Milestones

Months ago, Zinashi announced her intention to sleep in her own bed so she could get bunk beds. She tried, but it didn't work out. Every night, she'd show up in our room disoriented and a little panicked, and want to crawl into the big bed. After a few nights of this, we put a stop to it, because we really enjoy sleeping. Having her fall asleep in her own bed and then moving her at our own convenience was the easiest way to handle things, so that's what we did. It worked.

Two nights ago, Zinashi told Jarod that she wanted to try sleeping all night in her own bed again*. He told her that the next night she could try it. So last night was the night, and much to my surprise, she did it. She was awake for a little while in the middle of the night, and she came into our room at 5am to get a cat for company, but she did not sleep in the big bed at all. Mission accomplished. Done. She was ready, and she did it. Tonight she'll do it again, and Elvie will start sleeping in the big bed, which is now safe for her thanks to the kicking legs of Zinashi McBride being confined to the room next door.

I am hoping that Elvie's move into the big bed will help her sleep through the night. I have a hunch that as her body adjusts to no longer needing extra calories**, the only thing that will stand between her and a good night's sleep will be the restlessness that comes with needing to be sure that we are near. When I slept next to her in the hospital, with her head burrowed up under my arm, she threw a leg over my leg and slept all night. Of course there are no guarantees, but I am going to give it a try. If it works, it will feel like best night of my life.

*I did not offer bunk beds for this round of sleep attempts, so I am declaring them officially off the table. A trundle bed makes way more sense given the layout of our space and, frankly, my own personal taste.

**I've mentioned in the past that part of Elvie's diagnosis is that she was carrying extra tissue, and her body had to support that tissue. Most of what was unneeded was removed in her surgery, so her need for additional calories has disappeared.