Guest Blogger:Leighann of Multitasking Mumma"Big Girl Bed"

My guest today is Leighann of Multitasking Mumma. If you haven't visited Leighann's blog yet, you'll want to take a look. She's seriously funny, her vlogging skills are unparalleled, and there's no subject she won't talk about (not even poo is off limits)!

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Let's get to know Leighann better:

Leighann lives in Ontario, Canada with her fiancé Brian and 15-month-old daughter.

"We have a bulimic cat (for real) named Drucilla." 

She describes herself as a hardly serious, witty mother of one, surviving PPD, motherhood, and a messy husband. She writes about the pain of Post Partum Depression, the bumps and joys of being a mom, and the annoyances of being a grown up. She can be easily found roaming twitter, #wineparty, and participating in all things social media. She is best known for her love of peacocks, a symbol of pride, and her awesome writing. You can learn more about Leighann at her blog: About Leighann

Favourite word:

I don't have a favourite word, I have a favourite phrase. I say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" a lot. It fits every situation.

 Favourite time of day:

Night time. I'm a night owl and love to be up at night.

Favourite emotion:

Exuberance

Favourite song:

Forever and Ever Amen by Randy Travis

Favourite pastime:

Haha, Blogging and writing.

 Favourite comfort food:

Ice cream... mmmmm.

A favourite post of mine:

Surgery, farting, and Jack Tripper

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Big Girl Bed

by Leighann of Multitasking Mumma

The space beside me was still warm from where the small, sleeping body had been. Each night, for the past several months, she had fallen into a deep slumber with her tiny toddler body pressed close to mine. I found comfort in the rise and fall of her chest, the steady flow of her breathing, and the occasional reach from her chubby hand to ensure I was still there.

We had never planned on having her sleep in our bed. She slept in her crib from 8 weeks old and then was sleep trained at 8 months. We were confident that she would be an independent sleeper, but she continued to have difficulty with reflux and then Roseola.

We sought help for sleep training through books, online, twitter, and family. The guilt overwhelmed me. I pictured my daughter struggling with sleep throughout her life because I didn’t want her to cry alone in her room. So she continued to sleep with us, tucked closely beside me, and the guilt slowly washed away. I was her mother and she was sleeping. She wouldn’t be sleeping in my room at 18, so I let my self blame go and embraced my sweet child.

But as much as I loved it I recognized that she would need to move into her room at some point. We began to watch her sleep patterns. She was able to fall asleep in any bed, anywhere, as long as we laid beside her in the beginning, but she would not sleep in her crib. The crib caused tantrums, thrown blankets, and screaming until she threw up.  This made us think that perhaps she didn’t like the feeling of being inside the bars.

We gave it careful thought and decided to put together her toddler bed. We involved her in the construction, the decoration of her new big girl bed, and then let her get used to the feel of getting in and out. The tears stung my eyes as I watched my little baby turn herself around with ease and slide out of her bed and then pat the mattress with delight so that she could do it again.

She fell asleep with no fussing, slept in her own room and I went to mine. I had a cold space at my side, an empty bed, and an aching heart. I didn’t know I would miss her so much or that I would yearn for her warm breath on my arm. She was growing up and it made me sad.

But then I heard a familiar cry.

A baby needing her mommy.

And a mommy who’s never been happier to hear her baby.