I had no idea what a major transition it would be to move Lydia into a “big girl bed”. It’s not that she gets out of bed now. We were pleasantly surprised when Lydia learned her very first night that she can’t just get out of bed whenever she wants. No, the major transition is that Lydia is becoming a very big girl.
One of the perks to tucking Lydia in at night now is that one of us can lie down with her for a while. Usually Dan stays with her for a few songs on the cd we play for her as she falls asleep. A few nights ago, however, Dan told me I could stay with her.
“Mommy come? No room?” Lydia would ask and I said, “Nope, I’m going to lay down with you for a while.” She snuggled up next to me, stuck her thumb in her mouth, and grabbed onto my hair with her free hand. She asked me to put the “baseball blanket” on her and the “pink one” on myself. We sang and hummed some songs. Then we started chatting.
When Abby was in the hospital a couple of different people from church would stay at our house some nights while Lydia slept. Even though we tucked her in before we left, she still knew that we were leaving. By December she was no longer happy when Mommy and Daddy left. So after Abby came home Lydia would often ask at bedtime, “Mommy, Daddy stay?” with excitement in her voice. Sometimes she still does.
As we lay in her big girl bed she asked me again, “No leaving? Mommy stay?”.
“Yep, we’re staying here tonight. We’re not leaving.”
Lydia smiled a satisfied smile and stuck her thumb back in her mouth. “Mommy tired?”, she asked me.
“No, but Mommy has a headache.”
We had a short conversation about my headache and what I was planning to do after I left Lydia’s room. One of the things I told her was that Dan would probably rub my shoulders, because that helps my head stop hurting. I showed her what it meant to rub someone’s shoulders. Lydia listened intently, all the while holding my hair and sucking her thumb. When I’d finished, she reached up with both hands and started to rub my shoulders.
After I left the room I couldn’t help thinking that, when Lydia grows up and moves out, these are going to be the moments I miss the most.
Awwwww…..she will be with you for a long time 🙂
They will always be a treasured memories! She’s such a sweetheart. Love you.
She is so precious, and what a precious time! I have to admit that I’m SO not a night person, and I’m totally GONE by bedtime, so I never ever lie down with the kids. It is a major effort for me to supervise tooth brushing, medicine taking, and praying with them. Then I’m like, “Go to sleep kids, go to sleep. Without me!” 🙂
“…when Lydia grows up and moves out,….” will be the day after tomorrow. Or at least it will feel that way, sooner than you think. Cherish every moment, as you are! I cannot imagine a better mommy for our grand-daughters.