Saturday, January 03, 2009

Bed hopping

We've been doing some preparatory work today for some changes to sleeping arrangements in our house. No, Hayley hasn't finally kicked me out to the spare room for my snoring, we have decided to upgrade our children's beds.

Oliver is still in his cot-bed which is still in its cot format. He likes to snuggle right up to the bars. And when I have asked him about turning it into a bed he hasn't exactly sounded dead keen.

Having said that he has slept in a bed a few times. Down in Wiltshire at Sammy's house he slept in a single bed to which we fitted a bed-guard. Unfortunately we forgot one of the straps that secures it and since Oliver liked to push right up to it, one night he actually fell out of bed! I heard it happen and went in to find him dopily hanging off the side of his bed, semi-tangled in the bed-guard! Surprisingly he made no protest as I lifted him and the contraption back into place, securing it more firmly from then on with my belt (and later when I needed my belt Hayley used pairs of tights which were equally effective!).

Over Christmas he also slept in a single bed, but this time with another bed right alongside it. Several times I went in to him to find him half way across the adjoining bed. So I think that bed-guard will see some use when he does get his single bed. And getting it he he is! Yesterday we purchased a rather nice single bed and a corresponding spring mattress.

So when Oliver moves into his bed, Lucy will inherit his cot-bed. She is currently in a smaller cot and will probably appreciate the extra space. Her bedroom, the fourth and smallest in our house, will only just fit this cot-bed and we have spent part of this afternoon re-arranging her furniture and tidying up her room ready for the changeover. So tonight she is sleeping on the other side of her room, where she will soon slumber in her new berth.

It struck me this evening that we should probably buy another bed-guard, as it has become a more frequent occurrence in recent times for one of the kids to end up in our bed. In fact, so frequent has it been that only yesterday after several weeks of having the bed-guard fitted to my side of the bed ("just in case") did we remove it.

Of course the theory is that these new cribs for our offspring will help them sleep better and get us all some rest. Ah, the very thought is bliss! Then again, I can already anticipate the pitter patter of Oliver's feet in the morning, coming into our room as bright as a button, to "encourage" us to get up.