Say Goodnight Gracie, Er, Laura!

For a variety of reasons, not limited to the lack of oxygen for almost two years or sleeping with casts or shoes on a bar, Laura absolutely HATES sleeping with a blanket. In her bed, that is. She'll jump in our bed and slip under our covers pretending to be asleep without a thought. And if we happen to succumb and bring her in to our bed so everyone can get a little sleep on the really bad nights, she'll sleep under our blankets without a fuss as well. But in her bed??? Uh no. Nyet. Never. Not on your life. Won't have it. No blankets. Ever. *sigh*

We've done everything short of bribing her to use one. Her bedroom gets cold during the winter months and I mean cold. Too cold for humans without a cover. Even when they are in a fleece sleeper. But alas, stubborn child that she is, she won't tolerate a blanket any closer to her than stuffed at the bottom of her crib. Her hands turn in to little ice cubes and she fusses and fusses.

For her initial winter, she spent most of that time swaddled and in the bassinet in our room. The second winter we layered lots of layers on her and it seemed to work. By her third winter, layering was out of the question. Not only did we have difficulties finding sleepers that would layer well without being far too large, but she wouldn't tolerate that "I'm bundled up so much I can't move" feeling. There were a few nights when that scene from "A Christmas Story" played out with pj's instead of a winter coat. It wasn't working. So I asked Michelle to make her a sleep sack that would go over her shoes and bar. The night it arrived was the first warm night she'd had in awhile. I was thrilled and Laura was sleeping once again.
Here she is the next morning:


But things happen. Kids grow. I know, I know. We spend a lot of time wondering when they might grow up and then when they do, we wonder why they have to. This was one of those times for me. Why, oh why, did she have to outgrow her sleep sacks??? And yet I wondered at the same time when she'd grow up enough to overcome her fear of blankets and actually use one. Or two. But that wasn't happening anytime soon so I implored Michelle to make another one. One that might grow with her a little bit. I didn't need to worry. At one point "I'll just make the sucker huge" came forth from her fingers through email. And boy did she! LOL Laura loves it and it will grow with her. Here she is, cuddled down in her new sleep sack.


It is a different style so she can use it more like a warm sleeping bag with angel wings to wrap around her when she wants them. Laura's been in it almost constantly since it arrived. Somehow I think she likes it. :):) I like the love it represents. Thank you, Michelle. You have outdone yourself.