My independent little fighter

       As with each new year, a lot of hopes and dreams pile up in my head. 2012 did not have the most glamorous start for us. After a nice trip to Nebraska we came home with a tired little girl who got majorly sick few days after. I don't know what kind of bugs are around these days, but boy, did they get Catalina. Fever and aches, crying and crying, at night vomiting and washing of the sheets.
      But, this blog is about sunshine and happiness, so let's concentrate on the good part of it. I got to stay home 2 days with my little angel. Between Tylenol and Advil we did get some amazing time together, hugs and smiles and kisses (full of germs, yes). Cati is a fighter and she won't be slowed down! She talks and talks and talks. She's proud she knows all the colors and she names everything she sees around: look momma, yellow, wipe (a.k.a white) flower. She is cute and smart and oh my goodness, loving beyond imagination.
      Here we come to the part where she is independent. One of the world biggest lies is told to parents who decide to co-sleep: "if you get the kid in your bed, you'll never be able to take her out". Marius and I both shared our bed when we were little, he with his parents, I with my sister. None of us could imagine how you can leave a small helpless baby in a room by him/herself. We knew our baby will be close to us. When I was breastfeeding Catalina this was a heavenly idea, I did not have to wake up, just turn on my side and she got what she needed. So I was never tired when she was a baby. Tip for the tired moms of infants: get the baby in the same room/bed with you, and you can sleep as well as before the baby. Stop the non sense rules, have a bed big enough, don't crowd it with pillows, blankets or too many kids...and get your infant in the same bed. Everyone will be happy.
     Anyhow, Catalina was in a co-sleeper attached to our bed until she was 7 months and she started being able to climb the sides of the co-sleeper. Then we took her right in the middle of our bed, to keep us warm and happy. She slept beautifully with us, cuddled, kissed us, hugged us. And no, she did not disturb our married life a bit. If anything, she brought Marius and I closer, as we were so happy she belongs to both of us.
     Lately, she decided that all the bed should be hers, she slept with her head on my shoulders and her feet on Marius. For a while we tried to ignore it, but it was hard to ignore her kicking at 2 am. So we decided to get a toddler bed for her. No big deal, as we were sure she'll hate it and never want to sleep there. After all, this is what everybody told us, we'll never be able to get her out of our bed. Our next solution was to get a king bed for all three of us.Well, Serta and Tempur-pedic, you'll not have us as customers soon. Our little girl loves her new little bed. Even the nights she had fever, she was throwing up and she was hurting, she wanted to go in her little Elmo bed. Here is my little independent cutie, laying on the pillows bunica made for her.

She talks to Elmo before she goes to sleep every night, she has a cute ritual that involves moving the pillows 20+ times, climbing in our bed just to go back one minute later, talking to her bed, playing with her new favorite bedtime toy, a ladybug nightlight.

Sleep tight my little one, mommy and daddy are right next to you, just in case you decide to come back in our bed. We miss the hugs and kisses and well, also the kicking :)