The Accidental Co-Sleeper

Lily has been sleeping in our bed for the past couple of weeks. I haven't even wanted to blog about our latest round of sleep issues because one, I'm embarrassed, and two, I'm in that stage now when I know I'm supposed to be cherishing my alive, healthy children, but the truth is they are driving me crazy. Daniel because after a period of truce, we are again struggling with peaceful mornings. Lily because she will not sleep in her bed.

How did we arrive here!?? Ahhhhh!!

There is no use crying about it, because here is where we are. I blame what I call a series of unfortunate events:

1. I was sick
2. Lily was sick
3. (WORST PARENTING DECISION, so far) We let Lily watch the Thriller video
4. We spent two nights at a retreat with one two few beds, so Lily ended up snuggled with me in a twin.
5. Lily locked herself in her room one night and we had to break the door down. The door has not yet been replaced completely. A new one is hung, but it doesn't close right and has no handles. Our home repairs are a bit lax.

So now we've got a two year old who is scared of the dark (Thank you Michael Jackson!), and has no door to her room.

Having her sleep with us wouldn't be that bad except that she is a kicker. So instead of three sleeping people in one bed we have one sleeping toddler and two adults who take turns getting kicked in the back all night.

The night after the door incident we decided that the solution was to have Lily sleep in Daniel's room, on the lower bunk.  Daniel was very enthusiastic. He'd been begging us for weeks for them to co-sleep. He has fond memories of sleeping with all his brothers and sisters in their home in Ethiopia. In Africa, co-sleeping is the rule, not the exception. Daniel waxes nostalgic about how they all lined up together on one little bed. Unfortunately after being an American for over a year he's gotten used to having his own bed to stretch out in. He soon discovered that Lily is a kicker and refused to snuggle with her. Much to her distress. Our "African Sleep Solution" lasted only a week.

And this is how we got to last nights epic, three hour bedtime battle. Which I lost. And it was my turn to get kicked in the back all night. Which is why I'm finally writing about it, because someday in the midst of another battle I'll want to be reminded of the ones I've already been through.

And also so I can make a teen-age Lily read it and say, "See!? You See!?"

By the way, before you offer advice:  Yes, she has dolls and snuggle toys. Yes we have a white noise machine and soothing night lights, and she's not sick. And yes, we know we will have to let her scream it out, and yes, it is going to totally suck. I'm still hoping this is a phase. :)