Lesson #2: It's the small things

Ellie smiles big for her four month picture. She gave us her first big laugh the next day. 

After weeks of sleeping through the night and following a pretty regular sleep schedule, Ellie has recently decided she doesn't need sleep. At least, not without hours of rocking, walking, bouncing, repeat several times before she gives in.

It was 12:30 a.m. on a Wednesday and our girl was still wide awake. Her Dad and I had both had long days and were ready to go to sleep, but she had other plans. After hours of trying to get her to sleep, she finally seemed to be getting close. Then, I tried to change her diaper. Her eyes shot open again and boom, away she went across the living room floor showing off her new rolling skills. It was play time.

She's four months old, she doesn't know better, but still we were frustrated. Really frustrated. The kind of frustrated that turns to bickering between tired parents about what to do next. Exhausted, I picked her up in my lap and sat down in the rocking chair.

I don't remember exactly what I said to her, but she must have thought it was hilarious. Because, right there, in the middle of an exhausting, sleepless night, she gave us the best, most melt-your-heart laugh we'd ever heard. She'd been doing this tiny little Sheldon Cooper-style giggle occasionally, but never real laughter. This was new.

She smiled huge, threw her little head back (sort of) and let out a loud, gaspy belly laugh. She kept it up until we had tears from our own laughter. And just like that, it was difficult to remember why we were so frustrated in the first place.

Ellie reminds us of this lesson often. That no matter how tired, stressed or frustrated we are, we have the best distraction and the biggest reason to smile.

Ellie fell asleep shortly after that, and she slept all night long.