co-sleeping super-bed

We've got some {not so} new sleeping arrangements around here.

A couple of months ago Bob inherited a new twin size bed.  Which meant that his crib-turned-toddler-bed was up for grabs.  Owen had become dangerously huge for his cradle, and was spending most of every night in my bed kicking the crap out of me and Ben.  And although he never rolled onto the floor, it was a concern.  And thus was born one of my best inventions ever: the superbed.  {inspired here}

Okay so it's not so much an invention as it is a toddler bed pushed up against a grown up bed, with a memory foam mattress topper folded in half to make the two beds the same height.  But seriously -- all the extra sleeping real estate is life changing.  Owen has a whole space of his own, yet he's still right with me.  When he needs to nurse, I can just skooch over to his side, or pull him to mine.  Bob didn't start sleeping through the night until after he was one; for that first year he slept in our bed quite a bit, but mostly he slept in his crib, which meant I was up at least once every night nursing and rocking and carefully laying the boy back down.  (I learned quickly that I wasn't one to let my baby "cry it out.")  When Owie came along, I pretty much accepted the fact that he'd be sleeping with me.  And it seems that's what he had in mind too.  We both sleep better that way.

Bob's first night in his huge twin size bed...

More sleeping Bobby cuteness...

Sometimes he likes to get out of bed, turn on his light, collect some books, get back in and read until we catch him... "Mom, just go out of my room and leave the light on and I'm gonna read for five more minutes"...

Owie, first day in the superbed...

Another view (sorry none of these are any good)...

The super bed is a super fun crazy cuddle spot, too...

My precious little sleeping seven month old...

Once in a while Bobby wants to lay down in my bed, and of course I let him because I don't want my little firstborn to feel left out.  Finding these two pups sleeping together is about the cutest thing ever.  Usually when I go to bed I carry Bob to his room, but once or twice we've all spent the night together.

Owen's sleep routine has changed a lot over the past seven months -- for the first month he slept any and everywhere, months two and three we'd nurse/rock/bounce and I'd lay him in his cradle until his first night waking, months four and five I walked him to sleep in a carrier every night, and since the superbed was set up we just nurse and cuddle in bed until he falls asleep.

When he's ready to get up, Owen takes matters into his own hands.  He knows how to climb out!  He's escaped several times -- somehow he slides himself down off the bed face first and does a little back flip onto the floor without getting hurt.  Once I saw him do it.  Just this morning I laid him down, went to help Bob with something, heard a noise and went to check and found him in the doorway, making his way out to play.

So, I suppose super-bed won't last forever... but I'm really enjoying it while it does.