This is a picture of Little Sister's crib. The only thing that's missing is Little Sister! She has not slept through the night in this crib since...EVER! But, since it's adjacent to the bed, it is a handy toybox/bookcase/cellphone & MacBook charging station. I'm at a crossroads because she has outgrown her mini-crib and it is now time to invest in a real crib, but I am torn. Against the well-meaning advice of numerous family members and friends, Little Sister and I share a bed. Actually, I now occupy one teeny-tiny sliver of the edge of what was formerly known as "my bed." She finds a way to take up the entire bed, and has done so since day #1. I have read all the ominous warnings about the dangers of co-sleeping. But, co-sleeping is also thought to have benefits as well. One of the biggest benefits for me is that during the week, the daily rat-race makes it feel as if I get too little time with my pumpkin. Bedtime is when we wind things down, read a book, giggle, babble, laugh, snuggle and then fall asleep. I wouldn't trade these few minutes for anything in the world, nor would I think of waking her up out of her peaceful slumber to place her somewhere else. When I was pregnant I hadn't even considered co-sleeping, but as my nesting instinct was revving up into overdrive and my desire to set-up a nursery dominated every conversation, Daddy-O encouraged me to challenge conventional wisdom regarding putting her in a separate room once she turned 3 months old. I don't think he was challenging conventional wisdom about having her sleep in her own bed, but oh well. Some nights it does feel like a scene out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (remember, both sets of grandparents slept in the same bed?). But, now that we're all used to it, I wouldn't have it any other way. The thought of having her sleep in another room outside of my sight causes me much trepidation. Instead of being concerned that co-sleeping will result in her becoming a dependent and clingy girl, I'm claiming that our close quarters will result in her being able to boldly and confidently go forward in the world because at the end of the day, she knows that she'll come to a home that is nurturing and loving...and by then she'll come home to her own room. :-) So, I guess in answer to my own question, "what's wrong with this picture???," the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
