Special Nights

It’s funny how special nights are different for everyone. The term “Special Night” in our house was coined by Rich. A special night is not a night of romance and wine – rather a night quite the opposite. It’s a night when Annessa can sleep in our bed. So every day now, we hear – “Daddy, is tonight a Special Night?” Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t.

The funny thing is – every night is becoming a Special Night around 3 am when I hear little bare feet padding along on the now-familiar path from her room to ours. “Mama. Mama. Mama. MAMA.” Her whisper gets louder each time she says my name. “Mama- moooovvvve over.”

So I scoot closer to Rich, the dog moves to the other side of the bed (because he wouldn’t dare sleep next to the unpredictable, ever-moving, sleeping Annessa), and Annessa crawls in with her blankie and her trusty teddy bear Katie.

I used to be a hard-ass about co-sleeping. Never, never, never will I share my bed – in the beginning, it was, what if I roll over on her? Then, as she grew and I realized how much she “roots around” (as my dad would say), and how much I needed my sleep, I renewed my commitment to the “everyone has a bed – you belong in yours” philosophy.

But, now, when I am smack dab in the middle of the two people I love most (and the dog), I realize that I have never slept better in my life.