping to move Nat to a big-girl bed in the next couple of months, so I asked for tips on facebook. Someone suggested character sheets, and I was all, “NO!! NEVER!!!” But if it comes to this, I will most definitely have a change of heart. I mean, I used to be all anti-Elmo tshirts until she became infatuated with Elmo.
My 25-year-old self would be repulsed.
This made me laugh. My husband just advised me that our soon-to-be-born-first-little-boy is going to be “deprived of colour” because all I choose is whites and pastels.
Hahaha. At least he won’t have a say for the first two years, right?
lol, totally on point, mama. good move.
shaunna
Been there done that. I swore when we had children that there would be NO character bedding, themes, clothes, etc. Ya right! The only way we could get Miss K out of our bed was with Winnie the Pooh. She’s 14 now and would probably still have that bedding set if I let her. Let’s not forget the nightgowns and backpacks too…Oh, the things we do for our children.
yes! oh we are character central with our PJ’s. And I feel like at least PB does some tasteful characters. Starwars and Spiderman, anyone? ;}
hysterical. love it! i had so many never evers.. no character clothing, no co-sleeping, no bribing my kids… and then i had a couple of these little people. now, we survive.
good job, no… great job! enjoy many more nights. here’s hopin!
I love your boys bed – amazing! Your blog is really inspirational
) Here’s to having lots more good nights sleeps!
Oh, I love this…I asked my daughter (age 5) which photo she liked better, expectation or reality, and she of course picked the vibrant reality.
Brilliant idea, I’m filing it away for the next time (currently we are kid-free at night!) one or all of our 3 kids decide to move back in our room!
I gave up a long time ago thinking my girls rooms had to look a certain way, or be how I wanted them. Each girl (I have three), have picked their own bedding, and fun things in their room. This way it is theirs!
This is too funny considering I just gave my 5 year old a lecture about not coming into our room at 5am to cuddle. Her cuddling turns into 3 more hours of sleep for her and 3 hours of tossing, turning, sweating and a huge kink in my neck for me. Also, it’s refreshing to see that you super stylish fabulous blogger mommies trade “ideal” for “real” every once in a while. Takes a little pressure off the rest of us. happy weekend. btw, totally enjoyed your hubbies post the other day.
This is too funny considering I just gave my five year old a lecture about coming into our room at 5am to cuddle! Her cuddling turns into 3 more hours of sleep for her and 3 hours of tossing, turning, sweating and a huge kink in my neck for me. Also, it’s nice to see that you super stylish, fabulous blogger mommies trade “ideal” for “real” every once in a while. It takes a little pressure off the rest of us. My girls would go ga-ga over that bedding though. They are huge HK fans!
Too funny! Our little Brookie was in our bed in the mornings for close to 2 years straight (it gave us at least another hour and half of sleep, despite being kicked in the head and back…Booyah!), but we eventually graduated her to the floor beside our bed and now that we moved her downstairs we never have the little visits in the morning (just nightmares in the middle of the night..yeah!) Part of me sort of misses seeing her cute little form on the floor!
Also, we just redid our little guy’s room. I used some of your freebie [pictures of cars and balloons. Super cute! (You can see them here http://blessedlifeatopacakestand.blogspot.com/ if you want!)
Love it. Hope some serious shut-eye is coming your way.
kids …sometimes trump design =)
Take heart dear ones with babies, this is only preparation for teenagers. These are the good times, trust me.
So funny. I don’t know what we’d have done if our kids hadn’t been sound sleepers. Or maybe they weren’t but we just slept through it?? Ugh. Good for you and happy zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz to all.
You are an awesome mama!!!
This was such a great read and something so many of us can identify with, you did a fantastic job of putting it in to words, thank you! and btw, those Hello Kitty sheets are pretty cute … as far as character bedding goes!
Ah, the things we will do for sleep!
I can’t believe you lasted as long as you did before the bribing!!!
One of my favorite posts of all time!
STORY OF MY LIFE!!!
They are still too little to join their older siblings, but need to be out of your bed! Amen to survival!
Glad we are not the only ones who has put a baby to bed in the closet. I will clarify that the closet had heat/air vents, a window, and could fit a crib. But it’s always fun to watch people’s face when you say, “oh, she’s upstairs sleeping in the closet”
Sometimes you need a “transition room”
Oh the things us mommies swore we would never do before we had kids of our own. I always thought my kids would have super cute birthday parties sans character themes. But there’s something more important about making your little one’s eyes light up on their special day upon seeing giant Minnie Mouses and having the Clubhouse theme song playing in the background that makes it seem worthwhile. I’ve come to the conclusion that she will only be little for a little while, so I might as well let her have the happiest childhood I can! Minnie Mouses and all : )
Love it <3 You wrote my story. Guess it is off to the store to let her choose some sheets. Is 3 to young to get her to sign a contract?