best friends.

we split the two girls into separate rooms several weeks back, hoping it would help them sleep 

(help US sleep) (help ME sleep). 

it helped ellie the most, but she was also adjusting to life without naps and, later, without paci. poppy... not so much. she woke screaming in the night, "mommy! mommy!" and would cry "no! no! no!" every time i put her in bed. i would rock her, i would let her fall asleep on the couch and stealthily switch her to her bed, but without fail she would wake up again screaming - and usually just a few minutes after i had fallen into a deep sleep. do you know what that is like? you know, you wake up nauseous and angry and confused and dizzy? it's terrible. it was terrible for everyone, except ellie. 

(around midnight the cuteness wears off)

so the husband went out of town for a few days last week for some business training and i decided to put them back in the same room. i figured at least they wouldn't be waking him up if they didn't sleep well during the experiment (he wakes up really early for work, at least i have chance to try and sleep in a little). i thought i was probably/most likely crazy, but i was willing to try it. 

you know what? it has been working. like a dream. remember sleeping long enough to dream? ha. 

the time apart was probably a good break, but they need each other. the first couple nights, poppy fussed a little but when she saw that ellie was there she settled right down and went to sleep. and slept. all night. one night ellie fell asleep before poppy did and all i had to do was show poppy that her big sister was asleep and she was satisfied. not one tear that night. she even woke up in the night and went back to sleep because ellie was there! 

now they still don't always stay in bed all night, but there is so much less screaming. little to no screaming, in fact. and even though most nights one or both girls end up in bed with us for a little while, lately they both cuddle back to sleep so i don't mind. 

yesterday, poppy was in bed with me and we heard ellie wake up across the hall. 

"poppy? poppy? where did you go?"

poppy perked up immediately. "ay-eee! ay-eee!"

"do you want to go get her?" i asked. 

poppy nodded, and i helped her scramble down from my bed. 

they each opened their doors and met in the hallway.

"hey!" ellie said.

"hey!" poppy said. 

and they ran down the hall together to play. 

i told the husband that adorable story and he said:

"we've done the greatest thing we could do, we've created best friends for life."

he's right. 

there is nothing more special than those two and their love for each other

(even if they don't always remember that they are best friends).

best friends forever.