"He's not going to sleep in our bed" & Other Words I've Eaten Since Becoming a Mom

I wrote the following draft of a post this past winter.  I'm not sure why I never got around to finishing or posting it before, but I figured I might as well share it now, even in it's unfinished state.  Enjoy! ;)

I'm certainly not an expert on this parenting thing, but one thing I can tell you with certainty is that things will usually not go as you expected. 

Davyd has been sick this week, & in an effort to get some sleep (and maintain the shreds of sanity we have left at this point) we've been letting him sleep with us. If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be letting my baby boy sleep in bed with us, I'd have told you you were crazy. I likely would have said something to the effect of, "My dear husband has no sense of what he's doing in his sleep", & then I'd recount the story of how he once attempted to squeeze our dog's stomach in an effort to get her to... well... relieve herself (this is a wonderful story... I'm happy to share it if anyone is interested). I would then reiterate that it wouldn't be safe for our tiny baby to be in bed with us, & I really would believe it. 

Fast forward to last Thurdsday night when the boy was only staying asleep in his crib for 15 minute increments. At that point I was willing to sleep anywhere (couch, floor, bathtub, whatever) if it meant we would all get some sleep. 

I will add that I still haven't totally regretted this decision. Although, I imagine I will at some point-- when my son is 5 and still wants to sleep in our bed.  For now, I'm enjoying getting whatever bits of sleep I can get when Davyd is sick.  It's not ideal by any means, but at least I'm not spending most of the night bent over his crib trying to get him to sleep, which has become increasingly difficult as my pregnant belly continues to grow.  (Sixteen months apart.  These boys are going to be sixteen months apart.  As I've said before, prayers and wine are always appreciated.)

The moral of this post is this: parenting is something no one is ever fully prepared for.  By nature, it's something that you must learn as you go.  One thing I've learned in the past year is the importance of giving myself grace as I navigate the best ways to care for my son.  This is something every mom needs  from herself and from those around her.  I'm thankful that I have so many mom-friends who are willing to pour out grace and share stories of their own triumphs and failures.  I wish more moms would be like them.