The first time Maddie slept in our bed with us was the night we brought her home from the hospital.
I gently laid our brand new 7 pound baby in her crib in her own bedroom, but she had other plans. She cried every 15 minutes, and I ran to her bedroom to soothe her. I crept back to our bedroom across the hall and stared intently at the video monitor. I whispered to my husband, “She looks so tiny in that big crib.” At some point during that long night, after multiple trips to her bedroom, I surrendered and brought little baby Maddie into our bed where she slept soundly between us for hours. I probably dozed on and off. But mostly, I just looked at her in the darkness. I was just so grateful to be her mom. When the morning light snuck into our room, my husband gently reminded me that it was not safe to have her sleeping between us. Reluctantly, I agreed.
The second time Maddie slept in our bed with us was this past Sunday morning, on her 5th birthday.
Five-year-old Maddie woke up before the sun on Sunday morning. She was just too excited to sleep. She crawled into our bed, smiling, and plopped between the two of us. “Happy birthday, Maddie,” I said softly, straining to open my eyes. “Thanks, Mommy,” Maddie whispered before she somehow drifted off to sleep again. She slept soundly between us. I tried to fall back asleep, but mostly, I just looked at her in the darkness. I am just so grateful to be her mom.
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Murphy's Law 
I love having my kids sleep in bed with us! We never allowed it until they were near 2 years old. Now they are hooked. I am too. Except they are bed-hogs! I end up taking them to their own beds because I need sleep.
I love the tenderness you capture in your SOL. I was the model bad parent with my two daughters, who are now grown. I was depressed about being away from my baby when I returned to work. Holding her, cuddling her, and like you, staring at her in the dark, connected us in a way that eased our separation, or at least mine. We even had a book, given to me by a friend, called The Cuddlers. It has probably been banned in the last 20 years, but it was a delightful picture book about a family bed. Very warm memories…..
A lovely tribute; I love the circularity of it.
Love this post. Reminds me of many times in my children’s lives. Happy birthday to Maggie. A great day for the both of you.
What a lovely post. I can just picture the big smile you must have had looking at your precious daughter.
Happy Birthday Maddie.
I love the repetition, such a sweet story of love. You captured it, and brought back many fond memories of looking at my babies in the dark beside me.
Well, THAT choked me up! 😉 I wonder when the next time will be…?
Time flies so swiftly doesn’t it? A beautiful tribute and lovely capture of the two moments.
I loved the tenderness of this slice, Dana! If you don’t scrapbook, then you must start printing these slices and putting them into binders or keepsake boxes for your girls. This one needs to be on the top of the box/binder.
Thank you, Stacey. I liked this one, too. 🙂 I knew I wanted to share these with my girls one day, but I wasn’t sure how. I love the idea of putting them in a beautiful binder. Thanks! I will work on it this weekend, I think!!
Happy Birthday, Maddie – such a tender slice!
Awww happy birthday to your daughter! Beautiful slice!
Oh, Dana, what a sweet post. I hope you’ll send this somewhere to be published. It is incredibly beautiful. Happy Birthday, Maddie.
This is beautiful. I love the way you aged her in such an innocent, beautiful way. So much has changed in 5 short years but it seems like they are growing way too fast, aren’t they? Happy birthday Maddie. I do hope as someone else also wrote, that you’ll collect these for them to read one day. They’ll be so grateful to know who their mom in this way and remember these moments of pure love.
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