To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

I don't know any parents who don't wish something was different with the way their kids sleep - go to bed earlier, get up earlier, get up independently, sleep through the night...  Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

We actually got all the older boys to bed at a reasonable hour last night.  That was a miracle after the late nights of the weekend, and oh, so exciting to think of getting enough sleep!  I love my bed.

I got the twins diapered and into their pajamas; Trent took care of Angelee.  I nursed the babies, laying them quietly down in bed.  Trent got a bottle of warm milk (a concession we'll quit after everything settles down) ready for the girl.  I brushed my teeth; Angelee ran up and down the hall.  Trent got ready for bed; one baby started to cry.  We gave the baby a pacifier (also a concession), and Angelee grabbed my car keys, said, "Seeya!" and darted out of the room.  Trent brought her back into the bedroom, locked the door, and dimmed the lights.  We arranged the pillows on the bed so when we take off her helmet off for the night she can't hit her head on the headboard.  The other baby woke up and started to cry.  Trent took Angelee's helmet off and snuggled into bed with her.  I nursed the baby back to sleep again, then snuck into the bathroom.  I came out to a dark, quiet room... and a perky, "Hello, Mama!"  And then baby whimpering.  He wasn't hungry - he was awake and wanted to play.  I pulled him into bed with us and held him while trying to keep Angelee from crawling over him.  Trent spoke calmingly and soothingly.  Angelee wiggling around, smacked my shoulder with her head.  "Uh-oh," she said in a worried voice.  "Boo boo?" and then she kissed my shoulder better.  

An hour and a half later, Angelee FINALLY fell asleep, with her head on her little pillow, one leg draped across Daddy's ribs and the other foot on Mama's hip.  She looked so peaceful, breathing gently, but I knew the night wasn't over yet.  We would still have two rounds of trying to keep Angelee in bed while Mama gets up to feed babies, a dozen times of putting her head back on the pillow because there isn't enough room in the bed when she tries to sleep sideways, and a more than a score of kicks.  Trent and I fall asleep like parentheses around our little angel, only our feet touching at the bottom of the bed.  It will be nice when we get our bed back, but she's so worth it!