Sleepless in the Next Room

As much as we hesitate to admit it, Maile is growing up before our very eyes. Though it's great that she is showing her growth physically, mentally, emotionally, and developmentally, it feels as if she is growing faster than we are prepared for.

Case in point, we just bought Maile a new bed. A toddler bed. No longer in the crib. Tonight is the first night she is sleeping in it and the first hour or so have been good so far, as she is sleeping quite soundly.

We realized she had outgrown her crib since she had been sleeping a lot in our bed the past few weeks. It was generally when she was sick, teething, or just not feeling well. We understood that sometimes it's probably just comforting to be with her mommy or daddy. Especially at one in the morning, it's easier to bring her to bed with us so all three of us can get a good night's sleep, instead of staying up just a little longer to force her to go back to sleep.

The more we thought about it, the more we realized that perhaps she was outgrowing her crib.

This morning really reinforced the point. With Mindy sleeping downstairs on the couch since she wasn't feeling well, I brought Maile to our bed in the early morning hours. I wanted to see if she wanted to be held by Daddy or just wanted to be on a bed so I avoided putting my arms on her, around her, or even touched her while we slept. She slept like a baby for the next five or so hours without waking up. Next thing I know, I'm online looking for toddler beds, called a store to see if they had one in stock, and bought one, all in a matter of a few hours.

Maybe Maile just got tired of feeling trapped with all those railings around her. It's great because we now have the peace of mind knowing that she is sleeping in a bed with guardrails (especially needed since she tosses around in her sleep quite a bit) and knowing that if she somehow falls off, she's only about a foot off the ground. But we don't take the comfort in the fact that she has now hit the next stage, the next chapter of her life, and we can't slow it down.

Seventeen months now. Seventeen years not too far away. Slow down, Turbo. Mommy and Daddy aren't ready yet.