5 o'clock shadow

Bailee.  Yes Bailee has a 5 o'clock shadow.  She's a girl...she can't shave it!

Ok for real-we're not talking about an almost-beard.  We're talking about Bailee seeing her shadow.  Literally, at 5 o'clock.

A few months ago I was having headaches. Terrible, horrible headaches. Every day.  Usually they started at work, almost as soon as I got to work.  I went to my doctor and we both blamed it on stress-since they started at work and usually went away at night.  While meeting with the doctor we talked about my stress, eating, exercise, medications (I wasn't on any) and sleeping patterns.  She found my sleep to be interesting.

Andy was along at this appointment and can vouch for how extensive our conversation was about my sleep.  I didn't realize that it wasn't normal to not sleep through the night.  Many people wake up often during the night or some have problems falling asleep.  I told her that on a good night I probably would wake up at least 6 times.  I know this because I would check the clock at least that many times and the next morning could remember what times I always was awake.  She thought this was weird and wondered what was keeping me awake.  Nothing was keeping me awake, I could go right back to sleep.  But I would get woken up over every little thing.

My mom nagged, and nagged and nagged and nagged (isn't that what mom's are for?) and of COURSE she was right (Mom's are always right).  I was waking up all the time because Bailee was in bed with us.  She would go over the covers, under the covers, over the covers, under the covers. Sometimes she would squeeze between our legs and other times stick her sticato-straight legs into my back or butt or face.  Andy and I decided...it was time.  Bailee needed her own bed. ( I liked how that sounded, not like we were kicking her out or anything-we were giving HER the opportunity to get a good nights sleep as well).

The transition was awesome.  Grandma Barb bought her a new doggy bed-plush and brown just like our comforter.  She dragged a blanket in there and started sleeping there every. single. night.  There really was no transition.  The first few nights she would come stand by the side of the bed and whine and we just had to tell her "go lay on your bed" and she did! And now I only wake up 1-2 times/night to check the clock. WOW!  I'm probably getting much better sleep.

But that 5 o'clock shadow. Let's get back to that.  Every morning Bailee wakes up.  It never fails. She gets up at 5 am. She comes to the bed and whines.  We started letting her come back up on the bed in the morning knowing my alarm was going off in 15 minutes.  But it never fails. NEVER. She (must) see her shadow at 5 am and realize that it's time to come up on the big bed. Amazing.  Love that pup and can't turn her down.  I love that 15 minute snuggle with her.   And I'm pretty sure Andy loves it too.  

  (FYI: Now I know better-most likely the headaches were related to my celiac's disease.)