Sleepytime

Sleep has been on my mind a lot this week. I should say a lot more than usual. We have spent the week helping Emily sleep in her crib in her room instead of in the co-sleeper next to our bed. I have to say I loved having her in our room. I could watch her sleep and reach her quickly when she needed comfort or to nurse. And waking up next to her with her huge smile was absolutely wonderful. But it was time.

She handled it all fairly well, until she started teething and/or getting a cold. I am sooo tempted to bring her back to our room, but am holding firm. Instead, she gets lots of naps in my arms.

Of course, we also cuddle together with books. Here are two sleepytime books that we own and enjoy reading together over and again.

Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time
A lift-the-flap board book with soft colors and quiet words. It's fun to use the flaps to cover up the sleeping animals. Some of the flaps are doors, trees, or even Jemima Puddle-duck's wing. When Emily gets older I imagine she'll enjoy guessing who is under each flap and thinking about them enjoying their rest.

Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freedman; illustrated by Tina Macnaughton.
Safari animals get ready for bed after a long day of playing. A story in rhyme, the words are soothing. The illustrations are too, with soft warm sunsets moving toward dusk and a moonlit evening. The cover is even somewhat soft, so it's a great cuddle-up-and-read book. It's an oversized board book, so it's also good for a small group.