Sleeping with you!

For anyone that has had children that dont sleep, you know in the end you sacrifice something to ensure that life is easier. Whether its late nights, or morning sleepins, staying in bed all night or just having the bed to yourself...you give up something. After three kids like this Hubby and I have given up a lot. I have had times where I went to bed as soon as my kids fell asleep so that I could get as much sleep as I could in a night. Other times I was up by 4am as by the time I resettled the little one there wasnt really much point going back to bed. At times I didnt have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I dragged my exhausted body out of bed to tend to a child. At the moment though we are co-sleeping. This post isnt about co-sleeping however...its an issue that parents usually feel strongly either way about...so lets leave it be for now.

This post is actually about how it changes your whole night. Not just the "quality" yummy hubby shut the door time...but the whole night.
Some nights my hubby is just the feet at the bottom of the bed that I can feel with my feet... he is the hand that slips up and around the pillow to hold mine. Some nights I remember that really important thing I forgot to tell him after work...only to realise that I cant say it now for fear that it will wake up the little one.

Co-sleeping can ruin chats, cuddles, quiet times, sleep ins and late nights. Some days you think you will never have your bed back... but we know we will... so we keep hoping it will come. But for now as much as we lose we do gain so much more.

Its a great reminder at the end of a long day why we had children. When we roll over to see our little one open her eyes and shoot us a smile. Or to wake up with her holding our hands, or patting our heads. Its so cute to see her wake up each morning and say Hello Mummy - Hello Daddy. But most of all its great to sleep.

After over 12 months of only 3 hours of sleep a night I gave in and let her sleep with me, instantly I started to have nights where I was getting 5 hours of sleep and within a couple of months I had longer nights sleep. I might have had to give up some space...some nights most of my side of the bed... but at the end of the day (or night) I atleast get some sleep.

...and for as long as it takes to get my bed back I will just have to cope knowing that Hubby is the warm feet at the end of the bed and the hand above my pillow...