Friday, August 20, 2010

Floored

I've mentioned before (countless times, really) that my girls sleep with me. At my mom's, Olivia and I share a full-size bed and Alyssa sleeps on a twin bed in the same room. At our old house, Alyssa had actually moved into her own bed when she was six, but over the following year, she'd managed to put her self right back into the queen bed that Olivia and I share.

Poor Tom has been firmly nudged onto the couch.

As we've gotten settled into the new house, the girls and I have spent the last few nights at my mom's, as we would have had we not bought the new house. And, since this is the week Alyssa started her new school, she's moved from her mats on the floor in our room (the twin bed she was on was moved to another room as my mom anticipated getting her house back) and into the full-bed.

That puts a 57 pound seven year old, a 30 pound three year old and a more than 57 pound 39 year old in the a bed that is maybe big enough for two teenagers who are just discovering the joys of sleeping together.

It's not pleasant.

And when we go in there to go to sleep, Olivia insists upon laying side ways, with her head on my stomach and her feet in her sister's ribs.

It makes for a less-than-pleasant bedtime routine because of course, Alyssa is less than appreciative of her sister's feet jamming into her side. I don't blame her. I don't especially appreciate the head that is pressing on my bladder.

But in the end, we all finally fall asleep. Or, at least, they do.

Olivia gets turned so she's laying properly on the bed, curled up against her sister.

And I slip out of bed and crawl onto the mats on the floor, where I attempt to go to sleep, waking through the night to switch sides as my hip begins to ache from the hardness of the floor.

Most nights, I'm woken by Olivia crying at the door, attempting to open it in her frantic search for me.

I get back into bed with her and Alyssa, who has managed to turn diagonal in the bed so that her feet are now competing with mine for the same space. Olivia crams her thumb into her mouth and settled her head on my shoulder with my arm beneath her and I try to go back to sleep, hoping against hope that my lower back won't cramp in the night.

by morning, I'm ready to get up just so I can stop being touched.

Last night, though...

Last night, after the girls were asleep, before I took my place on the floor, I put a pillow against the side of Olivia that wasn't snuggled up to Alyssa.

And when I woke up this morning, I realized that I'd had a full night of sleep, with no interruptions, no one kicking me, no one wanting to lay on my arm, no one whispering, "Squishy boobies," as she plumped up on such squishy booby to use a pillow.

It was wonderful. It was the best night of sleep I've had in a year.

It goes to show how bad my sleep is the rest of the year if a night spent on the floor on a couple of mats ranks one of the best.

It also explains why one of the greatest parts about attending the March of Dimes ShareUnion each year, for me at least, is the fact that I get my own bed for two whole nights.

3 comments:

Lauren said...

Seriously... no idea how you and Tom do it!!! Woohoo for reason #47658697 that SU rocks!

Anonymous said...

Tommie,

I haven't been checking blogs nearly enough lately, but I just spent the last, oh... 45 minutes or so getting caught up on yours. I just love reading about wonderful you and your wonderful family!

It would take a long time to comment on each one of your entries that I just caught up on, so I'll have to just give you some virtual hugs and tell you how much I'd love to see you at SU this year! I was just thinking this very morning that if I went I'd probably like a room to myself *just* so I could get a few minutes of silent time... aahhh. :)

Anonymous said...

Dangit, I guess I won't be climbing into bed with you if I get scared during the night at SU. :) SOOOO excited to go mostly because I miss the heck out of you.