Places My First Baby Slept as a Newborn vs. Places My Third Baby Has Slept as a Newborn

In the hospital bassinet next to my bed while I stayed awake for his first forty-eight hours to make sure he was still breathing

In the hospital nursery

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Quietly, in my arms while I rocked him to sleep in a rocking chair

In the bend of the couch covered in Pokémon stickers, while Octonauts blared on Netflix

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In his stroller on a leisurely walk through the park

In her stroller placed just far enough out of range of the splash pad that she won’t get wet… oh, never mind, someone brought a water gun

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In a baby carrier, strapped to my chest, while I stroked his head gently

In a baby carrier while I emptied the toddler potty into the shower because the toilet is clogged with a glitter dumpling

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On the floor in my living room, on his high-contrast interactive baby mat to stimulate brain development

On the floor of a Chick-fil-A play place

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In his car seat while we drove to Vermont to do some leaf peeping

In her car seat while we drove to somewhere called HyperKidz Ultimate Play Zone Half Price Tuesdays

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In the pediatrician’s office where we brought him to check out a little cough

In one of my arms as I use the other arm to call my cousin in med school to ask how big a cut on a three year old’s chin needs to be before it actually needs stitches

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Lying in bed next to me while I listened to an audiobook

Lying in bed next to me while I yelled, “ONLY JUMP OVER HER BODY, PLEASE DON’T JUMP OVER HER HEAD”

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In his own crib, at 6 p.m. on the dot

In an L.L.Bean wagon at a World Cup watch party at 9 p.m.

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NOT during tummy time because newborns should ALWAYS be placed on their BACKS to sleep

NOT during tummy time because I forgot tummy time was a THING that EXISTED

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At home while I attended the dentist

In my arms while I attended the dentist

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On a blanket outdoors, covered with a hat, long sleeves, an umbrella, and a muslin cloth

On a blanket, outdoors, at a birthday party, being held by several very responsible-looking six-year-old girls

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Being held with both my arms at all times

Being held with my chin over my shoulder while I core an apple

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Only for several seconds in his bouncer, immediately transferred to a flat surface as soon as he falls asleep

In her bouncer, on the counter

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Away from the cats

Under the cats’ supervision

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With me while my husband went golfing

With my husband while my husband went golfing

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Certainly not on a family vacation to the Outer Banks at only two months old. You can tell your sister we will NOT be attending this year and honestly, it’s putting us in an uncomfortable position to even ask

In the arms of a stranger on an airplane on the way to attend a family vacation at the Outer Banks at two months old

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Tucked into the stroller under a blanket embroidered with his name

Tucked into a stroller under a blanket embroidered with her brother’s name

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Always within my field of vision unless safe inside his bassinet

“Does anyone know where we put down the baby???”

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On my chest at 3 a.m., my face buried in the soft fuzz of his head, wishing these sleepless nights would end and I could just go back to sleep forever

On my chest at 3 a.m., my face buried in the soft fuzz of her head, knowing how quickly these sleepless nights will end and wishing I could stay awake with her like this forever