Rose is 5+ months and has been sleeping in a little room between the master bedroom and our master bathroom.
She's getting old enough that she is close to outgrowing her little inclined seat. She's also very happy to sleep in a crib or pack and play for naps during the day.
I've been thinking and pondering and cogitating about sleeping arrangements for our family.
Today I was thinking about sleeping arrangements over the last 15 years. 15 years ago RIGHT NOW, I was 8 months pregnant with our first child. We had just moved down to Ohio from Michigan and were rattling around in a 1700 square foot house plus full basement. Just Kevin, me, and a sweet baby in the womb. We had 4 bedrooms in that first house, and we were in one, the nursery was set up in the second room, and the 2 upstairs bedrooms (it was a Cape Cod) were mostly empty.
Fast forward 5 years and we had 4 children and I was pregnant with the 5th while we looked for a bigger home. Our Cape Cod was certainly mammoth by African or Central American standards, but we were feeling a little tight -- especially as we planned on homeschooling so we knew lots of people would be home most of the time.
We found our current home, a foreclosure, and it is HUGE. 3500 square feet PLUS a big basement. We only have 4 official bedrooms, but they are all big. Right now we have our 2 oldest girls in one room, our 2 older boys in another room, our 3 middle girls in a 3rd room, Kevin and I share the master bedroom, our baby girl is (as I mentioned) in a weird room between our room and the bathroom. And what about DANIEL? Well, he is sleeping in a pack and play in the study on the main floor. THAT is because our boy is a nut. We have plans to put him in the big boys room and have even had him spend a night or 2 there, but he can climb out of the crib without a problem. And some days...some days, our boy carries out what I call The Reign of Terror. Bless his little heart, he just wants to destroy things or climb on things or pour water on things or an exciting combination of all 3. Our big boys have a number of treasures, some of them breakable, and I just don't trust Daniel in that room alone (and he would be alone as he goes to bed earlier than the big boys.) So for now, he sleeps in the study, with doors that won't open for him (they have safety knobs) and nothing dangerous that he can get to.
Rose is kind of a problem. The long term plan might be for her to move in with the 3 "middle" girls. Naomi and Lydia stay up quite late and it will be a while before Miriam can stay up that late. But right now, Rose needs quiet for her early evening naps and late evening feedings. A crib in the middle girls' room just doesn't work great.
BUT, the middle girls' room has a walk in closet and that may be the answer! I have a pack in play in that closet now, and she naps there most of the time. So far she hasn't slept there through the night. Occasionally, the middle girls' room is busy and then she naps in the boys' room.
I think it is funny. I know some families where people just sleep wherever -- chairs, sofas, floor. NOTHING wrong with that, but Kevin and I have always been pretty obsessive about having the kids sleep in THEIR BEDS. And Rose does sleep in her ... beds. She kind of has 3 right now.
I also shake my head at myself, because Abe Lincoln grew up in a tiny log cabin with a father, stepmother, 2 siblings, and 2 stepsiblings, and they made it work. Here I am feeling cramped for sleeping space in a near mansion.
And that does help me find perspective. There are times I kind of wish we had another bedroom. But that is silly. God has provided so richly that we can afford this very large house. I'm grateful for that, and we'll make the closet work.
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