Plus cosleeping while legally blind, heartening #cosleepycomments about deciding to bedshare, and the book I can't put down. 🔑

KEEP SCROLLING FOR one of my favorite interviews of all time with a bedsharing mom who is legally blind, heartening comments from this community, and the book I can't put down.

If you're interested in a personal update... I just got the keys to an absolutely-tiny $200/month office for myself! This is a big deal for me. I know it's going to have a huge impact on my quality of work and on my family life.

Because here's what life currently looks like...

I only have about three hours to work while my little boys are in school. I pull out my laptop and set up shop on the dinner table. If I have an interview, I need to bring my microphone and lights out of the bedroom closet and set them up each time. (This takes a while.)

My husband, Matt, also works from home, so when I have meetings or interviews, he has to stay out of the dining room and kitchen. He essentially has to stay down in the basement -- he can't even go to the bathroom without crossing behind me on camera.

This takes a lot of coordination between us. And I waste a lot of my three hours setting up and breaking down my workspace each day.

And this isn't even about the mental toll it's taken me to work from home for the last seven years.

Every time I look at my laptop, I wonder, "Does a mom need help accessing her guide?"

I can't turn off my brain from thinking about all the admin work I need to do, the people I need to get back to, the looming book deadline, the social content I need to create out of thin air, the mean comments I need to delete from my Instagram posts.

Of course there are good work-things to think about, too!

But the issue is that there is no boundary between my personal life and my work life. And it affects everyone in the house.

So I am thrilled that I will now have an extra-special, designated space for this work that I love so much (a.k.a. you!).

And when I'm home, I can just be me with my family.

I'll let you know how it goes. 💖

💬 THE COMMENT SECTION

Whose decision was it to cosleep?

I love our #cosleepycomments series. It's so fun to hear what other parents say -- sometimes their experience is vastly different, but there is always an understanding between us.

​Last week I asked whose decision it was to cosleep. Most often, comments said that it was the baby's decision. But parents also left stories about their partners, midwives, or pediatricians sparking the idea.

Healing is often how I describe the experience of cosleeping with my babies, especially my first.

If you missed this post, it's not too late to join the conversation! Hit this button and leave me a comment about who decided that your family would be cosleeping.

👀 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Cosleeping while legally blind

KIM HAWLEY (late-30s) lives in Washington, DC and supports families all over the world as a lactation consultant and holistic sleep coach. Last year, we dove into safe bedsharing on her podcast and became fast friends.

As I got to know Kim better, I found out that she is legally blind.

I had so many practical questions about bedsharing — I wondered what it was like getting her guide dog used to the new baby, how they set up their family bedroom, and if her sight had anything to do with bedsharing in the first place.

Kim was kind enough to come onto my podcast and give us a peek into her unique experience as a parent with a baby in her bed. Tap this button to listen to our 9-minute chat during your next contact nap.

(There is a transcript if you'd rather read!)

📢 A QUICK CLARIFICATION

Do not put your baby on a pillow

Last week, when I said you'll probably want a wedge pillow for when your baby or toddler is sick and needs to sleep propped up, I should've added "with you."

They will need to sleep with you in the chest-to-chest position, when they're sick and need to sleep propped up.

Until your child is at least 24 months old, you'll never want them to sleep directly on a pillow -- that would be a suffocation risk.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Arinda!

📚 NAP-TRAPPED

The best books for contact naps

I'm halfway through One & Only by Maureen Goo, and I can't put it down. I think it's because I can't figure out who the love interest is. It's usually quite clear in a rom-com, but this premise is so unique, I have no idea who I'm supposed to be rooting for! I'll report back next week.

★★★★☆

​And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison

I was able to finish this book a couple weeks ago, about two competing meteorologists. You will probably like this book if you enjoy the thought of being trapped in a snowstorm with a cute-but-confounding work colleague. It's the second book in the Heartstrings series and features moments with the characters in First Time Caller. It was cozy and I enjoyed it!