Cuddling With A Redheaded, Toddler!

KarleyShay, 2 days old! :)

I can remember just as if it were yesterday, when we first brought KarleyShay, home from the hospital. She was only two days old. We had her dressed in a purple "Thank Heaven for Little Girls'' outfit. She was just the sweetest thing that I have ever laid my eyes on.

We used to try to eek out a few more minutes of sleep by bringing her into our bed when she woke up in the wee hours of the morning. Now, i had been warned to not even think about putting her in the bed with us. But I just couldn't get away from her! And plus, how could you not want to fall asleep looking at something so pure in heart and perfect in every way?

This seemed like such a perfect idea, and I knew other people did it. But our baby was just too excitable (Some things never change). Apparently being in bed with us was thrilling, even when she was a tiny infant, and she just couldn't contain herself. She’d flip and kick and squirm and crawl and fall and roll and flail.. We figured all babies must be like this and that other parents just had a higher tolerance for this type of thing. She was the only baby we had, so how could we know?

Well, let's jump to present day. Now, KarleyShay, doesn't fall asleep with us. She actually gets in her own bed with her two favorite friends and falls asleep on her own. But you can bet all of your poker chips that every night at 2 am, she comes walking in like she owns the place and it's always like, clockwork! When she jumps in the bed with us, she is fine for the first hour. Then the torment begins.

I get feet in my ribs, feet across my chest, her head in Cody's ribs, an arm across the face, sleeping moans, tossing and turning, giggling (yes, in her sleep), by this time her daddy has moved to the sofa or even the recliner, which ever he makes it to the easiest. I, on the other-hand, have a very small space to work with, in our queen sized bed, I get enough room to lay on my side, that's it. Considering now since it's only the two of us in the bed, I should be able to sleep comfortably now, but no, somehow the little squirt still manages to take up a whole bed. Spread Eagle, style. I'm not kidding. Now, you might ask, 'Why don't you just move her to the other end of the bed?' Because it is just not that easy. You move her, she comes back. Last night for instance, Cody had moved, and I gracefully move her to his side of the bed. She comes wandering back over to me, this time laying on top of me. Then tosses and turns, while kicking! Flips around and hits me in the head with her princess baby doll, Ariel. I have no idea, how to break this cycle! But I do know that I do not look forward to 2am. Well, that's my rant for the day..

I can't wait 'till she's a teenager and wants to sleep in, because that for sure isn't gonna happen!