Sleeper

When Ellie was first born, Marty’s brother Tom gave us the advice that we should be loud when the baby is sleeping (use regular voice, keep tv on etc) so that she wouldn’t get used to only sleeping in silence. He had a good point and the proof to back it up - his daughter Abby would probably continue sleeping if a truck drove into her bedroom - however when we tried, it did not work out as well for us. If we were making lots of noise, she wouldn’t fall asleep. Then if she was asleep and we were talking normally, she would wake up.

Regardless of how loud or quiet we were trying to be, Ellie was just a natural born light sleeper. When she was still sleeping in the cradle in our room, she woke up when one of us rolled over in bed! When we moved her into her own room, she woke up when we walked down the hallway or sneezed in the next room! When we were riding in the car and she was sleeping in the back, the second the engine turned off she was immediately awake, no matter how long she’d been sleeping or how tired she was!
Sliding with Grandpa

There is nothing worse than accidentally waking a sleeping baby when she would’ve otherwise slept through the night (especially when you’re tired and exhausted too) so what followed was months and months of tip-toeing, whispering and avoiding taking showers while she was sleeping. We would even avoid getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night at all costs because it would inevitably wake her!

Needless to say, going into her room to check on her was completely out of the question. For a Worrier like me, not going in to check on your child takes a LOT of self-control, especially when you have an infant. As time passed, I got used to my light sleeper and have always stayed out of her room once she's down for the night. A few weeks ago, however, it was a pretty cool evening and I was concerned that she would be cold because her pajamas didn’t cover her feet. Even tough I knew it was risky to enter her room in the middle of the night, I decided to go in (against my better judgment) and put a blanket on her before I went to bed. I turned the doorknob in super, super slow-motion, crept very slowly and softly into her room and gently rested a blanket on her feet then crept out. To my surprise, she continued snoozing away, without even a stir.

In the Pumpkin Patch

The next night, even though I put her in pj’s with feet, I was still concerned that she might be too cold, so I decided to tempt fate and go in and cover her with a blanket once again. Once again, she slept through it all. Is it possible that a child can “outgrow” being a light sleeper? Apparently so. And I’ll admit it: I’m lovin’ it. I am completely addicted to going into her room before I go to bed every night. I love how peaceful she looks. I love how she’s always in a different, uncomfortable-looking position every night- sometimes her face jammed up against the crib rails, sometimes her knees tucked under her with her butt up in the air, sometimes on her back with a stuffed animal peeking out from behind her shoulder blades. No matter how uncomfortable the position seems like it would be, she always looks cozy and happy.

Picking Apples in the Orchard

Elise is becoming less of a baby and more of a toddler every day. She’s talking more, getting better coordination, understanding more – she’s even tolerating the car more! It is so exciting and wonderful to watch her grow and learn, as she changes from a baby into a little girl. But amidst all this change and growth, I do cherish those few moments every night, watching her while she’s sleeping – looking so small and serene. It reminds me that she still is, and always will be, my baby.

Enjoying the Apple!