What I've been waiting for

Rich and I often question and discuss whether the girls sharing a room is a good thing or a necessary thing. Necessary because we don't have any empty rooms. We have a three bedroom house with another half room that serves as an office. The third bedroom is Grammy's or a guest room, depending on the day. The office is not only an office but houses our camera equipment and my sewing and craft supplies.

I must admit that I feel guilty for having them share a room when one wakes up too early and the other two are awake and grumpy and refuse to go back to sleep. Not only do we question them sharing a room but the crib configuration is often up for debate as well. For those readers who are new, the girls cribs are all pushed together in the middle of the room.

Last night, I checked in on the girls as I usually do before I head off to bed. I've noticed that lately Em has been sleeping at either end of her crib, near one of her sisters. She never sleeps in the middle of the crib.

Rich and I were trying to fall asleep and I kept hearing a noise from the girls' room, almost like someone tapping the side of a crib. I went in to check on them again and found Emily sleeping against her crib with her hand and part of her arm through the slats holding onto Allie's hand. Allie was sleeping on her tummy with one of her arms stretched out above her head. That was the hand Em was holding.

It was such a sweet sight for me to see. I so badly wanted to take a picture but I knew that Rich would NOT be happy if I awakened them. As it was, he was a little annoyed that I was disturbing his trying to go to sleep time. I stood there watching them, not wanting not leave. (Until Anna started moving around, lifted her head up and cried out. I ran out of there before she could see me.)

That really was the answer that I had been looking for. I've been saying that having them sleep like this will pay off and it has.

Speaking of cribs, after a long and painful process Rich was able to speak with the company that manufactured Anna's crib and we will be receiving a replacement side. The interesting part is that although it is a "Graco" crib, it is not made by Graco. According to a representative at Graco, this other company "just uses our name."

The best part of the conversation was when the woman from the crib company said that they recommend that babies be placed in toddler beds at 15 months of age. If this woman wants to move in and set the girls up in toddler beds and worry about them falling off of the beds and move all the other furniture out of their room and teach them to sleep in a bed, she's more than welcome to. The funny thing is that these cribs convert to toddler beds. The slats don't go away and could still be broken.