Somnabatics

My daughter - now just 2 days away from 13 months old - still sleeps with me. This is mostly, at least right now, because I prefer her to. I'm not sure if she would have objections to her own bed or not, as we have yet to attempt getting her to sleep in her own bed. Like I said, this is my doing... I like having her in bed with me and at the moment I'm not prepared to give it up.

I am getting closer to being prepared.

Last night she started out, as she does every night, with her head next to my head, sort of nestled in beside me. Five minutes later she was stretched perpendicular to me, head on the "barrier pillows" on the other side of the bed, feet (ACTIVE FEET) on me. Ten minutes after that, her active feet were dancing perilously close to my nose. When I awakened this morning, she was all but curled up with the cat... who sleeps at the foot of my bed, between my feet.

I have a mild curiosity regargding whether she does this because she sleeps with me, and I get in her sleeping way... but I know that she's ever so still at nap time - with or without me beside her. I also worry about her continuing her nighttime antics without the barrier pillows - and barrier mama - in her own bed. If she does, I sincerely anticipate a whole new round of sleepless nights, initiated by the thump of her falling out of bed.

So far, I remain (knock wood) free of bruises from the dance of dreaming... and as far as I'm concerned, that's still a good enough reason to extend the co-sleeping a little longer.