Snuggles

My name is Terri-Ann, and I co-sleep with my babies.

Funny, I think that co-sleeping is one of those things that most moms do, and yet most won't admit to it.     It is one of the most natural things to do.  I mean, this baby spent nine months literally right next to my heart.  It's only natural that once the baby is born we both still feel the need to be close to each other.  When we were in the hospital last week, Juliette wouldn't even consider sleeping in the hospital crib.  She snuggled right into me on the small single hospital bed and fell into deep sleeps.  One morning we were curled into each other, her tiny face resting on mine, and I wanted to stay like that forever.

Last week, when Juliette first got sick, she was up three nights in a row.  After that many hours of not sleeping, I was wrecked.  My mom offered to take Juliette one afternoon while I had a nap.  As I lay down in my bed by myself, I was surprised to feel an emotional emptiness at the physical empty spot beside me on the bed.  I actually felt like something was missing without Juliette lying there next to me. And while I pushed through it in order to get some sleep myself, I'll always remember that feeling as an affirmation about why I co-sleep with my babies.