Early morning thoughts

Emily, our neice, spent the night with us last night in our hotel room. The girls love her to pieces and so I guess that I shouldn't be surprised that Aly, who had a 10 minute meltdown the night before about sleeping anywhere but between David and I, was all to excited about sleeping with Lili and Emily in the other bed! :-)

I just got up a little while ago and everyone else is still snoozing. I went over to check on the girls and they are all huddled up as close as they could possibly be to Emily. It is so precious. I love to watch my girls sleep! I guess for Aly it the ONLY time she is still. She is such a live wire at all other times. To watch her sleep is so soothing for me. She is he most peaceful soul I know when she is taking those long deep breaths. I just love it. I told her one morning after she woke up that I loved to watch her sleep and that I love knowing that I can roll over in bed any time and see her beautiful face next to me. She smiled and said, "I love watching you sleep Mommy and knowing that I can roll over in bed any time and play with your hair!" That child loves to play with my hair! Most nights she won't go to sleep until she has given it the onceover. Of course now I have cut it all off short, so she wasn't too happy with me!

Sleep has been an issue for Lili since the day we got her. She wanted nothing to do with it for a long time. Some of the hardest times in my life have been in the last six months trying to help that child to adjust! She slept (sort of) in a pack n play just outside our bedroom until about April! The only way to get her to sleep was to hold her with something on her head to cover her eyes until she passed out and then run like the wind to get out of the room before she woke up again. But slowly we have gotten her into her crib in the nursery. We don't have to use the hat anymore, but she does like it very dark. Finally after nearly six months I can play a little music and rock her for a few minutes and put her, awake, into her crib and off she will go to dreamland. She ususally doesn't even wake up until around 9:30 or 10 in the mornings!!! Now I can enjoy watching her sleep! This child has so much anger still and is still super sensitive, but when she sleeps...it is all good!! That furrowed brow, which is her trademark, goes away and it is all peaceful in her beautiful little face. I must admit that I didn't know if this would ever happen. I mean it has been hard fought 6 months for us with her, but God is good and we have finally found our way with her.

She and Aly don't ever sleep together unless we are traveling like this or something, but i love to watch them sleep together. They snuggle up together and their arms and legs are all intertwined and it is such a special thing to see. They love each other so much and that is the best time to see it.

Have a happy Monday! I plan to spend most of today at the pool with the girlies...it doesn't get much better than that!!!